In Election Weekend YouTube, Catholic Archbishop of Denver Rails Against Obama on Abortion

With just hours to go before the presidential election, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver appears in a YouTube video in which he calls Barack Obama the "most pro-abortion politician to run for the presidency in 35 years, since Roe v. Wade. He has committed himself to do things the Catholic Church would resist."

In the video uploaded on Nov. 2, Chaput is being interviewed by Thomas N. Peters at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C. Yesterday Peters, who runs blog.AmericanPapist.com, told OffTheBus he uploaded the Oct. 29 interview on YouTube because "it is my hope that many people will have a chance to see this interview before they vote on Tuesday." His conversation with the Denver archbishop about Catholic voting and faithful citizenship also appears on the American Papist website.

During the interview, Peters asked Chaput to address a statement made by "a vocal minority of Catholics" who claim that the Democratic presidential candidate is in fact "the pro-life candidate."

"They're claiming that the social policies of Senator Obama would create economic conditions that would make it easier for poor women to carry a child to birth and not have an abortion," said Chaput. "I hope this happens, whoever becomes president. We should be doing this anyway. But it would be foolish to say that someone who endorses abortion as an option, and who runs on a party platform that has no regret at all about abortion ... to call that position 'pro-life' is really strange."

Chaput, a vocal public defender of the unborn, is also the author of the NYT bestseller Render Under Caesar. The archbishop is a registered independent who "disagrees with both parties" on some issues.

Click here to watch the two-part interview at American Papist.

Chaput's thoughts on Obama begin at about 2:06.

Follow Diane Tucker on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dianetucker

Comments

[tellingitlikeitis2008]

Well, didn't see my last comment, but in a nutshell -

We as Catholics must begin addressing **the causes** of abortion, and encourage women to pursue other choices. A more difficult road to take, true. Instead of allowing ourselves to be manipulated by cynical politicians who try to capture votes via abortion, and then savage the country on all issues

I'm a Catholic who voted for Obama after a lot of praying and an examination of conscience.

[tellingitlikeitis2008]

"The way I look at it, Catholics should vote Democratic and work for all the causes -- economic security, women's rights, health care, education -- to reduce the number of abortions.

Will someone please tell our Bishops to stop allowing themselves to be played by a bunch of cynical politicians that laugh at us Catholics behind our backs?"

I agree with you entirely BlueCashew. I thought I was the only Catholic in the United States who felt this way. I think I'm probably the only member of my own parish who feels this way. I voted for Barack Obama, but have kept pretty quiet about it around church.

Republicans trot out the abortion issue to "sew up the Catholic vote", but then do little or nothing about it when elections are over. All the while, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the American Corporatocracy and its military-industrial complex get larger and more powerful. It's hard sometimes doing the right thing and standing alone where I'm at - sometimes I think that God is testing me specifically as if to say "So you want to be a Catholic? Let's see how you handle this one. I'm going to turn all of these people against you - will you still want to be one even then??"

Well, I'm still a faithful anti-abortion Catholic, in spite of everything.

[Rubydeetoo]

What about all the lies and the hiding and sweeping things under the rug. Doesn't God see these things?

[blackandwhite1]

If these catholics are such moralists, what about all the young boys AND girls they violated sexually. What a thought ...... all the children of priests walking around town for all to see. Yet they hid them and many must have been aborted to avoid the scandal. I'll be damned if I let them tell me what to do with my body. Maybe they who live in glass houses should not throw stones!!!!!

[zenlikejen]

What I've always found curious when it comes to conservatives and how they vote is they almost always fall back on the morality issue - abortion in particular.

Abortion is a horrible thing....it's also an unfortunate necessity in society. I'm pro-choice - but I hate the idea of abortion. It's not my place to tell any other woman how to live their life and what to do with their body.

It's also a shame that those who scream the loudest against abortion are also the one's screaming against any sort of social program that would help take CARE of all of these extra little mouths that need feeding once they leave the womb because they don't want to pay for it. I can't be the only one who finds that line of thinking utterly f'd up.....

[BlueCashew]

Republicans have had 30 years to outlaw abortion, ever since Reagan fused the GOP with the evangelicals (not Catholics).

But they haven't stopped abortion and they won't.

It's such a reliable issue for them. It ensures that devout Catholics will vote Republican. Why would they want to give that up?

The way I look at it, Catholics should vote Democratic and work for all the causes -- economic security, women's rights, health care, education -- to reduce the number of abortions.

Will someone please tell our Bishops to stop allowing themselves to be played by a bunch of cynical politicians that laugh at us Catholics behind our backs?

[Trogenhorse]

The catholics in my parish got the push also! We were told in so many words to vote republican. I confronted pro-life period. The church teachings DO NOT say vote republicans

[redhead55]

Can we take away his church's tax exempt status?

[moAb]

McCain/Palin, like Bush/Cheney, would do little to stop abortions if elected. I agree with many of the other comments that it is in the Repubs. self interest to keep abortion a front burner issue for any election. How cynical is that? In fact, McCain/Palin would likely continue the Bush attempts to further redefine issues related to the beginning of life and womens health simply to control them, not to rid us of the "abortion issue". I have already voted for Obama twice, once in the Illinois primary and recently during early voting in Illinois. It is a wonderful thing to do! It will lead to many wonderful changes! OBAMA/BIDEN 2008

[esgabel]

I am Catholic and no Pope, Archbishop or Bishop will change that. While I believe that abortion is murder, I am pro choice--the pregnant woman has free will even in Catholic Theological teaching..it is between her and God--He knows her circumstances and what drove her to this ending of a life.
The arrogance of the Church is amazing presuming to tell Americans that their votes are sinful, trying to sway elections by refusing the Eucharist, awards and speaking venues to politicians who are not in their view, pro-life. Where is this same scrutiny in other countries? The Church lost credibility when Pope Paul the VI refused to allow contaception and again when it was learned how pervasive and how pedophile priests were moved from place to place continually endangering our children. The Church needs to clean up its own act and our Bishops need to see that they do not belong in partisan politics--many a cynical politician has used pro life as a stepping stone to power...

[Z2221344]

I'm Catholic and also voting for Obama (voted, actually). However this is non-consequential as anyone who'd actually listen to the bishop wasn't going to vote for Obama anyway.

[sticksnstones]

There is an inventive and effective way to send a clear message to Archbishop Charles Chaput regarding a woman's right to make her own reproductive health and choice decisions.

Make a donation to Planned Parenthood in Archbishop Chaput's name. It's easy to do online, and PP will send him a written announcement that a donation has been made in his name. We have already done this for Sarah Palin. Here is the address you will need: 1300 South Steele St., Denver Co.,80210.

[Rockerbabe]

Nicely said!
The men of the Catholic Church want only 3 things from parishioners; their obedience, their silence and most importantly, their money. The Catholic Church rails against most things that make women's lives better [not that abortion is better; but safety is always the big concern]. They rail against contraception, divorce, infertility care, genuine, effective assistance for women who have been victims of violence, at one time, they railed against providing shelter for victims of domestic abuse. It is always "something" and will always be "something". Ignore them; becoming irrelevant is a hard pill to swallow.

[sticksnstones]

Very well phrased response and the bottom line being: No man has any right to tell any woman anything about her reproductive health issues or choices. It's as simple as that.

[Oonagh]

Touche ..

[naschkatze]

One of the few good priests who stands up for the victims of priestly pedophilia said that the clergy and hierarchy of the Catholic church expect the laity to "pay, pray, obey, and keep your mouth shut". I think his name is Fr. Thomas Doyle.

[igorvitch]

I'm a Catholic and will vote for Barack Obama with none of the guilt this Bishop hopes to create in us. Republicans have had plenty of chances to do something about abortion on demand and have done NOTHING. I've become so cynical about the words of the Republican "elite" on this matter that I suspect that they would rather keep abortion as a politically divisive issue for elections than actually take meaningful action. They've controlled Congress for 14 of the past 20 years and Bush had a Republican Congress and a conservative Supreme Court and did NOTHING. Now to the Bishops. What obviously leads to abortions is unwanted pregnancies. Your gargantuan problem with pedophiles among your own ranks (subsequently covering it up) should tell you however much you pontificate about celibacy and abstinence, human hormonal urges are too strong to entirely control. Then you advocate against contraception, as well as sex education. You say nothing about the outrageous price of birth control pills, which used to cost 5 dollars a packet and now are up to 100. You say nothing about the innocent lives lost in trumped up oil wars. You say nothing about capital punishment. Jesus tells us to help the poor among us more than any other admonishment in the New Testament, but you say nothing about the 6 million Americans sipping beneath the poverty line as a result of avaricious Republican policies. Forgive me for not taking what you say seriously anymore.

[anitaemile]

This man will never be pregnant, and he does not practice sex. If you don't play the game, you should not attempt to make the game rules.. !

[zorak1704]

When will people realize. They will never end abortion. Why didn't Bush help to overturn roe v. wade in the six years of one party rule. The reason is is that the conservatives wouldn't have a boogie man to fall back on every 4 years to get people to vote for them.