{"id":59,"date":"2011-03-30T13:17:38","date_gmt":"2011-03-30T17:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/catholicbychoice\/?p=59"},"modified":"2011-03-30T13:18:57","modified_gmt":"2011-03-30T17:18:57","slug":"the-expression-%e2%80%9cpro-choice-catholic%e2%80%9d-is-an-oxymoron","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicbychoice\/2011\/03\/the-expression-%e2%80%9cpro-choice-catholic%e2%80%9d-is-an-oxymoron.html","title":{"rendered":"The Expression \u201cPro-Choice Catholic\u201d is an Oxymoron"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Geraldine Ferraro died on Saturday in Boston, Mass. at the age of 75. She had been heroically battling multiple myeloma for twelve years. Thursday morning a private funeral Mass will take place at the Church of Saint Vincent Ferrer in Manhattan, New York City for family and friends. It will be off limits to the press. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in her honor to one of the following organizations: The Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Research Center at Dana-Farber; The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation; The Religious Order of the Sacred Heart of Mary in Tarrytown; and City Meals on Wheels.<\/p>\n

Throughout this week numerous tributes and reports have appeared in the Press and in the blogosphere. There is no question that the former Vice Presidential candidate and public servant made her mark on history. These words taken from the New York Times headline for her obituary summarize part of the impact for which she should be honored, “She ended the men’s club of national politics.” However, one of those reports, a blog posting, referred to Ms. Ferraro as a \u201cPro-Choice Catholic\u201d in its title. I respectfully responded and explained to the author that such a phrase was an Oxymoron – a figure of speech where mutually contradictory terms appear side by side.\u00a0<\/p>\n

My intent then and now is not to question the holding of a funeral for the late Geraldine Ferraro or to speak ill of the dead. In Article 12 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church the teaching on Life Everlasting and the Judgment can be found. (Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1020 \u2013 1065). It is not for me to speculate on Geraldine Ferraro\u2019s spiritual state at death. This beautifully written section cites these words of St. John of the Cross \u201cAt the evening of life we shall be judged on our love\u201d. I leave room for mercy and know she was attended to by a priest of the Church in her final hours. I wish her family God\u2019s comfort.<\/p>\n

However, I take strong exception to that headline calling her a \u201cPro-Choice Catholic\u201d. There is no such thing. A \u201cPro-Choice\u201d Catholic \u2013 if by the term is meant one who accepts that the choice to take the life of an innocent child in the first home of the womb is ever morally acceptable – is an unfaithful Catholic. To be a Catholic Christian is to be Pro-Life, Period. In addition to the clear teaching of the Sacred Scripture, the clear teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (see CCC #2270 \u2013 2275) and the unbroken Christian tradition which condemns every procured abortion as an intrinsically evil act, Catholics have a \u201cmagisterium\u201d, a teaching office, which has made it all very clear. Perhaps one of the strongest statements of that teaching office includes these words from Blessed John Paul II, found in his Encyclical Letter, The Gospel of Life:<\/p>\n

\u201cTherefore, by the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter and his Successors, in communion with the Bishops \u2013 who on various occasions have condemned abortion and who in the aforementioned consultation, albeit dispersed throughout the world, have shown unanimous agreement concerning this doctrine \u2013 I declare that direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis doctrine is based upon the natural law and upon the written Word of God, is transmitted by the Church\u2019s Tradition and taught by the ordinary and universal Magisterium. No circumstance, no purpose, no law whatsoever can ever make licit an act which is intrinsically illicit, since it is contrary to the Law of God which is written in every human heart, knowable by reason itself, and proclaimed by the Church.\u201d (Paragraph 62)<\/p>\n

My first response to the blog posting prompted a sincere and respectful inquiry from the author: \u201cI understand what you\u2019re trying to say, but isn\u2019t that like claiming there\u2019s no such thing as a gay Catholic, or a divorced Catholic, or a Catholic on the pill? (See also: bacon-loving Jews, beer-drinking Muslims\u2026) Also, here\u2019s something I don\u2019t understand: isn\u2019t there an important distinction between a politician stating that abortion should remain legal \u2014 consistent with the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling \u2014 versus supporting abortions personally? Isn\u2019t this a church-state separation issue?”<\/em><\/p>\n

I responded to those questions and I reiterate the answers now. No, it is neither like the examples she mentioned nor is it a \u201cchurch-state separation” issue. Someone who self identifies as a \u201cgay\u201d Catholic can remain chaste and not engage in sexual activity with a member of the opposite sex. In fact many people with same sex attraction find great help in doing so through efforts such as \u201cCourage\u201d founded by the late Fr Paul Harvey.<\/p>\n

There are many divorced Catholics fully living their lives in the Church in fidelity to her teaching. They are asked to remain single. It is only upon a remarriage, without an annulment, that they are further asked to refrain from receiving the Eucharist. A Catholic who contracepts in the marital act is not following the teaching of the Church. This is unfortunate because the teaching leads to a wonderful marriage and family life.<\/p>\n

Further, the Church\u2019s teaching on Natural Family Planning allows for responsible spacing of children and promotes the couples life of conjugal love and partnership in the Lord. I speak as one who has been married for 35 years with five children and six grandchildren as well as a member of the Clergy, a Deacon of the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

However, a Catholic who calls themselves \u201cPro-Choice\u201d \u2013 and means by that they support protecting with the civil law the taking of the life of another \u2013 is openly rejecting the clear teaching of the Catholic Church and placing themselves outside of the communion of the very Church they profess to belong to. The position of the Catholic Church on the dignity of every human person and the right to life is a matter of fundamental moral truth, unlike disciplines such as abstaining from pork. It is particularly egregious when it is a Catholic in Public Life who openly rejects this truth and then invites others to do the same. There is no moral difference between the taking of the life of a child in the womb and the taking of any other innocent human life at any stage of that life. Life is a continuum and we are always in development. It is always and everywhere wrong to take innocent human life.<\/p>\n

There is absolutely no doubt where the Catholic Church stands on this fundamental human rights issue. Also, the Church affirms that the dignity of every human life is a matter of the Natural Moral Law and is not dependent upon revelation; though certainly it is confirmed by it. This Natural Law is knowable by all men and women and forms the basis of our common life together in human soiety. In other words, it is not simply a \u201creligious\u201d position. The positive or civil law must respect this Natural Law and reflect it or it is an unjust law. This Natural Law is binding on all men and women. It also is the basis of Catholic Social Doctrine. For example, the reason we are to care for the poor is because they are our neighbors. They have human dignity and a fundamental human right to life. Children in the womb are our smallest neighbors; they must be protected from being killed.<\/p>\n

Among the numerous teaching documents from the Vatican concerning the need for Catholics in public office to be morally coherent on the fundamental truth about the dignity of every human life and in their absolute rejection of any such \u201cpro-Choice\u201d approach to either procured abortion or active or passive euthanasia is the one issued in 2002 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the office which clarifies such issues for every catholic who seeks to remain faithful to the Church he or she professes to be in communion with. The Congregation explains in introducing the letter:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, having received the opinion of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, has decided that it would be appropriate to publish the present Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the participation of Catholics in political life. This Note is directed to the Bishops of the Catholic Church and, in a particular way, to Catholic politicians and all lay members of the faithful called to participate in the political life of democratic societies.\u201d<\/p>\n

It can be found and read in its entirety here http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/roman_curia\/congregations\/cfaith\/documents\/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20021124_politica_en.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Geraldine Ferraro died on Saturday in Boston, Mass. at the age of 75. She had been heroically battling multiple myeloma for twelve years. Thursday morning a private funeral Mass will take place at the Church of Saint Vincent Ferrer in Manhattan, New York City for family and friends. It will be off limits to the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[233,87,86,1,89,88,84,85],"class_list":["post-59","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-abortion","tag-anti-choice","tag-anti-life","tag-catholic","tag-catholic-deacon-keith-fournier","tag-geraldine-ferraro","tag-pro-choice","tag-pro-life"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Expression \u201cPro-Choice Catholic\u201d is an Oxymoron - Catholic by Choice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicbychoice\/2011\/03\/the-expression-\u201cpro-choice-catholic\u201d-is-an-oxymoron.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Expression \u201cPro-Choice Catholic\u201d is an Oxymoron - Catholic by Choice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Geraldine Ferraro died on Saturday in Boston, Mass. at the age of 75. 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He is a widely recognized voice in the Catholic and broader Christian community. He is a member of the Clergy of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia. In his fifteenth year of service as an ordained Catholic Deacon, he is currently assigned to St Stephen Martyr Parish in Chesapeake, Virginia. He is also authorized to serve the Liturgy of the Greek Byzantine Melkite Catholic Church. Deacon Fournier and his wife Laurine have been married for 34 years and have five grown children and six grandchildren. Deacon Fournier holds his Bachelors degree in theology and philosophy from the Franciscan University of Steubenville (BA), his Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Theology from the John Paul II Institute of the Lateran University (MTS), his Juris Doctor Law Degree Law (JD) from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and is a PhD candidate in Moral Theology at the Catholic University of America where he is currently writing his Doctoral Dissertation. Deacon Fournier also holds two honorary Doctorates, a Doctor of Laws (L.L.D. 1994,Honoris Causa) from St. Thomas University - Given for pro-life legal contributions, and a Doctor of Divinity Degree (D.D. 2005, Honoris Causa ) from the National Clergy Council and the Methodist Episcopal Church for his contributions to authentic ecumenical efforts toward Christian unity. Attorney Fournier is a constitutional lawyer who appeared as co-counsel in cases before the United States Supreme Court on Pro-Life, Religious Freedom and Pro-family issues. He served as the first Executive Director of the American Center for Law and Justice for seven years. He then served as a public policy activist for the causes of life, marriage and family issues for a number of years. He has extensive experience in nonprofit and for profit leadership. He has taught at the College level and served in Academic administration. He was a Dean of Students and the Dean of Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio. Deacon Fournier is, above all, a communicator. His faith informs his passion to share the fullness of life which he has found in the heart of the Catholic Church. He has written eight books on matters of faith, family and the Christian life and is widely published in the broader Christian community on matters of life, faith, family, and cultural and social issues. He hosted two daily national radio programs, Purpose for Living, and Millennial Moment. He hosted several television series on Christian family and contemporary faith issues on EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network). He is actively involved in preaching and teaching in the Catholic Church and the broader Christian community. In addition to serving as the Editor in Chief of Catholic Online, Deacon Fournier is the John Paul II Fellow and special counsel for the National Pro-Life Center in Washington, D.C. and is the president of Third Millennium, LLC, a communications and consulting company. He views his role on Beliefnet as an opportunity to share his Catholic Christian faith in what he calls a new areopagus. The areopagus is referred to in the 17th Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the Christian New Testament. Also called Mars Hill it was there where the Apostle Paul shared the Christian faith with the early Greeks in their temple.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicbychoice\/author\/deaconfournier"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicbychoice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicbychoice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicbychoice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicbychoice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicbychoice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicbychoice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicbychoice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59\/revisions\/64"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicbychoice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicbychoice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicbychoice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}