Politics
Friday May 7, 2004
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
US Bishop Aquila Warns Catholic Pro-Abortion Politicians They "Risk the Possibility of Hell"
FARGO, ND, May 7, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The scandal of U.S. Catholic pro-abortion politicians defying Catholic teaching and receiving Communion despite their grave sin of supporting abortion has caused several bishops to speak out forcefully on the issue. The latest is Fargo Bishop Samuel J. Aquila Bishop of the diocese of Fargo in North Dakota.
In a four-page homily delivered Sunday and posted on the diocesan website, Bishop Aquila said, "In the light of the last few days and all of the media coverage regarding John Kerry's unambiguous support of abortion rights, his personal opposition to abortion, and his insistence on the separation of his Catholic faith from his professional life, I, as a successor of the apostles, cannot remain silent. I, as an apostle, must speak with the apostles and obey God rather than man and present to you the teaching of the Church on the proper relationship between our faith and professional life."
Addressing all Catholics and especially "'pro-choice' Catholics," and "'Catholics for a free choice,'" the bishop said, "Jesus Christ has warned clearly within the Gospel that hell is a reality and that we are free to choose it. Catholics who separate their faith life from their professional and social activities are putting the salvation of their souls in jeopardy. They risk the possibility of hell"
"The grave error that has come about, the grave error that the Father of Lies has planted in the hearts of many is the lie of thinking that we can have one foot with God and one foot with the world. . . . We must always put the law of God above the law of man, especially as it concerns the dignity of the human person and the life of the unborn," said the Bishop.
On the point of reception of Communion, Bishop Aquila said: "In regard to the question of sanctions for Catholics who are 'pro-choice', who say that they are personally opposed to abortion but whose words and actions speak otherwise in their support of abortion rights, I would share with them the words from St. Justin Martyr in today's Office of Readings. This was in 165 A.D. They shared the same problems we do today. 'No one may share the Eucharist with us unless he believes that what we teach is true, unless he is washed in the regenerating waters of baptism for the remission of his sins, and unless he lives in accordance with the principles given us by Christ.'"
Read Bishop Aquila's full homily online at:
http://www.fargodiocese.org/Bishop/Homilies/homily4-24-04.pd...
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- Canadian Bishops Consider Mass Mobilization for 2009 March for Life
- Heartland Christian Church Demands Peaceful Pro-Life LifeChain Participants Leave
- Bishop: Catholic Adoption Agencies Could Be Evicted for Defying Church Teaching on Homosexual Adoption
- New Jersey Bishop Persuades Princeton Catholic School to Disinvite Pro-Choice Former Gov. Whitman
- Firefighters' Lawsuit against City Over Forced Participation in Gay Pride Parade Ends in Mistrial
- Ruth Kelly's "Opposition" to HFE Bill Questioned by Pro-life Britons
- Knights of Columbus to 230,000 Canadian Members - Pro-Life is the Most Important Qualification for Candidates
- Obama's "Abortion Reduction" Rhetoric Called a "Brazen Scam"
- Congress Renews Federal Funding for Abstinence Education
- Bishop Reaffirms Support for California Marriage Amendment Following Dissent by Homosexual Priest
- Victory: Supreme Court Allows "Choose Life" License Plates in AZ
- Update: Obama Supporter Dr. Cafardi Resigns from Franciscan University Board
- Legislators Seek Abortion-on-Demand for Every State in Mexico
- Video Catches Planned Parenthood Covering Up Statutory Rape
- Kenyan Cardinal Blasts Attempt to Legalise Abortion
- NewsBytes for October 7, 2008 - Life Issues, Homosexuality, US Election, Canadian Election, Religion, Miscellaneous
Most Read this Week
- Extreme Pro-Abortion Feminist Heather Mallick Scheduled to Speak at Catholic St. Mary's University
- Sarah Palin Speaks on Abortion, Contraception, Homosexuality
- Martin Sheen Stars in Ad Opposing Assisted Suicide in Washington State
- Abortion Patient of George Tiller Feared for Life: 'They're Liable to Kill Me'
- Bella Star Eduardo Saves Five Unborn Babies' Lives
- CBC Apologises for "Porn Star" Attack on Palin
- Russia: 64% of Pregnancies End in Abortion
- Catholic Magazine Calls For Defeat And Removal Of Prime Minister Harper
- Eduardo Verastegui Talks about Obama, Saving Babies Outside L.A. Abortion Clinic
- Swedish Man Awarded $24,170 Compensation after Filming Himself Having Sex with 14 Year-Old
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.