Wisconsin ‘pro-choice Catholic’ group is disowning Catholic heritage, Archbishop Listecki states

Dec 16, 2009 / 13:06 pm

A self-described Wisconsin Catholic group which holds that Catholics can disregard Church teaching on abortion, contraception and human sexuality is disowning its heritage, Archbishop-designate of Milwaukee Jerome E. Listecki said in a Dec. 15 statement.

The group Young Catholics for Choice, which is a part of the dissenting group Catholics for Choice, has begun collaborating with Family Planning Health Services of Wausau. Members of the group have gone on local television and also have advocated for the “Plan B” contraceptive at a press conference.

Archbishop-designate Listecki said the group is conducting an advertising campaign to convince Catholics they can disregard Church teaching and still remain in good standing.

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” the archbishop-designate insisted.

He added that it is his duty as a bishop to state “clearly and unequivocally” that these views are in “grave contradiction” to Catholic teaching. By professing and disseminating such views, members of groups like Young Catholics for Choice “in fact disown their Catholic heritage,” and are “tragically distancing themselves” from communion with the Church.

“We pray that they may reconcile their position which is contrary to the Catholic Faith they claim to profess,” Archbishop-designate Listecki’s statement concluded.