Bishops v. Granholm
(Note: Gov. Jennifer Granholm is the governor of “the state up North”–Michigan)
Also from Fr. Z (He’s great today!)
The dreadful pro-abortion but “Catholic” Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm (D-MI) is now showing her colors.
Apparently, Gov. Granholm is in favor of an embryonic stem-cell research referendum which is on the ballot in Michigan. This is “Proposal 2″.
Proposition 2 would give unrestricted license to perform destructive experiments on human embryos
Last Sunday Gov. Granholm said in a speech, “As a Catholic, I can say to be pro-cure is to be pro-life.”
For years I have said that pro-death rhetoric would be morphed into a Kafka-esque imitation of a pro-life position. People would argue that if you are not in favor of abortion (for the sake of “research”) then you are not truly pro-life because you are against granny getting her cure for [fill in the blank]. This is the flip side of the argument that abortion is merely one among many problems we must consider, and not maybe the most important.
In any event, though it is entirely incredible that Gov. Granholm would not by know the Church’s position on the dignity of human life as it pertains to the unborn, she does The Pelosi in a public address. She has been stumping for pro-abortion presidential candidate Sen. Barak Obama (D-IL) and pro-abortion “Catholic” Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) who also didThe Pelosi on Meet The Press and throughout his long and undistinguished career in the Senate.
The bottom line is this: If you know what the Church’s teaching is, you cannot be a good Catholic and be in favor of the death of human beings for the sake of medical research. That would make you a Darwinian, not a Catholic.
Gov. Granholm’s statement drew a response from the Bishop of Lansing (the state capital of Michigan), His Excellency Most. Rev. Earl Boyea.
On the website of the Diocese of Lansing:
Bishop Responds to Governor
The Most Reverend Earl Boyea, Bishop of Lansing, issued the following statement on October 27, 2008 in response to recent comments by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm:
In a Sunday address in Grand Rapids, Governor Jennifer Granholm incredibly said of Proposal 2 “As a Catholic, I can say to be pro-cure is to be pro-life.” Of course, Catholics and all other responsible citizens will continue to seek cures for disease and injury. But to imply that Proposal 2 is a valid expression of Catholic principles is shocking. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Proposal 2, which goes before Michigan voters in a week, would give an unrestricted license to those who perform destructive experiments on human embryos. While the Catholic Church strongly supports legitimate forms of stem cell research and all other proper forms of scientific inquiry, the Church also teaches that is it is always immoral to destroy a human embryo. For that reason, the Catholic Bishops of Michigan have taken a strong position in opposition to this well-funded assault on human life.
Saint Paul reminds us that we must preach the Truth in season and out of season. The Truth will never go unspoken. To be in favor of Proposal 2 is not to be pro-life. A well-formed Catholic conscience would never lead a person to support Proposal 2 “as a Catholic.“
Brief, but clear.
