Evansville Bishop Won't Attend Pro-Life Banquet with GOP's Steele as Speaker

This speaks volumes:

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (CNS) -- Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger of Evansville said he will not attend an April right-to-life dinner where Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, is scheduled to speak because he objects to comments the GOP leader made about abortion.

The bishop's decision followed a widely circulated March GQ magazine interview in which Steele, a Catholic, was asked if he thinks women have the right to choose abortion. He answered, "Yeah. I mean, again, I think that's an individual choice."

Following publication of the interview, Steele issued a statement, saying "I am pro-life, always have been, always will be." He went on to say that "the Republican Party is and will continue to be the party of life." He said he supports the Republican platform that calls for a Human Life Amendment.

After speaking with Steele on the phone March 20, and after examining the statement issued by Steele after the GQ interview, Bishop Gettelfinger wrote in a letter to the head of the organization sponsoring the dinner that his "early decision not to attend still stands."

He said Steele's answer seemed to emanate "from a political stance, not a principled one."

"The principled answer for us is that there can be no equivocation," Bishop Gettelfinger continued. "Intentional abortion is an act of killing the unborn. There is no room for choice in this deadly matter. Mr. Steele assiduously avoids such strong language."

[More]

My Comments:
You know, because objections to Pres. Obama speaking at and being honored by Notre Dame must be based on "partisanship" and/or "racism". [Hat tip for this link to the idiotic piece by Michael Sean Winters: Creative Minority Report]

Good for Bishop Gettelfinger.


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Michael Steele Must Go ... Admits to Being "Pro Choice"

Deal Hudson: Give Michael Steele the Benefit of the Doubt

CBN Reporter David Brody Attempts to Rehabilitate Michael Steele's Pro-Life Credentials

Creative Minority Report Asks: "Is Michael Steele Pro-Life?"