A thousand Catholic priests have signed a statement related to voting responsibilities in next week’s elections, announced Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life. “This is the first thousand. More are signing on every day, because the statement simply reflects what our bishops have already said.”
The purpose of the statement is to call all citizens to an active participation in the elections, and to point out that among the many important issues, “abortion necessarily plays a central role.” “Those are not my words,” Fr. Pavone noted; “they are the words of the United States Catholic bishops. We as priests will echo them.”
The full text of the statement follows:
"As Catholic priests, ordained to preach the Gospel of Life, Justice, and Peace, we
a) affirm, in union with our bishops, that all citizens, particularly Catholics, should exercise their duty to vote and should "embrace their citizenship not merely as a duty and privilege, but as an opportunity meaningfully to participate in building the culture of life" (US Bishops, 1998, Living the Gospel of Life, n. 34);
b) embrace a consistent ethic of life, which asserts that all life issues are linked and important, and which acknowledges that "among important issues involving the dignity of human life with which the Church is concerned, abortion necessarily plays a central role" (US Bishops, 2001, Pastoral Plan for Pro-life Activities, A Campaign in Support of Life); and
c) echo our bishops' teaching that "No public official, especially one claiming to be a faithful and serious Catholic, can responsibly advocate for or actively support direct attacks on innocent human life" (US Bishops, 1998, Living the Gospel of Life, n. 32).
We are confident that the Lord of Life and Peace, who has conquered the power of death, offers His people the grace necessary to build a Culture of Life.
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