Catholic Laymen in the Public Square - Part 2 of 2

Catholic Laymen in the Public Square – Part 2 of 2

A Catholic Response to the “Call for Civility”
Monday, Jan. 28, 2008

Canticle of Zechariah
Proclaim the message, insist on it in season and
Out of season, refute falsehood, correct error, and call to
Obedience, but do all with patience and sound doctrine.

9. One of the greatest leaders in modern history led the fight in Great Britain to end the slave trade. William Wilberforce also campaigned for prison reform, the end of child labor and may other worthy social reforms. But Wilberforce knew that all these questions would never be answered until the great poison of the slave trade was ended. The slave trade coarsened the British people, the British ruling class, and British public life. In precisely the same way, abortion and other issues have coarsened our public life, and have poisoned American political discourse and our politics. Progress will not be made on other important but prudential issues about which well-intentioned people may disagree civilly unless and until the Culture of Death is as much a part of history as the salve trade.

10. In short, we will feel free even strongly to condemn the public policy positions of Catholic politicians who support abortion, embryo-destructive research, and homosexual marriage. They stand against the teachings of the Church and in favor of morally repugnant practices that are counter to the common good and that should be unwelcome in a just or even polite society. And we support bishops who move strongly to eliminate their grave public scandal. We say this not as Democrats or Republicans but as faithful Catholics.

The above is something Bishop Fulton Sheen would espouse: Common Sense, Tradition, Natural Law and Justice. Justice is truth in action. The following are several of the 96 Signatures to the above Statement.

Carol Nevin Sue Abromaitis James Hitchcock
Professor of English, Loyola College Prof. of History, St. Louis Univ.

John Baker Peter Kreeft, Author
Professor of Law, Louisiana State University Prof. of Philosophy, Boston C.

Judge Robert Bork (Convert) Steve Mosher
President, Pop. Research Inst.
Brian Burch George Neumayr
President, Fidelis Editor, Catholic World Report

Charles Donovan Michael Novak, Chair in Relig.
Executive V.P. Family Research Council Father Frank Pavone, P.F.L.
Patrick Reilly, Newman Soc.
Father Tom Euteneuer Robert Royal, Faith & Reason
President, Human Life International Austin Russ and Cathy Russ
Russell Shaw, Columnist
Kenneth L. Grasso Ken Whitehead, Asst. Sec. Ed.
V.P., Society of Catholic Social Services Jack Wilke, M.D.

George H. Kubeck, Duplicate and or translate in Spanish.