Bishops from the Roman Catholic church are standing up against President Joe Biden’s decision to reverse a policy that blocks funding for abortion providers overseas.
They call his recent executive order on the matter “incompatible with Catholic teaching.”
The statement from Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities read:
“It is grievous that one of President Biden’s first official acts actively promotes the destruction of human lives in developing nations.”
“This Executive Order is antithetical to reason, violates human dignity, and is incompatible with Catholic teaching. We and our brother bishops strongly oppose this action. We urge the President to use his office for good, prioritizing the most vulnerable, including unborn children.”
America has returned to funding abortions world wide. I stand against this policy as I stand with Scripture on the sanctity of life. https://t.co/jWKlEuXPZW
— Paul Chappell (@PaulChappell) January 28, 2021
Biden’s decision was also criticized by Bishop David J. Malloy who is chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace.
The statement added:
“As the largest non-government health care provider in the world, the Catholic Church stands ready to work with him and his administration to promote global women’s health in a manner that furthers integral human development, safeguarding innate human rights and the dignity of every human life, beginning in the womb.”
“To serve our brothers and sisters with respect, it is imperative that care begin with ensuring that the unborn are free from violence, recognizing every person as a child of God. We hope the new administration will work with us to meet these significant needs.”
The president said he does not wish to impose his “religious beliefs on other people.”
Yet, both the Catholic Catechism and some clergy have hinted that government servants have a duty to support anti-abortion laws. The section of the Catechism discussing the issue says that the procedure and infanticide “are abominable crimes.”
It reads:
“The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority.” The Catechism also warns that “when the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined.”
Such welcome news. President Biden repeals the US global anti-abortion policy. This makes a huge difference in the lives of women and girls in developing countries, and ensures their access to sexual and reproductive health services.
— Sigrid Kaag (@SigridKaag) January 28, 2021
Needless to say, Planned Parenthood, which has already bragged about performing over 300,000 abortions yearly, applauded Biden’s order.
The Mexico City Policy, which blocks financial support for overseas organizations that perform abortions or provide information on the matter, has repeatedly been reversed and reinstated by past administrations.
A recent Marist poll showed some kind of opposition to overseas funding of abortion.
The question was:
“Do you strongly support, support, oppose, or strongly oppose using tax dollars to support abortion in other countries?”
77% of Americans asked opposed or strongly opposed the proposition, which includes 64% who identified as “pro-choice.”
