Catholic Officials Should Enforce Church's Stance On Abortion, Rick Santorum Writes In Opinion Piece

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 02 Mar 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Although some Roman Catholic bishops "are worrying about the world's reaction" to Catholic officials who take strong action against abortion-rights supporters, such officials should be lauded as "uncompromising defenders of the faith," columnist and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) writes in a Philadelphia Inquirer opinion piece. According to Santorum, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) -- a Catholic who supports abortion rights -- met with Pope Benedict XVI last week, "the pope used the visit to educate a confused Pelosi about the Roman Catholic Church's long-held position on the life issue." He continues that the pope did not allow any photographs of the event, which enforced the point that "[d]issenting Catholic politicians who deliberately mislead others about the church's core teachings will not be given another chance to do so" by appearing in a photograph with the pope. Santorum writes that Pelosi in a television interview last year stated that the church has not been able to define when life begins. Santorum says that "Pelosi made it easy for the bishops to confront an offense against church teaching because rather than state her own position, she misstated the church's position." He continues, "Sadly, the church hierarchy has been less assertive when public figures' policy positions openly dissent from core teachings."

Santorum also describes Joseph Martino, a bishop in Scranton, Pa., who received "so much national attention last fall" when he publicly barred then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) -- now vice president -- and other abortion-rights supporters from receiving communion in the Diocese of Scranton. Last month, Martino criticized Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), "who claims to be pro-life, for voting to give taxpayer dollars to overseas organizations that perform abortions," Santorum writes, adding that Martino "warned that Casey was 'formally cooperating with evil.'" Furthermore, last week Martino "took on some more of the biggest guns in the diocese" when he warned organizers of Scranton's St. Patrick's Day festivities that he would close the cathedral where services are held if the event honored politicians who support abortion rights, Santorum writes. According to Santorum, Martino "said he would not countenance anything that created confusion about the teachings of the church." He notes that last year, the Scranton parade featured Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who supports abortion rights.

According to Santorum, "scores of people are reportedly protesting and threatening to leave the church" because of officials like Martino who take action against abortion-rights supporters. He concludes, "In the end, however, people leaving the church because of a bishop who enforces its teachings are a blessing compared with the alternative: people leaving because bishops and their priests don't teach, much less enforce, those teachings" (Santorum, Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/26).

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