Global Non-Profit Honors Catholic Prelates for Rebutting “Catholics for Choice”
Roses from Ruth, October 2016 Recipients
Responders to the “Catholics for Choice” newspaper ads
- Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, on behalf of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston
- Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio
- Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas and
- Bishop Steven Lopez of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter on behalf of the Texas Catholic Conference
- Archbishop John Myer of Newark, New Jersey
- Bishop Michael Olson of Ft. Worth, TX
- Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas
This morning, the Ruth Institute sent a letter of commendation and 12 white roses to the above-named American cardinals, archbishops and bishops, thanking them for their defense of Catholic teaching. The badly misnamed “Catholics for Choice” sponsored paid newspaper advertisements, “Abortion in Good Faith,” across the country. These Catholic churchmen set the record straight.
Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, President of the Ruth Institute, stated, “’Catholics for Choice’ is seriously out of touch with the views of Catholics across the country. In this election year of so much confusion and rancor, the followers of the Ruth Institute and other pro-life, pro-family groups are encouraged by the unified response of these Catholic churchmen.”
The Ruth Institute is a global non-profit organization dedicated to finding Christ-like solutions to the problems of family breakdown. Founded by world renowned author, speaker and academic Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, the Ruth Institute has accumulated decades of research to support individuals and families harmed by divorce, the hook-up culture and other forms of family breakdown. Ruth Institute, an interfaith organization, dreams of the day when every child will be welcomed into a loving home with a married mother and father.
Dr. Morse stated, “We are encouraged that these bishops stated clearly, each in his own way, that abortion is the taking of an innocent life and can never be justified. We are pleased that they cleared up any possible confusion created by the pro-abortion front group ‘Catholics for Choice.’ We thank these Catholic churchmen for their full-throated defense of life.” Previous recipients of Roses from Ruth include Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia and Bishop Francis Xavier DiLorenzo of Richmond, Virginia.
As a sign of support for these cardinals, archbishops and bishops, the Ruth Institute offers these roses and our prayers for them and all the people of our great nation.
Dr. Morse is available for interviews about the Roses from Ruth Initiative, these statements from the clergy, and Catholic teaching on life and marriage.
The full Commendations are available at our blog Ruth Speaks Out.
Quotations from each of these clergymen are listed at the bottom of this release. In addition to the above-named churchmen, the Catholic Conferences of the following states also issued responses to the Catholics for Choice ads.
- The Minnesota Catholic Conference
- The Illinois Catholic Conference
- Colorado Catholic Conference
Extracts from statements of the Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops:
Cardinal Dolan, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, stated: “The use of the name ‘Catholic’ as a platform to promote the taking of innocent human life is offensive not only to Catholics, but to all who expect honesty and forthrightness in public discourse. CFC … is funded by powerful private foundations to promote abortion as a method of population control.”
The Texas bishops, led by Cardinal DiNardo and including Archbishop Garcia-Siller, Bishop Farrell and Bishop Lopes, stated: “Every person, from the moment of conception to natural death, has inherent dignity and a right to life consistent with that dignity. Catholics, by definition, are in accord with the essential teachings of the Church and embrace the faith that has been handed down to us through Jesus Christ and the apostles. Someone cannot call themselves a Catholic, yet reject the sanctity of life by active support of abortion.”
Archbishop Garcia-Siller (San Antonio) independently stated: “For more than 2,000 years, the Church has steadfastly proclaimed that respect for all human life at every stage is foundational to the Catholic faith. Abortion from the earliest tradition of the Church has been considered immoral.”
Archbishop Myers (Newark, NJ) said: “To make sure everyone understands how misguided the Catholics for Choice effort is, read these few words from Pope Francis: “Abortion is without a doubt one of the greatest moral evils within modernity.”
Bishop Farrell (Dallas) said: “Regarding the full-page ad on Page 15A of Monday’s edition of The Dallas Morning News, I want your readers to know that Catholics for Choice is not a true Catholic organization. Nor does it adhere to Catholic teaching. Instead, Catholics for Choice is a lobby group based in Washington, D.C., funded by the pro-abortion lobby.”
Bishop Olson (Ft. Worth) told his diocese: “These ads are intended to divide and to confuse Catholics about the authentic moral teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the responsibility of the Pope and Catholic bishops in unity with him to teach what is true and essential to this Gospel.”
Bishop Strickland (Tyler, TX) tweeted: “Let’s be clear that “Catholics for Choice” is absurd.”
Bishop Lopes said: “The insinuation that Catholic faith can lead a person to sanction something which is always and everywhere a moral evil is fraudulent, deceitful, and simply wrong.” (Bishop Lopes is the Bishop of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter which is a structure, similar to a diocese, that was created by the Vatican in 2012 for former Anglican communities and clergy seeking to become Catholic.)