Politicians' letter to bishops is ‘disrespectful’ and ‘arrogant’

Boston, Mass., May 23, 2004 / 22:00 pm

In a television broadcast last week, Raymond A. Flynn, president Your Catholic Voice, said it was disrespectful for Democratic pro-abortion politicians to criticize Catholic Church leaders who have the courage to speak out on important moral issues in the political arena.

Flynn, who served as U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican from 1993 to 1997 and was a Boston mayor, made these comments in a television interview May 21 on Fox News Channel's "Special Report with Brit Hume."

Several U.S. bishops have made public statements in recent months calling on Catholic politicians to advocate legislation that is in line with Catholic teaching. These bishops have also stated that Catholic politicians, who support abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage or embryonic stem-cell research, should not receive Communion.

In response, 48 Catholic Democratic members of Congress signed a letter to the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal McCarrick, complaining that these bishops’ statements are counterproductive and "miring the Church in partisan politics."

"They want to be Catholic on Election Day and get the Catholic vote,” said Flynn, a pro-life Democrat of his pro-choice fellow party members. “But when they get to Washington or the state house, they consistently vote with every well-financed radical group that is working against the most fundamental of all human rights."