Archbishop Chaput: Democratic Party’s abortion position ‘has gotten worse, and worse, and worse’
October 26, 2012
Catholic voters must “stand united” on the issue of abortion, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia said in a recent interview.
Abortion “is a big issue today, and I think what it requires of Catholics is a loyalty to the Church prior to their political party,” he said. “We’re Catholics before we’re Democrats. We’re Catholics before we’re Republicans. We’re even Catholics before we’re Americans, because we know that God has a demand on us prior to any government demand on us. And this has been the story of the martyrs through the centuries.”
“If we don't stand united on this issue, we're bound to failure,” he continued, “not only in the area of protecting unborn human life but in maintaining our religious freedom.”
Archbishop Chaput added:
Catholics have been historically part of the Democrat Party in great numbers, and I think really could've stopped that great development, movement, if they tried, but they didn't in order to accommodate people from the other side of the issue …
You can't trust the Republicans to be pro-life 20 years from now. You can't let any party take your vote for granted. And that's unfortunately what's happened.
I think many of the Democrats have (taken) Democrat Catholic votes for granted because they'll go with them no matter what the party position might be on abortion. That's why the position of the Democrat Party has gotten worse, and worse, and worse as time goes on, because Catholics haven't abandoned them as they've moved in that direction.
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Posted by: impossible -
Oct. 29, 2012 12:18 AM ET USA
What's so very odd about Archbishop Chaput's quote in my former comment is that he is seemingly speaking about the GOP when he should be talking about the Democrat Black vote, the decades long support by the USCCB, and roughly 80% of Catholic clergy of the Democrat party. Talk about being taken for granted - there's the prime examples.
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Posted by: impossible -
Oct. 26, 2012 10:47 PM ET USA
Past behavior is a reliable indicator of the future; the present speaks most clearly; the future is of course unknown, but what possible value is his statement: "You can't trust the Republicans to be pro-life 20 years from now. You can't let any party take your vote for granted. And that's unfortunately what's happened.?"
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Posted by: -
Oct. 26, 2012 6:14 PM ET USA
Thank God for Archbishop Chaput's clear voice. I pray that his message is widely reported by the secular press and echoed by more bishops.
