Bishops respond to House Speaker Pelosi’s misrepresentation of Church teaching against abortion
WASHINGTON--Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop William E. Lori, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, have issued the following statement:
In the course of a “Meet the Press” interview on abortion and other public issues on August 24, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi misrepresented the history and nature of the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church against abortion.
In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law." (No. 2271)
In the Middle Ages, uninformed and inadequate theories about embryology led some theologians to speculate that specifically human life capable of receiving an immortal soul may not exist until a few weeks into pregnancy. While in canon law these theories led to a distinction in penalties between very early and later abortions, the Church’s moral teaching never justified or permitted abortion at any stage of development.
These mistaken biological theories became obsolete over 150 years ago when scientists discovered that a new human individual comes into being from the union of sperm and egg at fertilization. In keeping with this modern understanding, the Church teaches that from the time of conception (fertilization), each member of the human species must be given the full respect due to a human person, beginning with respect for the fundamental right to life.
More information on the Church's teaching on this issue can be found in our brochure "The Catholic Church is a Pro-Life Church". PDF Text
Bishops Ask Catholics To Pray Election Novena
WASHINGTON—The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) invites U.S. Catholics to pray before the November election a novena for life, justice, and peace called Novena for Faithful Citizenship. It is a podcast and available for download.
Joan Rosenhauer, Associate Director for the USCCB’s Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, said that the special novena is part of “the bishops’ campaign to help Catholics develop well-formed consciences for addressing political and social questions.” The bishops issued their statement on forming consciences for faithful citizenship in November 2007.
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Labor Day Message Calls For Action On Just Economy, Dignity, Workers’ Rights
WASHINGTON – An American Catholic Tradition, the U.S. bishops’ 2008 Labor Day statement calls for “renewed vigor as we seek to build together a society that cares for its own, reaches out to the poor and vulnerable, and offers true hope to all.”
Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, issued the statement to highlight the needs of the nation’s workers, economic inequalities and the responsibilities of all citizens to help improve working conditions.
2008 Labor Day Statement | News Release
Discussing
Faithful Citizenship
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has posted on www.faithfulcitizenship.org a series of articles by USCCB experts on issues pertinent to the November elections.
Articles are in both English and Spanish.
Topics include Immigration, Voting by Conscience, the Environment, Poverty, Iraq, Stem Cells, Gay Marriage, Abortion, Health Care and Economic Policy.
Articles may be reprinted as they are and/or serve as backgrounders. To interview any of the authors, contact USCCB Media Relations, 202-541-3200.
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, a statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops, was passed by the bishops in November 2007.
Catholic Bishops Welcome Passage And Signing Of National Housing Trust Fund
WASHINGTON – Calling the housing needs of low-income Americans a “national priority,” the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) commended bi-partisan congressional and Bush administration efforts in creating a national Housing Trust Fund. The fund will assist the lowest income households in the United States by helping to build and preserve affordable rental housing. It was created as a provision in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which was signed into law by President Bush on July 30. It is the first new federal housing production program for the nation’s lowest income families in decades.
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Secretariat of Cultural Diversity Launches New Website
WASHINGTON—The Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church (SCDC) of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is launching a new website. The Secretariat wants to build a strong online presence through the use of innovative and effective communication resources to support the overall evangelization efforts of the Church.
The new website features links to the five ethnic offices in which the secretariat is organized. In the site information can be found about the Bishops’ Committee on Cultural Diversity and its subcommittees. Features include resources such as articles, PowerPoint presentations, demographics, videos and more, which will be periodically updated.
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Vatican Approves New English Translation
For The Order Of Mass
WASHINGTON— The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has received approval (recognitio) from the Holy See’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for the new English-language translation of the Order of Mass (Ordo Missae).
This is the first section of the translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal. It includes most of the texts used in every celebration of the Mass, including the responses that will be said by the people.
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Cardinal Rigali Urges Congress
To Respect Conscience Rights
WASHINGTON— Responding to objections to anticipated federal HHS regulations protecting health care providers’ fundamental rights of conscience, Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, today wrote to all members of Congress defending “efforts to reaffirm and implement laws on conscience protection.”
The New York Times on July 15 reported that it had obtained an alleged draft of regulations soon to be issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, to clarify and enforce federal laws on respect for the moral and religious convictions of health care personnel in programs receiving federal funds. Pro-abortion organizations and some members of Congress have already attacked the as-yet-unpublished regulations, saying they are unwarranted and could limit “access” to abortion and birth control.
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— U.S. Bishops' Statement "On Embryonic Stem Cell Research"
— more at the spring meeting
Roundup: Bishops' Spring Meeting
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., displays a DVD on stem-cell research during the U.S. bishops' spring meeting in Orlando, Fla.
(CNS photo/Andrew Sullivan)
ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) -- A lively and intense debate over a 700-page translation of part of the Roman Missal dominated the public sessions of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' spring general assembly in Orlando June 12-14, but the bishops failed to come to a conclusion about the fate of the liturgical text.
With much less discussion, they approved a 2,000-word policy statement calling embryonic stem-cell research "gravely immoral"; directed their Committee on Doctrine to begin revising guidelines for Catholic health care institutions on medically assisted nutrition and hydration; designated Sept. 26, 2010, as National Catholic Charities Sunday; and voted to replace the more formal "vosotros" with the more familiar "ustedes" in Spanish-language Masses in the U.S.
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USCCB Mission Statement
The mission of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is to support the ministry of bishops with an emphasis on evangelization, by which the bishops exercise in a communal and collegial manner certain pastoral functions entrusted to them by the Lord Jesus of sanctifying, teaching, and governing.
This mission calls the Conference to
- Act collaboratively and consistently on vital issues confronting the Church and society
- Foster communion with the Church in other nations, within the Church universal, under the leadership of its supreme pastor, the Roman Pontiff
- Offer appropriate assistance to each bishop in fulfilling his particular ministry in the local Church