Abortion Debate Shows the Catholic Bishops' Growing Influence

Reader Comments
Back to article

Belatedly and for what it is worth, I have analyzed the bishops' influence (at the state level at least) in my book *The Catholic Church in State Politics: Negotiating Prophetic Demands and Political Realities* (2005). In that book I explain that the bishops political influence is not solely based on their religious authority but also on the technical expertise and political savvy of their secular staffs.
For this reason, even in the immediate wake of the sexual abuse crisis breaking in 2002 I knew that the bishops' were not "cooked" as John Allen suggests in this story. I published my thoughts on that in Commonweal in 2003.

David Y. of NC 6:54PM July 31, 2010

"Another example, it would appear, would be to deny relatively poor women the option of an abortion from an insurance company that offers it to people who can pay without a subsidy. Hipocracy at its worst on the part of The Church?"
I'm not here to debate abortion, but HOW is that hypocritical on the part of the Church? The CC has never supported delibrate abortion and doctrinally the bishops cannot contradict that ban.
It's not like the bishops are saying, "Abortion is wrong" to poor women, and going out to have them themselves (how can they, being all men?); it's not even as though they haven't considered the implications a woman endures because she has to carry a child to term. If anything, the bishops are upholding our shared beliefs via the political realm, and hypocrisy, a two-faced violation of one's own beliefs, isn't that.

bezant of FL 12:59AM February 16, 2010

Hey, Liam: IF there is any increase in Mass attendance it is because of Latino immigrants, who the Church leadership says has every right to be here, legally or illegally, if they have no or limited options to feed themselves and their family elsewhere. Where do you stand on that one?
And throughout Latin America Latinos are fleeing The Church in droves to seek evangelical alternatives, many of which do not share the Catholic Church's condescending views of women. (Some of which are worse.)
In short, I don't share your optimism that the U.S. Bishops have much influence on Catholics, let alone on anyone else.

George Fulmore of CA 10:04PM January 17, 2010

Hey George, you are certainly issuing wishfull thinking, apparently. The RC church has more influence now than 20 years ago. Witness the success of EWTN radio and TV broadcasting, and swelling attendence at Masses, it's certainly no surprise that Stupak is recieving such weight. No, the Obama election has been very, very polarizing, and many that voted for him were idiots that just voted for his charisma, and now are shock at what they have done, since he is only doing what he said he would. The pendelum is on the backswing now, and Obama and Pelosi are truly the best thing that could ever have happened to the "right" thinking in American politics. No, even here in liberal Oregon people are very seriously beginning to return to faith, and the one true Church that has never wavered, in it's holding true to right and wrong is leading the way. If Christians believe humans have a soul, there can be no denying that an unborn child is a human. Believe or not that is a fact. Choose to believe or not, an unborn child is a human; One's belief if irrelevant. My believing there is no such thing as air because I can't see it doesn't make air not exist. Black and White, no grey. Inconvenient truth. And the youth are significantly more conservative than their 60s hippy parents...they just don't get how killing the unborn is part of women's rights. What goes around truly comes around! GWBD

Dr. Liam Klein of OR 6:38PM December 23, 2009

We should all know that under health care reform, the only women that we are talking about being affected by federal money paying for an abortion are those within the 15% or so of Americans currently without health care insurance. Those with private insurance, of course, have every right to an early term abortion if is the decision of the woman with counsel of her doctor. So, the Church's energy to deny federal funds for abortions is focused on women with limited choices, those who will seek federal subsidies for private insurance policies. Those of us who voted for change, voted for Obama. The Catholic Church is all about the status-quo or, more frequently, a past that does not exist for many. An example of this, of course, is the Church's continued objection to any kind of contraception other than the rhythm method. Another example, it would appear, would be to deny relatively poor women the option of an abortion from an insurance company that offers it to people who can pay without a subsidy. Hipocracy at its worst on the part of The Church?

George Fulmore of CA 5:28PM December 20, 2009

Another headline for this story could be about the Bishops "waining influence." So, about a third of Americans say they are Catholic, but only 60% of those go to mass regularly. Translation: About 15% of Americans, at best, might pay attention to Catholic teachings. But I can tell you that that group is split down the middle, at best, on a woman's right to make individual decisions and on other issues. And, of course, more of the youth will disagree with the Bishops on a host of things, including the use of contraceptics, sex before marriage, living together before marriage, and whether the Bishops or the Priests or the powers that be in a parrish determine their moral values. No, the influence of the Catholic Church is waining, as it bets heavily on blindly conservative issues, such as a woman's right to choose, gay marriage the definitions of a "traditional" family.

George Fulmore of CA 5:17PM December 20, 2009

The growing involvement, at last, of Catholic bishops in matters of public morality and scandal, is welcomed. Deo gratias.
The long, silent years, when the faithful were left practically leaderless in the face of mounting anti-Catholic behaviour and organised attacks on Catholic principles, in particular during the spectacular growth of legalised abortion are, however, deeply regretted .
Ernie

Ernie 8:54AM December 20, 2009

God bless the faithful Bishops of Holy Mother Church! And may the "others" repent! God wills it ;p

Jason of IL 7:33AM December 19, 2009

If RC politicians can only vote for RC-approved legislation, and if RC-approved legislation is not what the majority of Americans want, then we are morally as well as politically justified in opposing the election of RC political candidates as well as the nomination of RC judicial candidates.
It's that simple!
And dare they call it Catholic-bashing? That's raw & self-serving ad hominem as well as question-begging.

Civic Republican of PA 8:32PM December 18, 2009

There is one undeniable fact concerning heterosexual marriage and gay unions which supporters of gay unions never address. Heterosexual marriage most often produces new life which supports society and culture. Simple economic growth is more easily achieved when populations i.e. markets grow. Society and culture is more stable and peaceful when the replacement population comes from within that society and culture.
Gay unions produce nothing more than an orgasm. "Gay marriage" totally disregards and dishonors the special and unique place women have in the natural order by allowing them to carry a human life inside there person. My mother delivered six children into this world; to say that the four and a half years she carried her children as well as her fidelity to her husband has no special designation in our culture is ridiculous and down right hateful. Marriage has traditionally been honored because it supports society and culture with positive tangible results that won't fade like some trendy vacation hot spot.

Tim Drozda of OH 3:48PM December 18, 2009