Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Catholic Organizations, ObamaCare, Abortion: UPDATE

Late last week, I wrote about three Catholic organizations actively campaigning for the passage of Obama's government-run health care plan.

The groups are: Catholic Charities USA, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Catholic Health Association.

It is stunning that Catholic groups are supporting legislation that is an assault on life -- the weak, the disabled, the elderly, and the unborn.

Catholic Charities USA and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul are fighting back against be called out on their disgraceful support of legislation that so brazenly violates Catholic values.

Here's the statement from Catholic Charities USA:



Catholic Charities USA responds to inaccurate media reports

Alexandria, VA—In response to inaccurate online media reports, Catholic Charities USA states unequivocally that it does not support any plan to reform health care and/or any proposed legislative provision that allows or promotes the funding of abortions or that compels any health care provider or institution to provide such a service. In fact, Catholic Charities USA will continue to work with the Catholic Health Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to ensure that any health care reform legislation will not include such provisions. All media accounts or public comments that misrepresent this position are inaccurate.

“These attacks appear to be politically motivated by opponents of health care reform. They are distortions of the truth and disingenuous. Catholic Charities USA will continue to work to reform health care in a way that is consistent with the teachings of our faith.” said Fr. Larry Snyder, President.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul also is doing damage control, issuing a statement claiming that it "has not supported any particular or specific legislation; it has expressed its concern for the need for the U.S. Congress to deal with this most urgent need now."

These groups are copying the verbal stylings of Bill Clinton and Obama, parsing words.

Recently, Catholic Charities USA and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul sent out this action alert, asking members to contact their legislators immediately:



We must maintain momentum for health care reform efforts with calls and emails supporting health care reform immediately. ... Your members of Congress need to hear from you that you support health care reform, and that the system needs to be reformed now.

If that alert isn't referring to the Culture of Death legislation, H.R. 3200, and maintaining momentum for Obama's government-run plan as it meets fierce opposition, then what is the alert about?

Of course, the organizations are asking Catholics to contact their members of Congress and tell them to support the Democrat legislation.

It's certainly not an alert to demand that the proposed health care reform promote a Culture of Life, and protect the weak, the disabled, the elderly, and the unborn.

There is nothing inaccurate about stating the political activities of Catholic Charities USA, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Catholic Health Association, activities that are clearly spelled out on their websites, in their action alerts, and in this video on YouTube.


The Catholic Health Association video begins with Obama speaking about health care in his address to a joint session of Congress on February 24, 2009. In the background, Nancy Pelosi leaps up from her chair and cheers Obama. Joe Biden is a bit slower and a little less enthusiastic, but also stands and applauds.

No politics there. Yeah, right.

Any suggestion that these three Catholic organizations are not supporting the Democrats' legislation is ridiculous. Where are the distortions of the truth?

To say that there's some sinister political motivation behind my concern about the liberal, anti-life political activities of these groups is also ridiculous. In my case, it's entirely about being Catholic and being horrified that they are supporting Obama's assault on life masquerading as health care reform.

Sure, the groups state that they are pro-life.


But as I stated in my initial post on this subject, that pro-life qualification is utterly meaningless when it comes to backing Obama's plan since the Democrats have absolutely no intention whatsoever of safeguarding human life from conception until natural death.

Moreover, Obama has stated repeatedly that he is unwilling to protect the unborn. In fact, no U.S. president has ever been more radical in his support of abortion.

These Catholic groups must be aware of this, but they're ignoring that inconvenient truth.

Obama has also made it clear that he intends to follow the advice of one of his top advisers, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, and support withholding health services from the elderly in order to cut costs.

(Video of Obama commenting that medical resources shouldn't be wasted on the elderly.)

Who is being disingenuous here?

In my opinion, Catholic Charities USA, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Catholic Health Association are being disingenuous.

I've financially supported these Catholic organizations in the past. That's over.


I'm not going to give money to groups that knowingly undercut the Catholic values they profess to uphold.

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