No choice for Catholics

I am responding to the full-page ad placed by the group, “Catholics for Choice,” in several major newspapers on Sept. 12.

The group behind this ad has no affiliation with the Catholic Church. Abortion has never been condoned by the church and never will be. The key message from the church is that you cannot be Catholic and pro-abortion. This group is trying to overturn the federal Hyde Amendment which does not allow federal funds to be used for abortions. This is a group of powerful private foundations that want to keep abortion legal as a method of population control.

The U.S. Catholic bishops and others ran ads on Sept. 18 rebuking this organization. Being pro-capital punishment is not the same thing as being pro-abortion. If no other means of defense is sufficient, the death penalty is understood as an act of self-defense on the part of civil society.

I urge all Catholics to read “A Brief Catechism for Catholic Voters” before voting Nov. 8. The Catholic Church teaches it would not be morally permissible to vote for a candidate who promotes abortion or any other moral evil, such as assisted suicide or euthanasia.

This story was originally published October 26, 2016 at 6:18 PM with the headline "No choice for Catholics."