Catholic Bishops in Kentucky Say Abortion the Top Priority for Pro-Life Voters 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 14, 2008
Frankfort, KY (LifeNews.com) — The Catholic bishops in Kentucky have released a joint letter making clear that, for pro-life Catholic voters, abortion should be the top issue considered when heading to the polls. With a presidential election featuring a clear contrast on abortion, the letter will motivate many Catholics to get involved.
The bishops of each of the four Catholic dioceses in Kentucky released the letter, entitled "Reverence for Life: Conscience and Faithful Citizenship."
"Our religious beliefs affirm basic human rights and obligations that are essential to the fabric of our social life. In particular, respect for human life is numbered among those basic values that underpin the very foundation of civilization," they wrote.
"The recognition of abortion on demand as (a) legal situation that sanctions an intolerable moral evil calls for a response," they added. "A moral evil that negates a public good demands the exercise of a moral responsibility to limit and eliminate that evil."
According to a Catholic News Service report, the bishops released the letter on January 22 to coincide with the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that allowed virtually unlimited abortions.
The letter also called pro-abortion politicians on the carpet who say they are "personally opposed" to abortion but refuse to implement that belief in public policy.
The bishops called that contradiction by such lawmakers "an evasion," "a moral contraction" and "self-deception."
"No one can be excepted from the logical step to translate moral opposition into effective strategies," they added, CNS reported. "If there is a lack of public consensus to effect full legal protection (for the unborn), no one can be excused from working toward creating consensus as a first step."
The bishops acknowledged that they were not directing voters to specific candidates, but the admonition to make abortion a priority plays a part in the upcoming presidential elections.
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both strongly support unlimited abortion paid for at taxpayer expense and have promised to only appoint Supreme Court judges who will keep all abortions legal for another 35 years.
They will likely face Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has a solid voting record opposing abortion and has called for both overturning Roe v. Wade and judges who would be more likely to do so.
Two leading pro-abortion groups, NARAL and Planned Parenthood, have already attacked McCain for opposing abortion and give him a 96 and 100 percent pro-life voting record on abortion, respectively.
