Bishop Slams Andrew Cuomo for Signing Bill Legalizing Abortions Up to Birth: You’re No Catholic

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jan 23, 2019   |   2:11PM   |   Albany, New York

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo can claim to be a Catholic but there’s little doubt left that he’ totally out of step with the pro-life teachings of the Catholic Church after he signed a bill legalizing abortions up to birth. Now, the Catholic bishops in New York state are letting the governor have it.

Just hours after the state Senate and Assembly passed it, Cuomo signed the bill, legalizing abortion for basically any reason up to birth in New York state.

The so-called Reproductive Health Act goes beyond Roe v. Wade, allowing unborn babies to be aborted even when the U.S. Supreme Court has said states may restrict abortions. Late-term abortions, which currently are illegal in New York, would be allowed, and non-doctors would be allowed to perform them.

That’s plenty reason for one Catholic bishop to rip the governor:

The bishop of the Diocese of Alabany attempted to convince New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo not to sign a bill that removes all restrictions on abortion in the state, but Cuomo signed it anyway.

In an open letter in The Evangelist, the Most Rev. Edward B. Scharfenberger condemned Cuomo’s support of abortion before the governor signed the Reproductive Health Act (RHA), which repealed the state’s 24-week abortion ban, among other things. Scharfenberger penned the open letter ahead of Cuomo’s signing ceremony.

SIGN THE PETITION: Excommunicate Andrew Cuomo for Legalizing Abortions Up to Birth

“Although in your recent State of the State address you cited your Catholic faith and said we should ‘stand with Pope Francis,’ your advocacy of extreme abortion legislation is completely contrary to the teachings of our pope and our Church,” Scharfenberger said. “Once truth is separated from fiction and people come to realize the impact of the bill, they will be shocked to their core. By that time, however, it may be too late to save the countless lives that will be lost or spare countless women lifelong regret.”

The bishop said the recently signed legislation “threatens to rupture the communion between the Catholic faith and those who support the RHA” because of the bill’s “aggressive extremism.”

“It is very difficult to understand how you can align yourself with Pope Francis and so vehemently advocate such profoundly destructive legislation,” Scharfenberger said. “I find myself wondering how it can be viewed as ‘progress’ to have gone from a society working to make abortion ‘rare’ to one that urges women to ‘shout your abortion’ as some advocates of this bill boldly announce.”