Mich. Bishop to Voters: Abortion can Only be Outweighed by an Evil Equivalent "in Number and Kind"

SAGINAW, Michigan, November 3, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Bishop Robert J. Carlson of Saginaw issued a pastoral letter in the eve of the U.S. campaign season, urging Catholics to heed the "special burden on the conscience" imposed by the destruction of innocent life, particularly as found in abortion.

In the first section of his letter, Bishop Carlson poses the question: "Isn't abortion just one issue among others in this election?" He answers, "No. Any serious Catholic voter must recognize abortion as the premier threat to human rights and dignity in our day."

Because abortion consists in the murder of about one million unborn children every year, says the bishop, "A Catholic can, in good conscience, vote for a pro-choice candidate only if other issues outweigh this one in number and in kind."

For example, the abortion issue outweighs the death penalty because abortion ends a far greater number of human lives than the handful killed by the death penalty, and because abortion is a graver kind of evil by targeting only the most innocent form of life, rather than those found guilty in a court of law.

Bishop Carlson notes that there are other serious issues voters must weigh in the presidential election; however, "a Catholic needs to recognize that all issues do not have the same weight.

"Can any other issue, or combination of issues, attain sufficient gravity to outweigh the directly willed destruction of 1 million children every year?"

Turning his attention to Proposal 2, the state ballot initiative to allow the destruction of embryos in ESC research, the bishop affirms that Catholics have a clear duty to reject the proposal.

The bishop condemns Proposal 2 first of all for being "scientifically unnecessary," constrasting the proven track record of adult stem cell research in medicine against the minimal promise of ESC research. He also criticizes the legislation for "going too far" by prohibiting any restraint on such research.

But most importantly, he says, Proposal 2 is based on "morally reprehensible" principles. He quotes one commentator who summed up the danger to human dignity in ESC research: "If a principle is established by which some indisputably human lives do not warrant the protections traditionally associated with the dignity of the human person - because of their size, location, dependency, level of development, burdensomeness to others - it would seem that there are numerous other candidates for the application of the principle," including the handicapped and elderly.

"Finding cures for diseases is surely a great good," writes Bishop Carlson. "But ... there are some things we must never do, like sacrificing our children's lives to extend our own health and well-being."

Last week, Michigan's Governor Jennifer Granholm came under fire from a local bishop when she claimed, as a Catholic, that supporting ESC research is "pro-life."

131 Bishops out of 197 and counting!

Bishop Carlson's pastoral letter in full, go to:

Over 100 Bishops Have Spoken Out on Priority of Life Issues
Posted on October 28, 2008, 11:59 AM | Deal W. Hudson

The list of U. S. bishops who have spoken out on the priority of the life issues in this election is now over 100. The list now contains 70 individual bishops and three joint statements.

I would like to continue updating this list until the day of the election. I have tried to incorporate all the comments thus far. If I dd not get them all, I apologize. (For a few of the suggestions, I could not find a suitable link.)

Please continue using the comments section to let us know what bishop is not on this list who should be. This would include any bishop who has individually, or jointly, published a statement about this election pointing out the primacy of the life issues.

Thank you for your help.

1. Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver

2. Bishop James Conley, auxiliary of Denver

3. Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C.

4. Justin Cardinal Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities

5. Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, chairman of the Committee on Doctrine

6. Edward Cardinal Egan of New York

7. Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo

8. Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh

9. Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs

10. Archbishop Jose Gomez of San Antonio

11. Bishop Oscar Cantu, auxiliary of San Antonio

12. Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre

13. Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa

14. Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas

15. Bishop Gregory Aymond of Austin

16. Sean Cardinal O'Malley of Boston

17. Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando

18. Archbishop John Nienstedt of Saint Paul/Minneapolis

19. Francis Cardinal George of Chicago, President of the USCCB

20. Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker

21. Bishop Jerome Listecki of La Crosse

22. Bishop Richard Lennon of Cleveland

23. Bishop Ralph Nickless of Sioux City

24. Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco

25. Bishop Glen Provost of Lake Charles, LA

26. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn

27. Bishop Joseph F. Martino of Scranton

28. Archbishop Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura

30. Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte

31. Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh

32. Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, KS

33. Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, MO

34. Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison, WS
35. Bishop Ronald Gilmore of Dodge City, KS
36. Bishop Paul Coakley of Salina, KS
37. Bishop Michael Jackels of Wichita
38. Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito of Palm Beach
39. Bishop Kevin W. Vann of Fort Worth

40. Bishop Rene H. Gracida, retired, of Corpus Christi

41. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo of Houston

42. Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Arlington

43. Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo of Richmond

44. Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Center

45. Bishop Robert McManus of Worcester

46. Bishop Arthur Serratelli of Patterson

47. Bishop Robert Herrmann of St. Louis

48. Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore

49. Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix

50. Bishop Thomas D. Doran of Rockford

51. Bishop Joseph A. Galante of Camden

52. Bishop Robert J. Baker of Birmingham

53. Archbishop Alexander J. Brunett of Seattle

54. Bishop J. Peter Sartain of Joliet

55. Bishop John M. Smith of Trenton

56. Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing

57. Bishop Leonard R. Blair of Toledo

58. Bishop Frances J. Dewane of Venice

59. Bishop W. Frances Malooly of Wilmington

60. Bishop Robert Morlino of Madison

61. Bishop John Yanta , retired, of Amarillo

62. Bishop James V. Johnston of Springfield-Cape Girardeau

63. Archbishop John Vlazny of Portland

64. Bishop Blase J. Cupich of Rapid City

65. Bishop Lawrence Brandt of Greensburg

66. Bishop Dennis M. Schnurr of Cincinatti

67. Bishop Larry Silva of Honolulu

68. Bishop Paul Swain of Sioux Falls

69. Bishop Michael J. Sheehan of Santa Fe

70. Bishop Eusebius Beltran of Oklahoma City

71. Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Harrisburg

72-94. Joint Statement by the bishops of New York State (22 bishops)

95-111. Joint Statement by the bishops of Pennsylvania (16 bishops)

112-116. Joint Statement by the bishops of Kansas (4 bishops)

117-126. Joint Statement by the bishops of Florida (9 bishops)

Added by me

127. Bishop Tobin -- http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=30333 ^

128. Archbishop Wilton Gregory georgiabulletin.org ...

129. Archbishop Dolan http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/32482989.html.

130. Archbishop Elden Curtiss Omaha http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2123119/posts?page=1

131. Bishop Carlson's of Michigan pastoral letter in full, go to:
http://www.saginaw.org/images/election-statement_carlson_102...

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