Catholic Bishops on Abortion

This is in response to “Bishops Rule Out Dissent on Stand Against Abortion” (Part A, Nov. 8).

It must be possible for a Catholic to oppose abortion on the grounds of the church’s moral teaching, and still be in favor of choice in the public sector. The elimination of this possibility puts the church in the position of being decidedly un-American.

A public official who happens to be Catholic represents many people, not only Catholics. Each of those constituents has a conscience, not only the Catholics. Many of those constituents do not hold in conscience that abortion is the taking of a full human life. A Catholic public official must support the liberty of conscience of each constituent, even above his or her personal moral convictions. So, it must be possible for a Catholic officeholder to be an advocate of abortion liberty.

In the opinion of many, the question of abortion is so intimate to the woman involved that her conscience must be the ultimate court of appeal in the matter. Her conscience may not be properly informed, or may even be malicious, but it is a matter of her conscience in the final appeal. In the public sector the question as to when the life of a person begins is disputed. To deny a woman access to proper medical care as a matter of public policy runs counter to the spirit of democracy.

To those who would think that the Catholic Church is un-American in its opposition to the pro-choice position, their judgment is strengthened by the church’s further move to eliminate internal dissent in the matter. Since when is a Catholic not allowed to voice an opinion, even if it is wrong?

The bishops have done their job when they articulate the church’s moral teaching on abortion and rally the faithful to vote and campaign accordingly. They go too far when they try to eliminate the pro-choice option as a matter of public policy from the conscience of every Catholic. The Catholic Church does not require that its moral teaching be imposed upon others, without regard for the democratic process.

ROBERT E. DOUD

Glendale