Lexington Herald Leader: New archbishop continues
high-profile advocacy against abortion |
Site last published: 01/06/10
Lexington Herald Leader: New archbishop continues high-profile advocacy against abortion
November 21,2007
By: DYLAN
T. LOVAN, Associated Press Writer
Louisville Archbishop Joseph Kurtz treated it as just another of many prayer vigils, but for thousands of Catholics, his recent appearance in front of a downtown abortion clinic meant much more.
Kurtz, who took over as archbishop in mid-August, joined about 250 people in front of the clinic for about 90 minutes earlier this month. As a priest in eastern Pennsylvania and later bishop of Knoxville, Tenn., Kurtz had made similar public stands against abortion.
"I think it's rather well-known for the church to be public in our prayer, in our advocacy for just laws and of course - I always have to add - our desire to reach out in compassion to mothers and families as well as the support of the child in the womb," Kurtz said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Church leaders and anti-abortion advocates said his appearance at the clinic signaled that his penchant for public advocacy - from touring Appalachian strip mines in 2003 to attending annual anti-abortion rallies in Washington - hasn't slowed despite his new role as head of an archdiocese with 200,000 registered Catholics in 24 central Kentucky counties.
"He indicates that he's willing to be much more publicly present," said Patrick Delahanty, associate director of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky.
"I think it's important for him to exert his moral leadership," said Margie Montgomery, who heads Kentucky Right to Life, an anti-abortion group not affiliated with the Catholic church.
Archbishops' stands on abortion have thrust many around the country into the headlines in recent years.
In April, St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke resigned his position on a charity board because of its decision to hire singer Sheryl Crow for a benefit concert. Crow is a supporter of abortion rights, the reason Burke cited for his resignation.
And in the heat of the presidential election season in 2004, Newark, N.J., Archbishop John Myers published a pastoral letter that said Catholic elected officials who support abortion rights should not receive holy communion.
Bishops like Kurtz can alienate modern Catholics by appearing to join in a political battle over abortion, according to a Catholic group that advocates for abortion rights.
"The thing that saddens me is that when an archbishop does something like this - while he's perfectly entitled to do it and he's exercising his rights - I think they embrace a political role, and they lose the pastoral role," said Jon O'Brien, president of the Washington-based Catholics for a Free Choice.
The Rev. Jim Bromwich, a Catholic priest from central Kentucky who attended the vigil with Kurtz, said abortion must be opposed, since the Catholic church's guidance is unambiguous.
"If it upsets Catholics who call themselves pro-choice, it's rather irrelevant, frankly, because they have an obligation to try to think with the mind of the church, as Catholics," said Bromwich, a pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Campbellsville.
Kurtz, 61, said his decision to appear at the abortion clinic was not political but the result of "moral evaluation and advocacy" - which he said also prompted him to meet with Gov. Ernie Fletcher to voice his opposition to the death penalty. Kurtz and Lexington Bishop Ronald Gainer met with Fletcher shortly after Kurtz took over as archbishop.
"In both cases, we were exercising moral leadership in helping to form consciences of public officials as well as the faithful in the Catholic Church," Kurtz said.
Kurtz delayed his flight to Baltimore for the U.S. bishops' fall general meeting so he could attend the vigil in front of the EMW Women's Surgical Center on Nov. 10. At the national meeting, Kurtz said he voted in favor of the bishops' statement, "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," that said abortion is "always wrong," and "must always be opposed."
O'Brien said the statement focuses too narrowly on abortion.
"Saying abortion is above any other issue is an extreme position for the bishops to take," he said.
Kurtz said the church's position on abortion is consistent with its stands against war and genocide.
"Any taking of innocent human life is never permitted," he said. "There's never exceptions."
Louisville Archbishop Joseph Kurtz treated it as just another of many prayer vigils, but for thousands of Catholics, his recent appearance in front of a downtown abortion clinic meant much more.
Kurtz, who took over as archbishop in mid-August, joined about 250 people in front of the clinic for about 90 minutes earlier this month. As a priest in eastern Pennsylvania and later bishop of Knoxville, Tenn., Kurtz had made similar public stands against abortion.
"I think it's rather well-known for the church to be public in our prayer, in our advocacy for just laws and of course - I always have to add - our desire to reach out in compassion to mothers and families as well as the support of the child in the womb," Kurtz said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Church leaders and anti-abortion advocates said his appearance at the clinic signaled that his penchant for public advocacy - from touring Appalachian strip mines in 2003 to attending annual anti-abortion rallies in Washington - hasn't slowed despite his new role as head of an archdiocese with 200,000 registered Catholics in 24 central Kentucky counties.
"He indicates that he's willing to be much more publicly present," said Patrick Delahanty, associate director of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky.
"I think it's important for him to exert his moral leadership," said Margie Montgomery, who heads Kentucky Right to Life, an anti-abortion group not affiliated with the Catholic church.
Archbishops' stands on abortion have thrust many around the country into the headlines in recent years.
In April, St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke resigned his position on a charity board because of its decision to hire singer Sheryl Crow for a benefit concert. Crow is a supporter of abortion rights, the reason Burke cited for his resignation.
And in the heat of the presidential election season in 2004, Newark, N.J., Archbishop John Myers published a pastoral letter that said Catholic elected officials who support abortion rights should not receive holy communion.
Bishops like Kurtz can alienate modern Catholics by appearing to join in a political battle over abortion, according to a Catholic group that advocates for abortion rights.
"The thing that saddens me is that when an archbishop does something like this - while he's perfectly entitled to do it and he's exercising his rights - I think they embrace a political role, and they lose the pastoral role," said Jon O'Brien, president of the Washington-based Catholics for a Free Choice.
The Rev. Jim Bromwich, a Catholic priest from central Kentucky who attended the vigil with Kurtz, said abortion must be opposed, since the Catholic church's guidance is unambiguous.
"If it upsets Catholics who call themselves pro-choice, it's rather irrelevant, frankly, because they have an obligation to try to think with the mind of the church, as Catholics," said Bromwich, a pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Campbellsville.
Kurtz, 61, said his decision to appear at the abortion clinic was not political but the result of "moral evaluation and advocacy" - which he said also prompted him to meet with Gov. Ernie Fletcher to voice his opposition to the death penalty. Kurtz and Lexington Bishop Ronald Gainer met with Fletcher shortly after Kurtz took over as archbishop.
"In both cases, we were exercising moral leadership in helping to form consciences of public officials as well as the faithful in the Catholic Church," Kurtz said.
Kurtz delayed his flight to Baltimore for the U.S. bishops' fall general meeting so he could attend the vigil in front of the EMW Women's Surgical Center on Nov. 10. At the national meeting, Kurtz said he voted in favor of the bishops' statement, "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," that said abortion is "always wrong," and "must always be opposed."
O'Brien said the statement focuses too narrowly on abortion.
"Saying abortion is above any other issue is an extreme position for the bishops to take," he said.
Kurtz said the church's position on abortion is consistent with its stands against war and genocide.
"Any taking of innocent human life is never permitted," he said. "There's never exceptions."