Catholic bishops get religion:
“The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights regrets the decision by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to discontinue its membership in The Leadership Conference. The USCCB has been an important and valued member of The Leadership Conference for many years, and we have – and will continue to have – many shared goals.
Progressive Catholics responded on Thursday by accusing the bishops of being “completely beholden to the extreme conservative wing of Catholicism.”
“In recent months, (the bishops) have shown that it is more important to them that they placate the demands of a few loud conservatives than to promote civility, human rights and social justice,” said Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice.
The bishops withdrew from LCCR after the coalition took one more position in opposition to USCCB policy, this time taking a stand on a Supreme Court nominee. Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre NY, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Peace, announced the withdrawal May 19.
It’s overdue, says Deal Hudson, who broke the news of the Kagan endorsement:
. . . the Kagan endorsement wasn’t the first pro-abortion activity the coalition has promoted.
[Deal Hudson] wrote: “For many years, LCCHR has lobbied hard against the confirmation of pro-life judges and justices. In the midst of the debate of pro-abortion nominee Dawn Johnsen, [Deputy Director] Nancy Zirkin asserted that civil-rights groups are upset that Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) hasn’t made the abortion advocate a higher priority. ‘There’s frustration she’s not at the top of the list,’ Zirkin said.”
“The avid support for Elena Kagan, whose support for abortion “rights” has been widely documented, must be regarded as the final straw, a clear signal that the USCCB needs to withdraw from membership in the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights,” Hudson concluded.
Now if the bishops could get a handle on illegal immigration . . .
Blithe Spirit 