Denver, Colo., Mar 17, 2010 / 19:51 pm
In a direct rebuke to pro-Obama Catholic organizations pushing for support of the president's health care bill, the Archbishop of Denver Charles J. Chaput and his auxiliary bishop, James D. Conley, released a statement cautioning Catholics not to be "fooled" into supporting the bill due to its pro-abortion language.
"In the past two days," the statement says, “Congressional leaders and the White House have brought tremendous pressure on pro-life Democratic members of Congress to support a fatally flawed Senate version of health care reform."
"Regrettably, groups like Network and the Catholic Health Association have done a grave disservice to the American Catholic community by undermining the leadership of the nation’s Catholic bishops, sowing confusion among faithful Catholics, and misleading legislators through their support of the Senate bill," the bishops write.
"Do not be fooled. Nothing has changed. The Senate bill remains gravely flawed on the issues of abortion funding, conscience protections and the inclusion of immigrants. Unless seriously revised to address these issues, the Senate version of health care is unethical and should be firmly opposed," the statement concludes.