Archbishop calls Catholic Gov's decision to host pro-abortion fundraiser a "scandal"

Oregon Catholics especially - listen up!

Your Archbishop is asking you to take action:

Archbishop John Vlazny is criticizing Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a Catholic, for playing host to an abortion rights fundraiser Friday night in Portland. Vlazny, head of the Archdiocese of Portland, said it's an embarrassment and a scandal for Catholics that Kulongoski is hosting the event two days before the church conducts its annual "Respect Life" mass in Portland to show opposition to abortion.

"For a Catholic governor to host an event of this sort seems a deliberate dissent from the teachings of the church," Vlazny said in a statement today. Kulongoski is a longtime supporter of a woman's right to choose an abortion. (AP)

"deliberate dissent"? Those aren't empty words. Those can be a precursor to canonical penalties.

You can read the Archbishop's full statement here.

Back to the AP account - condescension is the response from the governor's spokesperson:

"The archbishop is the governor's pastor, and he has only respect and admiration for the archbishop," Kulongoski spokeswoman Anna Richter Taylor said. "They obviously disagree on the issue of choice."

AP boilerplate:

Kulongoski isn't the first Catholic politician who's taken heat from church leaders over a pro-abortion rights stance.

Most bishops who have spoken about Communion and the responsibility of Catholic politicians have done so in general terms without naming names.

That's been the case in Oregon, where Vlazny has, without naming any specific politicians, said that Catholic officeholders who disagree with church teachings should refrain from receiving Communion.

The archbishop hasn't refused Kulongoski permission to receive communion, archdiocese spokesman Bud Bunce said.

.... because once you already vote for state funding of abortion, how much worse is it really to personally show up at the fundraisers? Kulongoski is already supporting a grave moral evil publically, now he is also doing so personally.

Lack of public reaction? Maybe we can change that....

However, Vlazny today called abortion a "grave evil," and urged Catholics to contact Kulongoski's office about Friday's fundraiser "to remind him of the demands of personal integrity as a member of our faith community in the exercise of his office."

The governor's office hadn't gotten any phone calls as of this afternoon, Richter Taylor said.

The number is 503.378.4582. *hint hint*.

Local Catholics are also encouraged to attend Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral at 5:30PM the evening of this event (Friday, October 3rd).

Related: "Archbp. Vlazny rebukes Catholic pro-abortion Gov. Kulongoski (D-OR)"