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Published: November 2, 2009
The Letter
What Should Archbishop Niederauer Do?
Editor: the following appeared exclusively on the American Papist website on October 29.
 Francis Cardinal George - President of the USCCB, together with Justin Cardinal Rigali (Chairman of USCCB pro-life activities), Bishop Murphy (Chairman of domestic justice and human development) and Bishop Wester (Chairman on Migration) have sent a letter to every Cardinal, Archbishop and Bishop in the United States asking for their "active and personal leadership" and to "redouble [their] efforts" that health care reform is done right.
Right now, health care reform is wrong.
I want to focus on what the bishops are urged to undertake personally.
 In part the letter to them reads:
"The outcome [of this debate] will depend not primarily on advocacy done [by us] in Washington, but on what we do in our own dioceses and states to make the case clearly and persuasively to influence how our Senators and Representatives vote."
The letter includes many action items for the bishops, including:
"Personally contact your Senators and Representatives who serve your diocese. In addition to letters and email, we ask you to speak personally to your members of Congress, in meetings and/or by phone."
The letter goes on to say, to both Senators and Representatives (im paraphrasing here):
Please support an amendment to support conscience clauses and rule-out tax-payer funded abortions. If these amendments are not added to the bill, you must oppose the final bill when it comes to a vote.
 The ramifications of this activity of the US bishops are extremely significant.
To take one important example, Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco ought to call Nancy Pelosi, and ask that she follow the advice presented above. This then means that when she ignores his advice (as she undoubtedly will) and pushes through this pro-abortion health care reform bill, she will be intentionally and explicitly defying the personal request of her Archbishop.
 It should now be impossible, in fact, for any elected Catholic official to claim that they voted for the final pro-abortion health care bill without knowing clearly, in advance, where their local bishop stood on this particular issue.
I'll let us all ponder these implications for a moment.
For the original story on American Papist, click here.
Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 12:34 AM By Charles O'Connell
This is critical. The administration is poised in the wings, waiting for the other shoe to drop in the collapse. (Look at Sunday's Financial Times: Nouriel Roubini, "Mother of all carry trades faces an inevitable bust".) The administration has been poised for longer, even, than it has been in power, to exploit a possibly worse crash to come, lower the boom on civil liberties, and likely outlaw pro-life. ("The Democracy Alliance", 60 Millionaires & Billionaires who had Obama's program all set even before they decided upon him, "The Argument: Billionaires, Bloggers, and the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics", by Matt Bai.) Things we couldn't have imagined one year ago, might soon become commonplace. (The mushy middle won't even notice.) As Fr. Corapi says, deep darkness can easily sweep over the land, as the conditions of Sodom, once localized to one ancient city-state, overtake the whole industrialized world. The Lord swore never again to purify the world with water. But He didn't mention fire.
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 5:37 AM By ted
Each and every "Catholic" legislator in the country knows what their bishop's guidance on these issues is. Because there is no penalty for voting pro-death, and there is the potential to be voted out of office if they vote pro-life, their choice has in far too many cases been for re-election. That's what we need to keep in mind when looking for a solution - to change the minds of enough voters to ensure that pro-death legislators have no future. Always, always keep in mind that their goal is NOT to represent us faithfully, but to hold on to their jobs and power.
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 5:58 AM By St. Christopher
OOOOH! "Ponder the implications." This will surely strike terror into the black hearts of "Catholic" politicians like Pelosi, Kerry, Kennedy (Patrick, now that Teddy has gone to play golf with his Dad and brothers in the sky somewhere) and all the rest. The Vatican and American bishops completely lost their chance to stand up and confront these same politicians during the last election cycle and, even more importantly, to get into the face of Obama and the Catholic electorate by saying a vote for Obama is sinful, and not the venial kind. The sense given by American bishops, which was widely reported, that a "proportional" vote could be given to Obama (and Kennedy, Pelosi, etc.) in that they were "more good than bad" in ways other than abortion. Even the Democrats that have been seeking a way to accommodate Catholics in the health care arena are confused in that the bishops speak with such a muffled voice, and, in fact, many voices, on the "funding for abortion" issue. The American politicians will say, "ha, ha, ha" to whatever the bishops come out with now and will continue to do what they believe is necessary for them to get elected. There would be no abortion if all Catholics lived there faith, and that includes the leadership of their bishops. These people are, and have been a scandal to the Church; remember that a "Prince" of the Church was "in attendance" at the completely wrong funeral mass of Senator Kennedy. What a bust.
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 6:10 AM By OneoftheSheep
The situation calls for prayer and fasting. For too long, we have sat in the pews not taking the gospel message out to the world. Now, the self-proclaimed Catholics in the halls of our legislatures are either ignorant or arrogant in their actions.
Widespread evangelization of the gospel is critical at this hour. Let us not waste another moment. Activate the Church Militant! For, while we were sleeping, our society has been paganized.
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 6:48 AM By JLS
Blah, blah, blah ... more strategic thinking by the greatest bishops of history at the most pivotal point in history so far. This dumbed down Catholic educational system has obviously long since run the course of any effectiveness. It would be nice to find at least one bishop who has dumped the shallow theology of the past century and replaced it with common sense.
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 8:40 AM By junev
When are the members of the USCCB going to get off of their collective butts and see the so-called Catholics in Congress for what they are............BAD CATHOLICS and do the right thing and demand that they are not allowed to receive the Holy Eucharist as long as they continue to vote for and approve abortion and its cousin, euthanasia. They are giving scandal to our Church and should be shown to be the cafeteria catholics that they are,
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 9:53 AM By John
Corrupt bishops will continue their corruption. Pelosi and others are quite safe.
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 9:54 AM By Life Lady
The bishops have now been asked to walk the walk, and also talk the talk, of the true teaching of the Church. How has it been that it has taken so long? The only way to stamp out the darkness that has fallen on our land, and in our Church is CORRECT: PRAYER AND FASTING. If anyone recalls, Jesus went out into the desert for 40 days, in prayer and fasting, and then the enemy tempted Him, to which He replied "Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God". Only when we all truly live by those words will the darkness abate. When we all decide to dedicate ourselves to prayer, fasting and penance (in the old days it was sack cloth and ashes) only then, can we ever hope to be delivered from the scourge that is the Obama culture of death. Any grace given in this regard must come from God, as every grace does. We cannot do this alone, without God. We must turn to Him and ask for His protection, and His deliverance. Consider it, and hopefully we can all decide to do this.
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 10:16 AM By Virginia Clark
If Nancy Pelosi rams this pro abortion health care reform bill, knowing full well that it is against Catholic teachings, should be excommunicated!
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 11:00 AM By William
JLS is spot on! Bishops are now trying to play catch up. Why were they so mamby pamby for so long? Now they are beginning to show some spine....but is it too late? And how about that insipid "voters guide" they collectively issued last year? Why do they issue these long, convoluted, and incomprehensible statements when just a few direct words would do? And you wonder why Catholics in the pew vote pro-abortion?
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 11:13 AM By JoeCee
The American hierarchy lacks persuasive clout to effectively engage in the national health care debate; I wish this were not the case. However, if the bishops strategically assume the "Catholic flock" and their political representatives will uncritically follow along with their points of view on the issue, then it would be better for the bishops not to get involved in the first place -- it's too politically embarrassing.
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 12:22 PM By Elizabeth
As I have said MANY TIMES.......
If after speaking with these so called 'Catholic' politicians, they do not come back in 'full communion' with the Church's teachings.........
EXCOMMUNICATION!
AND EXCOMMUNICATION PUBLICALLY SINCE THEY WERE SO PUBLIC WITH THEIR VOTES AND OPINIONS.
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 1:04 PM By JoeCee
The American hierarchy lacks persuasive clout to effectively engage in the national health care debate; I wish this were not the case. However, if the bishops strategically assume the "Catholic flock" and their political representatives will uncritically follow along with their points of view on the issue, then it would be better for the bishops not to get involved in the first place -- it's too politically embarrassing.
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 1:30 PM By Paxchristi
The vine of life is in severe need of having the dead branches be pruned. Wield the tool of excommunication and get to work!
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 3:10 PM By Anne T.
Ted, you are absolutely correct. When the Lord Jesus was tempted by Satan with power if he would worship him, Christ refused. Some politicians have not refused. They, in essense, are worshipping at the feet of Satan for power. They'll get it all right! On the last day, most likely they will be one of the goats, if not repentant with changed behavior.
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 3:51 PM By Peggy
The USCCB need to promote Church doctrine and stay out of policy making. Leave that up to the laity and legislators.
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 4:07 PM By JLS
There are two types of leaders: One draws people to follow him, and the other leads where followed. Moses drew people, and Dathan who built the golden calf led where followed.
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 5:56 PM By Ron
If the Archbishop can not see fit to excommunicate the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, what are the chances he will even consider excommunicating Pelosi?
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Posted Monday, November 02, 2009 10:12 PM By Janet
Excommunication has become a "Right Of Passage" among those who disagree with the Catholic Church. No one fears excommunication. No one cares. How can the Catholic Clergy & Hierarchy lead by example when they have failed so miserably in matters of morality.
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Posted Tuesday, November 03, 2009 11:34 PM By Victoria
Janet, ordinarily I would agree with you.....However, there have to be SOME "good" bishops among the USCCB. (Yes, JLS, before you faint, you read me correctly.) But we have a long way to go; and a lot more bishops who need to be replaced by more modern clergy. We also need the involvement of the laity. This can no longer be a contest of egos. Our Catholic Church is going down by the BOW. Only all of us TOGETHER, can save HER.
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Posted Wednesday, November 04, 2009 10:23 PM By JLS
Victoria, what do you take me for? "before I faint"???!!! I don't faint. Once I was half knocked out in a boxing match, but I stayed on my feet. And of course back in the days before I trained my body to handle any amount of liquor I managed to keel over a few times ... but faint? And I've experienced illness to where I had a hard time staying upright (ok, both physical and moral to be accurate) -- but no I don't faint.
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Posted Thursday, November 05, 2009 4:54 PM By Victoria
OH, JLS, the "Fainting" remark was all made in good fun. Perhaps the liquor has distorted your funny bone. Of all the things I wrote in my post, and all you seemed to latch onto was the joke about "fainting". Perhaps you thought I was attacking your ego? Who knows? From now on you shall be known as, THE UNFAINTABLE JLS. Goodness!!!
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