The AP prepares us for the USSCB document on voting

The highlights:

Throughout the 37-page document, opposition to abortion gets special attention.

"The direct and intentional destruction of innocent human life is always wrong and is not just one issue among many," the draft says.

At the same time, the bishops say Catholics must not dismiss racism, the death penalty, unjust war, torture, hunger, health care problems or unjust immigration policy.

"A consistent ethic of life," the document says, "neither treats all issues as morally equivalent nor reduces Catholic teaching to one or two issues."

While the document seems to be trying to have it both ways, it at least underscores the fundamental point.

Bp. Chaput isn't quite satisfied:

Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput, one of the country's most vocal bishops about Catholics' need to speak in the public square, criticized the previous version of "Faithful Citizenship" for not being strong enough in underlining abortion's pre-eminence.

Chaput said in an e-mail Tuesday the revised document "is better and clearer than any version in the recent past" but isn't ideal. He said would be offering suggestions, but wouldn't be specific.

Chaput wrote that "all bricks in a building are important, but the ones in the foundation support everything else. The latter aren't just important; they're indispensable."

Needless, biased and obligatory final paragraph editorializing:

In 2004, some bishops and American Catholics worried that the voices of a few bishops were getting undue attention.

St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke drew the most notice for saying he would deny Communion to Democrat John Kerry, a Catholic who supports abortion rights. Burke has indicated he would so the same for 2008 Republican front-runner Rudy Giuliani, a Catholic who also backs keeping abortion legal.

That grandstanding Archbishop. Ya know, teaching what the Church teaches....

Reader John V lets us know:

Saw this news release entitled "Catholic Bishops To Discuss Faith And Politics Statement, Focus On Helping To Form Consciences" on the USCCB web site. At the end of the alert was this:

"To obtain a copy of the draft, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States, contact the Department of Media Relations 202-541-3200 or e-mail: mwalsh@usccb.org."

I sent a request in a few days ago, and haven't heard back yet.

If anyone has better luck, I'd be much obliged for a draft copy. There's evidently no embargo on it.