President Speaks Out Against FOCA

No, it was not President Bush, nor was it President-Elect Obama, but the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Cardinal Francis George, who spoke against FOCA.

On November 12, 2008, Cardinal George gave a public statement “written at the request and direction of all the Bishops” concerning the upcoming administration’s duty to protecting the life of the unborn, and the disasterous consequences if pro-abortion legislation is passed.

I believe it is best to let the Cardinal speak for himself (with my emphasis):

“In the last Congress, a Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) was introduced that would, if brought forward in the same form today, outlaw any “interference” in providing abortion at will. It would deprive the American people in all fifty states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry. FOCA would coerce all Americans into subsidizing and promoting abortion with their tax dollars. It would counteract any and all sincere efforts by government and others of good will to reduce the number of abortions in our country.

Parental notification and informed consent precautions would be outlawed, as would be laws banning procedures such as partial-birth abortion and protecting infants born alive after a failed abortion. Abortion clinics would be deregulated. The Hyde Amendment restricting the federal funding of abortions would be abrogated. FOCA would have lethal consequences for prenatal human life.

FOCA would have an equally destructive effect on the freedom of conscience of doctors, nurses and health care workers whose personal convictions do not permit them to cooperate in the private killing of unborn children. It would threaten Catholic health care institutions and Catholic Charities. It would be an evil law that would further divide our country, and the Church should be intent on opposing evil.

On this issue, the legal protection of the unborn, the bishops are of one mind with Catholics and others of good will. They are also pastors who have listened to women whose lives have been diminished because they believed they had no choice but to abort a baby. Abortion is a medical procedure that kills, and the psychological and spiritual consequences are written in the sorrow and depression of many women and men. The bishops are single-minded because they are, first of all, single-hearted.”

The full document (about one-page long) is available here, and I encourage all to read it.

It is very refreshing to see our Bishops standing up for this very important cause and making it clear where Christians need to focus their attention. We as lay Catholics should do our duty to spread the word to our neighbors about the devastating consequences of FOCA and we should continue to pray and fight (peacefully) for an end to all abortion. We especially need to pray for our upcoming President and Congress that they will do the right thing when it comes to protecting innocent life.

There is no doubt about just how devastating FOCA would be for our nation, especially for the unborn, and that is why it is our duty as Catholics to speak out for those who have no voice.