Indiana Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.) was able to vote for the health care bill despite pro-life objections because Catholic groups which endorsed the bill helped confuse politicians and provided an excuse to ignore “the constant position of the bishops,” Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger has charged.
Writing in his diocese’s newspaper The Message, the Bishop of Evansville, Indiana noted that statements supporting the health care bill were released by the Catholic Health Association (CHA) and Network. The statement from the latter group was signed by many leaders of religious women’s communities.
“You need to know that the public statements of Network and the Catholic Health Association in support of the Health Care Bill before the vote were not in unity with the United States Catholic of Catholic Bishops,” Bishop Gettelfinger told his readers.
While calling the two groups “legitimate organizations” within the Church in the United States, he emphasized that they do not hold the Church’s teaching authority.
“Congressman Brad Ellsworth knows that!” the bishop wrote.
Rep. Ellsworth was part of the twelve-person coalition of pro-life Democrats seeking strong statutory abortion restrictions in the bill. Coalition leaders agreed to vote for the bill after a promised executive order from President Obama.
But before the agreement, when the final vote tally was still in doubt, Rep. Ellsworth decided to vote “yes” on the bill after the two Catholic groups’ endorsements.
“It is clear that when there is apparent division within the Church by recognized and legitimate groups within the Church, those who do not fully understand may be easily confused,” Bishop Gettelfinger continued.
He said the Network and CHA statements were “divisive” and either “beclouded” skittish pro-life politicians or “gave them a cloud to hide under.”
The bishop reported that he had worked “very closely” with the Congressman in recent months but Ellsworth has not been in contact with him after his effort to encourage him to align with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) opposition to the bill because of its flaws in abortion funding and other areas.
“I am personally and greatly disappointed in Congressman Ellsworth,” Bishop Gettelfinger continued, saying that in the published reports of the Congressman’s decision to support the bill he cited the positions of CHA and Network as a defense.
“In doing so, Congressman Ellsworth excused himself by sidestepping the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops who have worked exceedingly hard with him on these very critical moral matters.”
The bishop closed his column by encouraging prayers for the Congressman and all in the political arena to protect the lives of the unborn and the poor.