“Catholic” Gov Phil Murphy Defends Signing Bill for Abortions Up to Birth: I’m Still a “Good Catholic”

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jan 14, 2022   |   10:30AM   |   Washington, DC

Yesterday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law a bill that makes killing babies in abortions a “right” in the state and allows abortions up to birth. As a Catholic, Governor Murphy is coming under fire from Catholics who say he totally violated the pro-life principles of the Catholic Church, of which he claims to be a sincere follower.

As LifeNews reported, the bill will legalize abortions up to birth and allowing non-doctors to kill babies in abortions. The legislation guarantees “the fundamental right of reproductive autonomy,” even though women already have reproductive autonomy and choice prior to the decision to end a baby’s life in an abortion as reproduction has already taken place.

The radical measure also could lead to forcing New Jersey residents to fund abortions with their tax dollars. If the state Department of Banking and Insurance deems abortion funding necessary, then state residents could be compelled to pay for killing unborn children in abortions with their tax funds.

The bill also allows “all qualified health care professionals,” to conduct abortions. Although abortion advocates have said for decades that abortions should be “between a woman and her doctor,” the legislation now allows non-doctors to do abortions — putting the life and heath of women at risk.

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In a new statement, Murphy defends his decision to sign the radical pro-abortion bill and says it squares with his Catholic faith and dedication to promote parenthood — even though parenthood is destroyed in an abortion. He wants Catholics to “respect” his decision and the decision to kill babies in abortions, even though abortions permanently destroy a unique human being and forever end any decisions they would ever make.

“To those on the other side of this issue – and there are many overwhelmingly well-intentioned people, many of whom by the way have reached out to me directly – I hope that we can come together in the greater calling of our faiths to make parenthood an easier, safer and healthier choice for anyone or any family in search of support,” Murphy said. “We can each hold our own personal, deeply felt views and still respect each individual’s ability to make their own decisions.”

Murphy relies on a dissident Catholic priest who ignores Catholic pro-life teachings and supports abortion. Instead of relying on Catholic doctrine, papal statements or his own Catholic bishops, he justifies his decision to sign the bill for abortions up to birth based on one priest.

“Last week, Rev. Pat Conroy, a Jesuit priest who served as chaplain for the House of Representatives for 10 years spoke to the Washington Post about being pro-choice and Catholic, as I am,” the governor said. “And he said, and I quote Father Conroy, ‘A good Catholic in our system could be saying given women in our system have this constitutional right, our task as fellow Christians or as Catholics is to make it possible for her to optimize her ability to make the choice.’”

“My own journey and evolution on this issue has not been easy and is one that through great reflection has landed on ultimate respect and trust for others,” Murphy said. “Respect especially for those with limited means for whom restrictions on access to reproductive health care has the most devastating effect, and trust that each of us is our own best judge and advisor.

“To be sure I have leaned on my faith to inform and enhance many of my most deeply held values,” he said. “And as I said, this one has been a hard one for me. Yet I would be running afoul of those very same values if I used my personal faith to deny services, especially health services, to those who reach different personal conclusions through their own faith. I cannot allow that to happen, and I will not.”

In comments to LifeNews.com, Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life said Murphy can’t defend his Catholic faith on the violence of abortion.

Governor Murphy’s rationalization — as that of Fr. Conroy — calls an act of violence a “value,” considers bloodshed just a matter of “belief” and exchanges the protection we owe our children for a “choice.”

No, it is not “up to us” to decide whether or not it’s OK to kill a baby.

Murphy, Biden, Pelosi, Conroy, and many others like them talk as if it isn’t a self-evident truth that you don’t kill babies and you don’t let others kill their babies. No discussion after that is necessary. It’s self-evident. No references to “values” or “faith” or Thomas Aquinas can undo the obvious error of permitting such an act.

You don’t build faith on violence.

Marie Tasy, the director of New Jersey Right to Life, told LifeNews this is a “shameful legacy” for a supposedly Catholic governor to leave.

“By signing a bill that enshrines abortion into law with no gestational limits, Governor Murphy signed the death warrant for thousands of innocent children. The heavy handed abuse of the legislative process and backroom deals that were employed to get this bill passed display arrogance, disrespect for the public, and will carry a shameful legacy for this Governor and the politicians that sponsored and voted for this egregious bill,” she said.

The state’s Catholic bishops are also critical. They expressed “profound disappointment and deep concern” about the legislation.

“We have failed as a society when a response to any pregnancy is fear rather than joy,” the seven New Jersey prelates said in a joint statement. “Sadly, too often this fear is born out of the mother’s uncertainty that she will not be able to provide for herself and her child the resources necessary to live a flourishing life.”

“We must do better,” the statement continued. “Therefore, we urge all Catholics and people of good will to actively participate in breaking down the economic, employment, social, racial, and emotional barriers that lead mothers into thinking abortion is a better option than life.”

The seven bishops of New Jersey are Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, Bishop Kevin Sweeney of Paterson, Bishop David O’Connell of Trenton, Bishop James Checchio of Metuchen, Bishop Dennis Sullivan of Camden, Bishop Kurt Burnette of the Eparchy of Passaic, and Bishop Yousif Habash of Our Lady of Deliverance of Syriac Catholic Diocese.

The prelates charge that the New Jersey lawmakers who voted for the bill “rushed through this Act in the waning moments of their terms” because they “did not want citizens to understand fully its inhuman and lethal consequences.”

They also re-emphasized the Church’s commitment to helping pregnant women.

“The Catholic Church is committed to broadening and increasing awareness about the abundant resources and programs we offer that include life-affirming health and prenatal care, emotional support, assistance in bearing and raising her child, and basic needs such as housing, food, and clothing to pregnant mothers seeking or considering alternatives to abortion,” the bishops’ said.

ACTION ALERT: Send your complaints to Governor Murphy by going here.

The pro-life group American Life League says Murphy is violating the pro-life teachings of the Catholic Church.

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy defines himself as a person who “grew up in a family that was middle class on a good day.” According to his website, he was “the youngest of four children with only one parent who graduated high school. His upbringing—where religion, a strong work ethic, education, and civic awareness were pillars of family life—shaped his values, his priorities, and the leader he is today.”

The governor does not state in his biographical data that he is Catholic, but according to him his parents were “strict Roman Catholics and big fans of politics.”

So we did a little digging to discover whether or not Catholic principles affected this man in any way given the fact that he is a strong, public supporter of assisted suicide and Planned Parenthood, among other things. Lo and behold, Murphy claimed his Catholic identity in a tribute he and his wife wrote upon the death of Monsignor Philip Lowery, who was a pastor, a mentor, and head of chaplains for the New Jersey State Police.

So yes, even as a professed Catholic, Murphy seems to have separated himself from the teachings of the Catholic Church. This is tragic for his soul, sends a false message to the people of New Jersey, and must not go unnoticed by the bishops of the state whose flock depends on them for leadership in times such as this.

It called on the Catholic leaders in New Jersey to deny him communion.

“We prayerfully call upon the bishops of New Jersey to enforce Canon 915. We respectfully ask them to join together in a statement advising Governor Murphy that, if he does currently receive the body and blood of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, he may no longer receive Him until such time as he repents of his public support for the killing of the innocent and the vulnerable,” ALL said.

Murphy has been rebuked before by a Catholic bishop, when he signed a bill legalizing assisted suicide.

Bishop James Checchio of New Jersey’s Diocese of Metuchen was quick to condemn the governor’s action. Checchio described the new law as part of a “dangerous and frightening trend” and “a brazen attack against the sanctity of human life.”

Speaking before the vote, Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life, asked why lawmakers want to expand abortions when New Jersey already has the highest abortion rate in the U.S., according to the report.

“Why do we want to have more?” Tasy asked, pointing to the nearly 50,000 abortions that occur in the state every year. This is a “really radical bill,” she said.

According to New Jersey Right to Life, the original bill would invalidate all current and future laws that restrict abortions and allow nurse practitioners and midwives to abort unborn babies. The pro-life organization warned that the legislation also would get rid of the 1974 state conscience clause that protects pro-life medical workers from being forced to help abort unborn babies.

New Jersey Right to Life pointed to a recent USA Today editorial by the governor and Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver in which they admit the bill “expressly allows late term abortions” and keeps parents from being informed if their underage daughter has an abortion.

“They don’t care that the people of NJ don’t support such an extreme edict!” the pro-life organization responded.

According to NJ Advance Media, several Republicans tried to amend the bill in committee to include parental consent for minors but Democrats blocked the action.

New Jersey already has the highest abortion rate in the country and some of the most permissive pro-abortion laws.

Through a new coalition, Working Together for NJ, pro-lifers in the state have been working hard to stop the radical pro-abortion expansion, warning that it could lead to more human trafficking as well as more abortions.

It’s “a human trafficker’s best friend. Sex slaves get pregnant. Human traffickers have to pay for the abortions as a result. But this legislation will require all New Jersey taxpayers to pay for the abortions of sex trafficking victims,” said the Rev. Gregory Quinlan of Center for Garden State Families, last year.

Polls consistently show that most Americans oppose late-term abortions and taxpayer-funded abortionsA 2020 Gallup poll found that 55 percent of Americans think all or almost all abortions should be illegal, while just 29 percent think abortions should be legal under any circumstances.

ACTION ALERT: Send your complaints to Governor Murphy by going here.