Bishops and Catholic politicians
It’s getting more gnarly these days, with some Catholic leaders doing what they think popular opinion would dictate, and others doing what they know the natural law, moral order and the duties of their office requires for the common good.
Denver’s Archbishop Chaput has always been clear about that, and exercises his Office with clear teaching authority time and again.
Less than a week after his inauguration, Gov. Bill Ritter is getting heat from the outspoken Catholic archbishop of Denver over a familiar topic: abortion.
In his column in this week’s Denver Catholic Register, Archbishop Charles Chaput calls the Democrat’s pledge to lift eligibility restrictions on state-funded pregnancy prevention and family-planning programs “seriously flawed public policy.”
Ritter, a Catholic who describes himself as “pro-life,” wants to lift an order by his predecessor, Republican Bill Owens, also a Catholic. The order restricted groups that perform abortions from getting state money for family planning and pregnancy prevention…
Calling out Ritter is in keeping with Chaput’s belief that Catholic politicians must adhere to church teachings in their public life in order to remain true to the faith. The Denver prelate has gained a national reputation for his willingness to speak out.