News Matters

Catholic Politician Cannot Support Abortion, Prelate Says

Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan made his remarks in an interview with the Italian daily La Repubblica. He was responding indirectly to an intervention by Archbishop William Levada during the discussions of the Synod of Bishop. Archbishop Levada-- the American prelate recently chosen by Pope Benedict XVI to be prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith-- had asked other prelates to reflect on the question that had divided the US hierarchy during the 2004 election year: How bishops should respond to Catholic politicians who support abortion.

"A Catholic cannot support a politician who presents abortion as a general norm," said Cardinal Lozano. The Mexican prelate added that "a son of the Church cannot consider himself to be in full communion if he supports what the Church condemns."

A Catholic voter, the Vatican's "health minister" continued, should discriminate among the issues on the political agenda. An informed voter, he said, "should know how to distinguish between what represents an attack on life and what promotes the defense of life." He added that a Catholic voter can never be justified in supporting "what constitutes an attack on life."

In the Instrumentum Laboris, the working document on which discussions are based during the Synod of Bishops, one passage-- paragraph 73-- directly addresses the issue raised by Archbishop Levada:

Some receive Communion while denying the teachings of the Church or publicly supporting immoral choices in life, such as abortion, without thinking that they are committing an act of grave personal dishonesty and causing scandal. Some Catholics do not understand why it might be a sin to support a political candidate who is openly in favor of abortion or other serious acts against life, justice and peace. Such attitudes lead to, among other things, a crisis in the meaning of belonging to the Church and in a clouding of the distinction between venial and mortal sin.

Why Is This Important

Cardinal Lozano observed that the Instrumentum Laboris is still a working document, not ratified by the Synod. But the final document from the assembly could say substantially the same thing, he said. In November 2002, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a "doctrinal note" on Catholic participation in political life. That note, signed by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, said that "a well formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program or an individual law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals."

In Pope John Paul II’s Evangelium vitae published in March 25, 1995, he speaks of abortion as an "unspeakable crime:"

58. Among all the crimes which can be committed against life, procured abortion has characteristics making it particularly serious and deplorable. The Second Vatican Council defines abortion, together with infanticide, as an "unspeakable crime."

This terse phrasing came from the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 51, "Abortus necnon infanticidium nefanda sunt criminal," promulgated by Pope Paul VI December 7, 1965.

51 … For God, the Lord of life, has conferred on men the surpassing ministry of safeguarding life in a manner which is worthy of man. Therefore from the moment of its conception life must be guarded with the greatest care while abortion and infanticide are unspeakable crimes.

This is the teaching of the Catholic Church.