For Catholics in this election Governor Romney is the only CHOICE

Several important issues surround the presidential election. Catholics find themselves on opposing sides of many of these matters.  However, when it comes to abortion, by virtue of our decision to be Catholic, there is only one choice: life. This issue is of such importance that if we choose Catholicism, we are obligated to support Pro-Life leaders.

Abortion is an extremely emotional subject and the two sides disagree on the fundamental element:  the existence of human life. Those who are Pro-Life believe a human life is present in the womb and want to protect that life.

Those on the Pro-Choice side do not attribute human life to the baby in the womb, and view opposition to abortion as an affront to their personal decisions.

The Catholic Church has the utmost regard for individual freedom and the right of individuals to make their own choices. The freedom to choose, however, comes with the responsibility to accept the consequences of our decisions.

By virtue of being Catholics, we have already made a choice. We have chosen to be Catholic. The choice to be Catholic does not simply give us a label or identity, it entails responsibilities. It, in fact, requires us to “believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church teaches, believes and proclaims to be revealed by God.”

Some Catholics may feel handcuffed by this requirement, saying they should be able to come to their own personal views on certain issues. They lose sight of the fact that they accepted the Church’s positions when they chose Catholicism. The Church’s call to protect the unborn is of utmost importance and should not be dismissed by anyone who chooses Catholicism. This is not to say one cannot struggle with certain teachings, but even through those struggles we are called to accept those teachings while striving to understand them.

 Unlike many issues that may determine one’s vote, for Catholics there is no nuance or room for interpretation when it comes to abortion. The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses abortion in no uncertain terms.

“Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception.
From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.” (CCC 2270)

“You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.
God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves.
Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes” (CCC 2271)

For those of us who choose to be Catholic there is no distinction between the unborn and any other person; the unborn require the same protection as any child among us. Using that standard, what policies or programs could a Pro-Choice candidate support that would justify abandoning innocent children? If a candidate or political party supported the decriminalization of murder against any other demographic, would we even ask about their other views?

Some Catholics try to separate their personal views from politics. Most notably, during the recent Vice Presidential debate, Vice President Joe Biden said:

“I accept my church’s position on abortion…life begins at conception in the church’s judgment. I accept it in my personal life. But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians and Muslims and Jews.”

Upon closer examination, he is saying, “I believe an unborn child must be recognized as having the rights of a person, but I refuse to stop the killing of that child.” Such a statement is absurd.

Accepting the Church’s teaching on abortion personally, but failing to act politically betrays the responsibilities we accepted when we choose to be Catholics even further when we examine the Catechism’s teaching on the state’s responsibility.

"The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. 
When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined.... ” (CCC 2273)

Vice President Biden’s comments deserve further scrutiny. He accepts the teachings on abortion, a teaching that requires the state to protect life, but refuses to have the state provide that protection.

In choosing to be Catholic we have made the choice to protect the life of the unborn and we must use our voice to ensure our country does not continue to sanction the destruction of innocent life.

In September of 1987 Pope John Paul II addressed the United States of America. He spoke of the greatness of our country, but he also explained we must embrace life in order for our many noble causes to have meaning:

“The ultimate test of your greatness in the way you treat every human being, but especially the weakest and most defenseless ones.

The best traditions of your land presume respect for those who cannot defend themselves. If you want equal justice for all, and true freedom and lasting peace, then, America, defend life! All the great causes that are yours today will have meaning only to the extent that you guarantee the right to life and protect the human person… Every human person… is a being of inestimable worth created in the image and likeness of God. This is the dignity of America, the reason she exists, the condition for her survival-yes, the ultimate test of her greatness: to respect every human person, especially the weakest and most defenseless ones, those as yet unborn.” (Underline added for emphasis.)

As asserted by Pope John Paul II, no matter how noble our other causes, they are for naught should we fail to protect life. It is because of this, our primary objective must be to end abortion in our country.

The path to ending legalized abortion in our country begins with overturning Roe v. Wade. The next president will potentially play a fundamental role in shaping the Supreme Court. Without a Pro-Life president, we will be destined to continue living in a country that permits the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocent children every year for many years to come.

Many of the darkest days in United States history and in world history are shrouded in the abuse and murder of the innocent, the unwanted. As we allow our most innocent to be led by their own parents to execution at the hands of those who should heal, we must recognize the darkness that haunts our country.

Many of our brightest days have been marked by those willing to defend the value of human life. We have an opportunity to bring about such a change; not with guns, not by force, but with our vote. We must heed the words of Edmund Burke, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

This election provides us a clear choice when it comes to abortion. President Obama is a strong abortion proponent. As an Illinois Senator he voted against legislation that would require doctors to give medical attention to babies born alive as a result of a botched abortion. At the Democrat National Convention almost every speaker addressed abortion rights, including the leaders of NARAL and Planned Parenthood. The Democrat Party has even removed the language saying abortion should be “rare” from their platform. The head of Planned Parenthood is currently campaigning for President Obama full time.

Governor Romney has committed to Pro-Life legislation, the defunding of Planned Parenthood, and the appointment of Pro-Life judges to the Supreme Court. While he still supports some limited exceptions for abortion, and was at one time Pro-Choice, there is no question he is the Pro-Life candidate in this election.

As Catholics, we have already made our choice. We choose to be Catholic.  We choose life. We choose to defend life in our country. We choose to triumph over evil. We must now choose leaders who will join our fight. We must choose Mitt Romney.