Editor's Desk: Anti-Vatican Campaign

By Michael F. Flach
HERALD Editor
(From the Issue of 5/18/00)

How can a group that opposes Church teaching on human sexuality and abortion call itself Catholic?

The claim by Catholics for a Free Choice (CFC) that it is "an authentic Catholic voice" is false, said Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza of Galveston-Houston, head of the U.S. bishops’ conference.

CFC is the organization behind the campaign to end the Vatican's permanent observer status at the United Nations. In a recent statement, Bishop Fiorenza said the campaign is reminiscent of "other episodes of anti-Catholic bigotry."

The bishop criticized the group for "its rejection and distortion of Catholic teaching about the respect and protection due to defenseless unborn human life."

He called the CFC campaign an effort to "silence the moral voice of the Holy See at the United Nations." He pointed out that the NCCB has stated publicly a number of times that Catholics for Free Choice "is not a Catholic organization, does not speak for the Catholic Church, and in fact promotes positions contrary to the teaching of the church."

He said the group is primarily "an arm of the abortion lobby in the United States and throughout the world" funded by a number of powerful and wealthy private foundations to "promote abortion as a method of population control."

As the bishops have stated for many years, "the use of the name Catholic as a platform for promoting the taking of innocent human life and ridiculing the church is offensive not only to Catholics, but to all who expect honesty and forthrightness in public discourse," he said.

"We state once again with the strongest emphasis: Because of its opposition to the human rights of some of the most defenseless members of the human race, and because its purposes and activities deliberately contradict essential teachings of the Catholic faith, Catholics for a Free Choice merits no recognition or support as a Catholic organization."

Rep. Chris Smith introduced legislation in the House to protect the Vatican's U.N. observer status. He agreed with Bishop Fiorenza's remarks regarding Catholics for a Free Choice.

Smith said the group's current attempt to remove the Vatican from its position in the United Nations is a ``flagrant anti-Catholic attempt by radical fringe groups to clear the way for their pro-abortion, anti-family agenda at the United Nations.''

Smith, who attends St. Joseph Parish in Herndon, also said the Vatican is "under assault by those who desire to see the disintegration of the Catholic worldview in our global governing body. We cannot allow this to happen."

Frances Kissling, CFC president, announced last year that her organization was launching a ``See Change'' campaign calling on the United Nations to end the Vatican's permanent observer status and put it on the same level as a nongovernmental organization -- or NGO -- such as the World Council of Churches.

In its current status, the Vatican does not have a vote at the United Nations but, after securing permission, it makes statements on issues the world body deals with, and uses other opportunities to influence delegates.

In mid-March a U.N. spokeswoman said U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan couldn’t conduct the review of the Vatican's U.N. observer status called for by Catholics for a Free Choice.

Such a review could be conducted only if it was formally requested by the General Assembly and that, so far, no government has taken or proposed any action that could lead to a vote on such a request.

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