(LifeSiteNews) — The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has denounced the thirty-one Democratic members of Congress who claimed on June 24, the one-year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, that their religious beliefs compel them to defend abortion.
“Members of Congress who recently invoked teachings of the Catholic faith itself as justifying abortion or supporting a supposed right to abortion grievously distort the faith,” the USCCB’s statement reads.
U.S. Bishops President and Chairmen Rebuke Distortion of Church Teaching in Abortion Statement by Members of Congress | Read the full press release on our website: https://t.co/7Mudxv6Fco
— U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (@USCCB) June 28, 2023
“It is wrong and incoherent to claim that the taking of innocent human life at its most vulnerable stage can ever be consistent with the values of supporting the dignity and wellbeing of those in need.”
The statement was issued by USCCB President Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, Arlington Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop Daniel E. Flores, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Doctrine.
Among the lawmakers who added their name to the “Renewed Statement of Principles” include former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Michigan Representative Debbie Dingell, Texas Representative Joaquin Castro, and ultra progressive Connecticut Representative Rosa L. DeLauro, who played a leading role in drafting the document. DeLauro was widely panned by conservatives on Twitter for invoking her Catholic beliefs to justify her heretical views.
The Catholic Church declares abortion a grave moral evil, a mortal sin, rejecting Christ in the baby killed. You can’t be a Catholic in good standing & support abortion. By supporting abortion, you are rejecting Catholicism & Christ. I encourage—& pray—you will go to confession.
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) June 27, 2023
Do not use your faith to cover for sin.
People disagree with the church, they sin, they stray, it’s part of human life. We all aspire to be better and acknowledge when we live.
Your faith is not a shield for your support in murdering the unborn. https://t.co/KqM40i3xWd
— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) June 27, 2023
The USCCB’s press release was published on June 28 under the title “U.S. Bishops’ President and Chairmen Rebuke Distortion of Church Teaching in Abortion Statement by Members of Congress.” The statement thoroughly debunks the lawmakers’ misleading claim that “at the core” of the Catholic faith is the principle that “an informed conscience” allows “all individuals … to make their own personal decisions about their bodies, families, and futures.”
“Conscience rightly enjoys a special regard both in Church teaching and in the public sphere,” the USCCB admits. “And policymakers should support the freedom of Catholics and of others to serve the common good in accord with their beliefs in a wide range of areas.”
“Nevertheless, conscience is not a license to commit evil and take innocent lives. Conscience cannot and does not justify the act or support of abortion. In fact, conscience ‘must be informed and moral judgment enlightened’ with the Word of God in faith and prayer, and ‘guided by the authoritative teaching of the Church’ [CCC 1783, 1785]. Moreover, the reality that the preborn are our living sisters and brothers is not only a matter of faith, but is attested to by science and sound reason.”
DeLauro, 80, belongs to the Congressional Progressive Caucus. An unapologetic feminist, she reportedly has ties to the Communist Party in America, having met with their members for decades. She also spoke at what is believed to be an event the group sponsored in 2010 in New Haven, Connecticut. In 2015, DeLauro visited Cuba for a week-long diplomatic trip. In 2016, she accompanied former President Barack Obama to the island. She condemned former President Donald Trump’s decision to reissue sanctions on the country in 2017.
The same day the USCCB issued its statement, DeLauro published a tweet doubling down on her support for abortion. “Women must be allowed to decide what happens to their own bodies,” she stated. The dissident group “Catholics for Choice” has also re-tweeted her remarks, calling them a “principled stance.”
Women must be allowed to decide what happens to their own bodies.
Today I joined local reproductive health leaders to push back against Republicans’ continued attacks on abortion access.
I will never stop fighting for the right to choose for all women in this country. pic.twitter.com/amKoayIUCS
— Rosa DeLauro (@rosadelauro) June 28, 2023
We are grateful for elected officials like Rep. @rosadelauro who know that boldly and publicly supporting abortion access is the just and right thing to do. https://t.co/L4UsZYH2SM
— Catholics for Choice (@Catholic4Choice) June 28, 2023
As previously reported by LifeSite, the Catholic Church has repeatedly condemned abortion as an especially grievous offense. According to the 1983 Code of Canon law, a Catholic who procures an abortion incurs an automatic excommunication. Politicians who obstinately persevere in defending abortion despite admonitions from clergy are also to be denied Holy Communion, per Canon 915.