Washington D.C., Sep 3, 2008 / 21:09 pm
Following last week’s remarks by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claiming that Church teaching on the sinfulness of abortion has changed, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities has issued a two-page fact sheet called “Respect for Unborn Human Life: The Church’s Constant Teaching” to explain that it has not.
Rep. Pelosi, a California Democrat, made what a USCCB press release calls “misleading remarks” in an August 24 interview with Tom Brokaw, where she cited an interpretation of St. Augustine as justification for her stand on abortion. On August 26 Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, joined Bishop William Lori, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Doctrine, in issuing a statement to correct their remarks. Other bishops released similar statements of their own.
“This well documented fact sheet will help Catholics and others form their consciences in accordance with the Church’s unchanging teaching in defense of unborn human life,” said Deirdre McQuade, Assistant Director for Policy and Communications at the USCCB’s Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities.
The fact sheet quotes the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s paragraph 2271, which states “Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.”