No Catholic, "in good conscience", could vote for a candidate that is "pro-abortion" ?

Father Ghio and Archbishop Burke:

The article cited below from the New York Times uses your assessment that no Catholic, "in good conscience", could vote for a candidate that is "pro-abortion." I am so disgusted with our church leaders who keep trying to direct their congregations to ignore all the other issues involved in this election and focus solely on abortion. Since when does Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life start at conception and end with birth? What about the thousands of troops in danger, dying and being injured each day in Iraq? One of the dead is my nephew, Pfc William Ramirez. His life is gone after just 19 years. Our family has no comfort in knowing that William's death brought any peace or justice to anyone. He died for a bunch of lies. Is that right? What about all the innocent Iraqi civilians who never asked for or provoked our "intervention"? What about all their dead, tortured, homeless and destitute? What about the poor of this country who go without jobs, medical care and basic necessities while this administration spends billions rebuilding a country it chose to destroy? What about the people suffering horrible genocide in Sudan? If president Bush values life, why aren't our troops and money pouring in there? Valuing life in all its forms and in all people at every stage of existence would mean condemning almost all the actions President Bush has taken in his public life. As governor in Texas he oversaw the execution of more inmates that any governor in history. But he's against abortion. How many babies has he saved since taking office? How many children have been born to parents without jobs and health care? How many more souls will perish if this man is elected again? How can YOU, "in good conscience", tell your parishioners to ignore all these issues? The Holy Father himself asked Bush not to start this unjust war and then, again, pleaded with him to stop it and all crimes against humanity our government is now guilty of. How can you?What makes you able to judge John Kerry's state of grace from afar? Do you have psychic powers? Of course, you are careful, not to directly call any candidate "pro-abortion", but you and your listeners (and now readers) are fully aware of your innuendo. Since when does a publicly elected official upholding the separation of church and state earn the label "pro-abortion"? John Kerry has never once said anything in support of abortion. He has publicly affirmed his oppositions to it. You have no right to condemn a man that you have not even met for something he has never done.After suffering first hand the effects of this war on my family, I can say definitely that Bush is NOT pro-life in any sense of that term. It makes me sick at heart to hear people like you and other clergy holding him up as a leader and a christian. When will you look at the big picture? At the US role in world-wide suffering and death? At the capabilities we have for promoting and enhancing life in this country and around the globe instead of spreading war and hatred? AT the example of our Holy Father? What is your agenda that you would do this? It is an abuse of power and trust and we've all had enough of that from our Catholic clergy at this point. My prayer is for enlightenment and true renewal to affirm the sanctity of ALL life in our church and in our country. Please open your mind and your heart to the spirit of love and see the suffering around you.

Sincerely, Annette Pritchard

New York Times

August 9, 2004

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK "As about 500 people gathered for the 5 p.m. Saturday Mass at the St. Peter Parish Church in St. Charles, his appealsappeared to fall on fertile ground. The Rev. John J. Ghio included a prayer for "reverence for all human life from
conception" in the service. A Catholic voting guide in the program noted that Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of the Archdiocese of St. Louis has said it is a sin to vote for
candidates who support abortion rights, a group that includes Senator John Kerry. The guide listed "non-negotiable" issues of abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research, human cloning and same-sex marriage.

"I don't know how a Catholic in good conscience could vote for a candidate who was pro abortion," Father Ghio said after the service."