A Bishop that has a pair

Bishop Brandt Blocks Expansion Efforts of Nuns who Supported Health Bill

The Sisters of St. Joseph in Baden, Pennsylvania opposed the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops by supporting the Health Care Reform Bill. Now Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt of Greensburg has withdrawn his diocese’s support for their community by prohibiting the use of any diocesan media or parishes in their recruitment efforts.

“He has the right to disapprove a request from a religious community that wants to host a recruitment event when that community has taken a public stance in opposition to the Church’s teaching on human life,” said diocesan spokesman Jerry Zufelt.

“Furthermore an environment of dissent and public opposition to the positions of the U.S. Catholic bishops does not provide an appropriate seedbed for vocations.”

The Sisters of St. Joseph had signed a letter written by NETWORK, a Catholic “social justice” lobbying group, which urged members of Congress “to cast a life affirming ‘yes’ vote” to the Senate Health Care Reform Bill. The USCCB as well as countless pro-life organizations had opposed the bill as seriously flawed and as opening the floodgates to federal funding of abortion.

Afterwards, the Sisters of St. Joseph requested promotional support from Greensburg parishes for a vocations awareness program called “Explore,” which was meant to show teenage girls what it was like to be a sister. They were refused because of their signing of the letter.

Msgr. Lawrence T. Persico, the Greensburg diocese’s vicar general, wrote a letter on April 8 to diocesan priests stating that no diocesan office, the diocesan newspaper, or any parish or event would “would promote a vocation awareness program of any religious community that has taken a stance against the United States bishops by being a signatory of the Network document.”

Sister Mary Pellegrino, moderator of the leadership team of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden, claimed that “based on our prayerful discernment and careful research” there would be no public funding of abortion caused by the bill.

“It would not violate the doctrinal and moral teachings of the Church,” she said. Her community has requested that the diocese reverse its decision.

This article is courtesy of LifeSiteNews.com.

Stupak, 'Pro-Life' Allies Targeted in New Ad and Phone Call Campaign

$150,000 Campaign Also Praises True Pro-Life Democrats

WASHINGTON, April 6 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today the Susan B. Anthony List will launch a $150,000 radio advertisement and automated phone call campaign in the districts of Reps. Steve Driehaus (OH-1), Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-3), Brad Ellsworth (IN-9) , Alan Mollohan (WV-1), and Bart Stupak (MI-1) to inform voters that their 'Yes' vote on healthcare reform forces taxpayers to pay for abortion:

"Leading up to the fateful vote on healthcare reform, the Susan B. Anthony List was working tirelessly to build up grassroots support and encouragement for self- labeled 'pro-life' Democrats, including Rep. Stupak," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of Susan B. Anthony List. "Since these Democrats instead traded their legislative power to prevent taxpayer funding of abortion for an Executive Order that did nothing to protect the status quo and address the fundamental taxpayer abortion funding problem in the bill, we have had to change course. Now, with severe disappointment, we go back to their districts to tell voters that their representative ushered in the greatest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade. We will make sure that their constituents understand the enormous gravity of this pro-abortion vote."

In addition, SBA List will launch a phone campaign with a message praising the true pro-life Democrats. Reps. Gene Taylor (MS-4) and Dan Lipinski (IL-3) held their resolve and stood behind their principles.

The ad running in Rep. Stupak's district includes the following narration. Ads in other districts contain similar wording:

"It was the ultimate betrayal.

"Congressman Bark Stupak told us he was pro-life. Stupak promised us he would protect the unborn. That he would stand firm...and lead the coalition to keep abortion funding out of the health care bill.

"But Bart Stupak betrayed us...and voted to spend federal dollars -- our dollars -- on abortions. He should be ashamed.

"...Tell Bart Stupak we will not forget."

Members of Congress and advocacy groups on both sides admit that President Obama's Executive Order is meaningless. On March 2, 2010, Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, co-chair of the House Pro-Choice Caucus, told FOX News that "an executive order cannot change the law." The United States Conference of Catholic has said that "only a change in the law enacted by Congress, not an executive order, can begin to address this very serious problem in the legislation."

This latest grassroots campaign comes on the heels of last year's nearly $2 million effort to keep abortion out of healthcare which included targeted television and radio ads, 1.3 million automated calls, 60,000 patch-through constituent calls, 1.2 million letters and petitions to Congress and two media tours in pro-life Democratic districts.

The Susan B. Anthony List is a nationwide network of Americans, over 280,000 residing in all 50 states, dedicated to mobilizing, advancing, and representing pro-life women in politics. Its connected Candidate Fund increases the percentage of pro-life women in the political process.

Christian Newswire