By John-Henry Westen
FARGO, November 18, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A newly released column from Bishop Samuel Aquila begins by congratulating President-elect Barack Obama on his election, but then moves quickly to address his support for the “intrinsic evil” of abortion.
In the column, the Bishop says he will pray “for the conversion of his (Obama’s) heart and mind to recognize the dignity of human life from the moment of conception until natural death and the truth that no government has the right to legalize abortion.”
“I pray that President-elect Obama will listen when it comes to the question of the unborn and not impose the intrinsic evil of abortion on the consciences of so many who know the truth that abortion is the destruction of a unique innocent human being,” he added.
The Bishop notes that, in light of Obama’s election, “the Church, and most especially bishops and priests, will need to make the teaching of the Church known to every Catholic.” Aquila says that he has been “surprised and saddened at how little some Catholics know and accept the teaching of the Church on the matter of abortion.”
He corrects the most serious misperception saying, “Some believe that it is possible to be a faithful Catholic and be pro-choice. This is impossible. Abortion is an intrinsic evil, which means that in no circumstance is it permitted nor may it ever be supported, even as a means to a good end. No Catholic can be faithful to Jesus Christ and the Church and support an intrinsic evil.”
Catholics who support such evils put themselves outside the Church, says the Bishop. “Thus Catholics, be they judges, politicians, or voters, who support Roe v. Wade or ‘assisted suicide’ by any type of legislation or candidate, place themselves outside of the law of God and the Church each time they vote in support of so-called abortion rights or rights to die.”
See the full column by Bishop Aquila here:
https://www.fargodiocese.org/bishop/Homilies/SupportDignityOfHumanLife.pdf