His Awesomeness Archbishop Chaput
Groups, trade associations and publications describing themselves as “Catholic” or “prolife” that endorse the Senate version — whatever their intentions — are doing a serious disservice to the nation and to the Church, undermining the witness of the Catholic community; and ensuring the failure of genuine, ethical health-care reform. By their public actions, they create confusion at exactly the moment Catholics need to think clearly about the remaining issues in the health-care debate. They also provide the illusion of moral cover for an unethical piece of legislation.
“I will trade you a mess of healthcare pottage for the birthright of the unborn.” Groups like the Catholic Health Association have decided that the immoral Senate bill is now acceptable and should be supported. Whatever their motives are their reasoning is deeply flawed in supporting this bill and pretending that it does not pay for abortion. These modern Esau’s are making a bad deal for something they assume to be a good. Esau at least gave away his birthright which was his own to give. The modern Esau’s give away somebody else’s birthright. The Archbishop is exactly right about the faux moral cover they provide which helps to give pro-abortion politicians some credence – this is pure cooperation with evil.
…The long, unpleasant and too often dishonest national health-care debate is now in its last days. Its most painful feature has been those “Catholic” groups that by their eagerness for some kind of deal undercut the witness of the Catholic community and help advance a bad bill into a bad law. Their flawed judgment could now have damaging consequences for all of us.
Do not be misled. The Senate version of health-care reform currently being pushed ahead by congressional leaders and the White House — despite public resistance and numerous moral concerns — is bad law; and not simply bad, but dangerous. It does not deserve, nor does it have, the support of the Catholic bishops in our country, who speak for the believing Catholic community. In its current content, the Senate version of health-care legislation is not “reform.” Catholics and other persons of good will concerned about the foundations of human dignity should oppose it.
Exactly right – funding of abortion is not reform.
2 comments
Chaput should be preaching to his fellow members of the USCCC. Unfortunately, they’re more concerned with “social justice” — as a means to expand their polticial influence, not as a value in itself — than with moral credibility.
I loved the line about modern Esaus giving away “someone else’s birthright”! Well put, sir!!!