American bishops rebuke Biden on abortion comments

September 10, 2008

Once again the US bishops' conference has issued a prompt response to public comments by a prominent pro-abortion Catholic politician: in this case Sen. Joseph Biden, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate.

The statement from the USCCB said that, contrary to what Biden said on a Sunday television broadcast, the question of when human life begins is a question of scientific fact, not religious belief. The statement goes on to say that a politician who defends the lives of the unborn is not violating the principle of church-state autonomy. "Protection of innocent human life is not an imposition of personal religious conviction but a demand of justice," the bishops say. The statement is signed by Cardinal Justin Rigali and Bishop William Lori, who chair the US bishops' committees on pro-life activities and doctrine, respectively.

Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington added his own response to Biden, in a letter to the priests of the archdiocese. While voicing regret that prominent Catholics are giving the public a distorted idea of Church teaching, Archbishop Wuerl explained why so many American bishops have joined in the public debate: "These are teachable moments, and present an opportunity to highlight the consistency and clarity of our Catholic faith."

 

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Further information:

• Text of statement from US bishops' conference
• AP coverage