SCRANTON, Pa. - The bishop of an eastern Pennsylvania diocese is criticizing a local Catholic college's decision to have U.S. Sen. Bob Casey speak at its graduation ceremony later this month, accusing him of siding with abortion rights forces recently.
Bishop Joseph Martino of the Scranton diocese called the choice of Casey, D-Pa., to speak at the May 17 commencement at King's College in Wilkes-Barre "an affront to all who value the sanctity of life."
Martino said in a statement late Friday that Casey's vote to confirm Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services despite her abortion rights stance showed that Casey was "a reliable vote for President Barack Obama's aggressive pro-abortion agenda." He said Casey lacked "the moral stature" to address graduates about the challenges they will face.
Casey opposes abortion and has said he favors overturning the Supreme Court's 1973 ruling guaranteeing abortion rights. Martino acknowledged that the college invited him long before he voted to confirm Sebelius and against reversing Obama's decision to end a ban on the use of federal funds for groups overseas that provide abortions or abortion information.
"Now, however, it is truly unfortunate that this Catholic institution will be seen as providing a forum for a politician who is steadily distancing himself from pro-life principles," he said.
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20090503_ap_pabishopcriticizescollegeovercaseyspeech.htmlI'm Catholic but I'm tired of some of these bishops and cardinals narrow one-issue stance. Suck on it Bishop!