A Call to Action for Catholics

By the Ohio Right to Life Team

Not since we wrestled with the issue of slavery has our nation been so divided. When immoral and abhorrent conduct, like slavery or abortion, has become embedded in our social fabric, citizens and politicians rationalize and minimize such conduct. But if we learned anything as a nation from slavery, truth and justice must prevail lest divisions deepen and society fracture.

The 2020 Democratic Party platform calls for “protecting and advancing” abortion “rights” and taxpayer-funded abortion-on-demand. The platform also states the Democratic Party will “restore federal funding for Planned Parenthood,” which killed 345,672 unborn human beings in 2018 and allegedly has trafficked in body parts of aborted babies.

A few Roman Catholic lay and religious leaders have publicly promoted the election of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden – this despite Biden’s pro-abortion advocacy.

St. [Pope] Paul VI said that “the smoke of Satan has entered into the sanctuary.” Might not Catholic religious who support pro-abortion candidates be a huge example? Are they defying church teaching?

Can faithful Catholics – in good conscience – vote for someone who supports the destruction of innocent unborn children?

Catholic Church teaching is clear—No they cannot: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” states, “The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives destroyed.” [bold added]

Pope Francis stated, “I take this opportunity to appeal to all politicians, regardless of their faith convictions, to treat the defense of the lives of those who are about to be born and enter into society as the cornerstone of the common good’.” [bold added] Recall that Jesus said He is the cornerstone: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” (Mt. 21:42)

In his “Conscience and the Catholic Voter” 2020 letter, Bishop Daniel Thomas of the Diocese of Toledo wrote, “[T]he destruction of innocent human life through abortion is not simply one among many issues but the foundational and preeminent issue facing our nation.”

Fr. Joe Labak, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Wadsworth, Ohio, wrote, “If the right to life is not first and foremost then all of our other rights don’t amount to anything.”

And so, HOW in good conscience can a faithful Catholic, especially a Catholic religious, vote for a pro-abortion candidate?

What evil exists greater than abortion? What evil exceeds more than 850,000 unborn U.S. children killed in 2017, and 61+ million Americans killed in the womb since 1973? A single politician’s personal style or manners? Poverty? National security? Immigration? Coronavirus? No. No evil is greater than killing innocent human life.

But is any candidate or party for poverty? For weak national security? For no immigration reform? Or, for coronavirus? Of course not. Both political parties are very concerned about these things. They just differ in how they would like to handle them. And in our great country, we can survive with differences of opinion about the right and just solutions to these things. In fact, civil discussion over such issues has enriched our country.

BUT, no country can stand when the very basis of all other rights, our fundamental human dignity, is undermined by the scourge of abortion. When it comes to the sacredness of human life from the moment of conception … there IS a big difference. Only ONE party’s platform wants to protect the life of the unborn child: the Republican Party.

Ohio Right to Life PAC has endorsed Republican President Donald Trump and VP Mike Pence for re-election.

We call on Democrats and Independents of good will, especially Catholics who are indeed pro-life and want to lead our country to an era of peace without killing, to send a message to the Democratic Party: “We cannot support a candidate or a party that advocates FOR abortion. We need to change our platform and change our candidates to advance the pro-life cause across both parties.”

Every vote, including yours, is needed. Please vote pro-life!