|
Published: September 11, 2008
“Sensible and realistic”
California bishops endorse Proposition 4
(Editor’s Note: The California Catholic Conference issued the following statement yesterday in support of Proposition 4.)
 The California Catholic Conference of Bishops supports Proposition 4, the constitutional amendment initiative entitled, Waiting Period and Parental Notification before Termination of Minor's Pregnancy, which will appear on the November 2008 ballot. The proposition would require notification of a parent, guardian, or in the case of alleged parental abuse, other adult family member of a minor 48 hours before she obtains an abortion, unless a judge determines that such notification places the minor in danger.
Proposition 4 contains public policy that is both sensible and realistic and which will benefit not only our families but our society as a whole. It is a sensible policy to encourage a minor girl faced with a serious decision like an unexpected pregnancy to go to her parents or family for their love, their wisdom, and their counsel. It is a realistic policy that her parents or family be notified of her request for an abortion whether or not she chooses to consult them. Society will benefit because similar involvement laws in other states have the effect of discouraging irresponsible sexual behavior and teenage pregnancies. In addition, individual rights and unborn babies will be protected because a minor girl will be afforded support in the unfortunate circumstance that she is being coerced to have an abortion.
Our Catechism teaches that the family is the "privileged community" wherein children are meant to grow in wisdom, stature and grace. It also counsels us that public authorities should not usurp the family’s prerogatives or interfere in its life. We are convinced that the Church must be committed to the task of educating and supporting policy makers and administrators of justice, so that our society’s laws will reflect those principles and moral values which advance the common good. And we believe that society’s common good is enhanced when parental responsibility is respected, family integrity is honored and nascent human life is preserved.
We encourage Catholics in our state to share their time and treasure in promoting Proposition 4 as good public policy, and in exercising their citizenship in voting for it in November.
Posted Thursday, September 11, 2008 9:52 AM By Mary Ann, SingingMum
Yeah! While I would have liked to see this weeks or months ago, I'm happy the statement is here. Now it has to get to the parish level. As someone who worked as a crisis pregnancy counselor, I can attest that the abuse and statutory rape stories are real. The girls, their families, and their unborn children deserve a committed response from Catholics.
|
Posted Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:45 AM By Marie
This is a pretty lightweight statement by the Bishops, but then, when the subject to their minds is "right to choose" (sic) related, they wimp out. Bishops, we are talking about young girls here. Some girls who get abortions are even in middle-school and their "boyfriends" are predator males. Are these girls better off with school personnel helping them get to Planned Parenthood where they get secret birth control and subsequent abortions and no parent is the wiser? Read the Bishops' statement again and then look at www.YESon4.net. Even pro-abortion Gov. Schwarzenegger gives a better statement in favor of Prop 4 than the Bishops. It's on the Prop 4 website. Since the mouthpiece for the California Bishops is the California Catholic Conference of Bishops, I presume that those bureaucrats wrote this pitiful "support" letter. Apparently the Bishops are comfortable letting these people do what they can to sink Prop 4.
|
Posted Thursday, September 11, 2008 12:27 PM By Life Lady
It is so encouraging to see our bishops in California standing together for life and the family. We all need to continue to pray for them, that God will strengthen them in their efforts to shepherd us as their spiritual children, and thank God in His Goodness when he showers them with those graces necessary to do so.
|
Posted Thursday, September 11, 2008 12:48 PM By Joseph
If this is the California Catholic Conference of Bishops official response, the very sad fact of the matter is they appear to be condoning that a young minor girl should notify her parents and seek parental advise before going through with an abortion. I say again condoning going through with an abortion! No where in their language does it state the error of having an abortion, commiting the offense of an abortion against the Creator of all life, our Father in Heaven, nor the spiritual risks and consequences to ones soul for the young girl, her parents, and accomplices in accomplishing an abortion. The lack of such language is perhaps what gives liberal powerful masquerading catholics like Speaker Pelosi and Senator Biden their publicly spoken deceiving positions that defy official catholic teaching as we have seen reported in recent weeks on this calcatholic website. There is now more to cry about on this 7th anniversary of 9-11. May God's truth reign in the hearts and minds of His people, and may He forgive us. He will as long as we are humble, contrite in confession, remorseful, willing to amend our sinful lives, and accept atonement. Pray the Rosary that God will end this utter evil of killing our innocent children. God bless you all.
|
Posted Thursday, September 11, 2008 2:50 PM By JLS
Joseph, the point of the Bishops' letter is to advance the cause of parental responsibility of their children. They are addressing the Proposition, not the issue of abortion, which has been addressed frequently by bishops and popes.
|
Posted Thursday, September 11, 2008 3:10 PM By Anita Salsedo
They wouldn't have to make these lily livered statements if they just did their job as bishop and made it clear that abortion is always murder(except for the life of the mother) and taught the faith.
|
Posted Thursday, September 11, 2008 9:49 PM By JLS
What do you mean by "teach the faith", Anita? The problem is not that the faith is not taught, but that many choose not to believe and live by it. If the bishops began to excommunicate millions of faithless claimants to the Catholic faith, then where would the Church be? Don't get me wrong; that is what I would do. But the bishops obviously are trying to get more of the world introduced to the Gospel. If they excommunicate too many, then even more would shut their ears ... or would they open them?
|
Posted Friday, September 12, 2008 3:05 PM By Joseph
JLS, The idea is not to excommunicate catholics that disagree, but to win their souls back over to official catholic teaching and protect these innocent souls to full term so that these children can live a holy and prosperous life pleasing Almighty God. This can only be done by the entire clergy's untiring, sincere, caring, loud and clear repetitive teaching at the pulpit, in the press, and on the streets that abortion is a grave sin against our Creator, and that the consequences can be eternal fire. Only God can judge a soul, but God has given us guardian angels and a conscience to discern the difference between right and wrong. Supporting parental notification is an important side issue and common sense but its not the real confronting issue, that abortion is happening today, that it is wrong and it must be stopped! After 35 years there obviously hasn't been enough said about the errors of abortion, especially by the clergy to convince the populace that it is wrong. We supposedly have 5 catholic justices in the US Supreme Court if my count is correct. There is no room for politics on this issue by judges, politicians, and especially not clergy. Holy Mary please pray for those whom are contemplating an abortion to do God's Holy Will instead. Holy Mary please pray for those officials in our government to stand up and end this ugly scar on the face of America. We all need to say the rosary and visit dailycatholic.com to find helpful prayers as it is a beautiful website for caring catholics. May God bless and heal us all.
|
Posted Friday, September 12, 2008 5:27 PM By JLS
Exactly, Joseph. Thanks for filling in the contrast I made between my idea and the reality of the bishops actions.
|
© California Catholic Daily 2008. All Rights Reserved.
|