Denver, Colo., Jun 29, 2023 / 10:45 am
The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) has issued a strong response to a group of Catholic lawmakers who signed a letter citing Catholic teaching in support of abortion.
The group of 30 Democrats, led by Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, cited their Catholic faith and St. John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laici as reasons to support abortion.
“The fundamental tenets of our Catholic faith — social justice, conscience, and religious freedom — compel us to defend a woman’s right to access abortion,” the letter stated. “Our faith unfailingly promotes the common good, prioritizes the dignity of every human being, and highlights the need to provide a collective safety net to our most vulnerable.”
Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the USCCB; Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee of Pro-Life Activities; and Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Doctrine, issued a joint corrective statement in response: