By Kathleen Gilbert
November 3, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In a recent interview Archbishop Chaput answered some of the most pressing questions about the presidential election, focusing on the moral imperative for Catholics to bring their pro-life values to the voting booth.
Thomas Peters of the popular American Papist blog sat down with the archbishop, who has made headlines as one of this year’s most vocal defenders of human life among the U.S. bishops.
Peters asked Archbishop Chaput why the Church in the U.S. has been particularly outspoken on life issues in recent months.
“One reason is that Senator Obama is the most active pro-abortion politician to run for the Presidency since Roe v. Wade,” said the archbishop. “He has committed himself to do things the Church would resist.”
Regarding the defense of the Church’s pro-life doctrine, Chaput said the U.S. bishops have realized that “a quieter approach to these things has not been effective … we have to be clearer, more precise, stronger in what we say. We’ve just had it.”
He also said that the U.S. bishops’ “Faithful Citizenship” document is “not very clear” and, because it is able to support widely conflicting interpretations, should be revised or rejected.
He discussed the view of some Catholics who support Obama as the “true pro-life” candidate, asserting, “It would be foolish to say that someone who endorses abortion as an option and runs on a party platform that has no regret at all about abortion … to call that position pro-life is really strange.”
Archbishop Chaput, who is the author of the bestselling book “Render Unto Caesar” on the integration of Catholic faith and political life, said that while he and the Church fully support separation of Church and state, “We don’t believe in the separation of faith and politics.
“Politics is simply the business of arranging how we love our neighbor. So, to say we should separate what we believe from how we love our neighbor doesn’t make any sense.”
Chaput re-emphasized that abortion is “the foundational issue in our culture.
“Cardinal George said our country’s drenched in blood, and it is. Why would you let someone lead our country or represent your state if that person favors allowing people to kill their children? It doesn’t make any sense.”
To watch the interview, go to:
https://www.americanpapist.com/2008/11/amp-news-video-episode-one-featuring.html
See related LifeSiteNews.com articles:
Denver Archbishop Chaput: Obama Supporting Pro-life Catholics “Absurd”
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/oct/08102005.html