Reclaiming Our Children: A Blog About Healing After Abortion

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Archbishop Naumann's Column on Sebelius Nomination

Following is Kansas City, Kansas Archbishop Joseph Naumann's column from the upcoming edition of his archdiocesan newspaper, The Leaven:

Leaven Column
March 6, 2009

By Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann

Normally,
it would be a source of joy and pride to have a Catholic from Kansas
named by the President to an important Cabinet Post. Unfortunately, I
experience neither with President Obama’s selection of Governor
Kathleen Sebelius as his choice to serve as the Secretary for the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

In many ways, I
can understand why President Obama selected Governor Sebelius. As I
have acknowledged on several other occasions she is a very bright and
gifted leader. In many important areas, she represents well Catholic
social teaching. She has advocated for more affordable housing for the
poor, she has worked to expand access to health care for economically
disadvantaged children, and she has supported incentives encouraging
adoption.

Yet, on the fundamental moral issue of protecting
innocent human life, Governor Sebelius, throughout her career, has been
an outspoken advocate for legalized abortion. For this reason her
appointment to HHS is particularly troubling.

President Obama
has made a top priority for his administration health care reform. The
Church certainly supports the objectives of such reform: to make
quality health care accessible and affordable for everyone. Of course,
there is vigorous debate on how to best achieve this important goal. I
claim no competence or expertise in this area.

The Secretary for
HHS will be a key figure in developing and implementing the Health Care
Reform for the nation. There are those, who have great influence within
the Obama administration and with whom Governor Sebelius has been
associated throughout her political career (e.g. Planned Parenthood,
National Organization of Women, NARAL, etc.), who want abortion not
only to be permitted in this country but considered a right.

If
they are successful in their efforts to have abortion included amongst
“basic health care services,” then it is entirely possible that
doctors, nurses and health care institutions will be compelled to
cooperate in the provision of abortion. Those advocating for abortion
to be considered a “right” would love to see Catholic hospitals faced
with the choice to either cooperate in providing abortions or close.

The
protection of conscience rights for individuals and institutions is
extremely important. The Obama administration has already expressed a
desire to rescind the policies of the Bush administration to strengthen
conscience protection for health care workers and providers. President
Obama, when he was Senator Obama, co-sponsored the so-called Freedom of
Choice Act (FOCA) that was introduced in the previous congress. That
version of FOCA would have, among other things, forced health care
providers to cooperate in abortion. Regretfully, Governor Sebelius
throughout her political career has been associated with and supported
by Planned Parenthood, NOW, NARAL and others advocating for abortion to
be considered a “health care right.”

Even more troubling is that
earlier in her political career Governor Sebelius accepted political
contributions from Wichita’s notorious late-term abortionist, Dr.
George Tiller. When this was no longer politically opportune, Dr.
Tiller established a political action committee through which he
donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the election and
re-election of Governor Sebelius, as well as other equally staunch
supporters of legalized abortion.

Kansas has one of the most
restrictive laws regarding late-term abortions. Yet, it has become, in
large part because of Dr. Tiller, the late-term abortion capital of the
Midwest. How is this possible? It is possible because our current laws
have not been enforced. Each time the Kansas Legislature has passed
statutes in an effort to improve enforcement of late-term abortion
restrictions, Governor Sebelius has vetoed these laws.

As you
are aware, because of her long history both as a legislator and
Governor of consistently supporting legalized abortion and after many
months of dialogue, I requested Governor Sebelius not to present
herself for communion. I did this in the hope that it would motivate
Governor Sebelius to reconsider her support for what is an intrinsic
evil – the destruction of innocent human life by abortion. I also took
this pastoral action to protect others from being misled by the
Governor’s public support and advocacy for legalized abortion.

The
appointment of Governor Sebelius as the Secretary of HHS concerns me on
many levels. With her history of support for legalized abortion and
embryonic stem cell research, it is troubling the important influence
that she will have on shaping health care policies for our nation.
Having elected President Obama with his own record of support for
legalized abortion, our nation should not be surprised by his
appointment of a Secretary for HHS who shares his views. Though many
people voted for President Obama, not because of his support for
legalized abortion but despite it, voters in effect gave him the
ability to appoint individuals who share his anti-life views to his
Cabinet and even more troubling to the courts.

I am also
concerned personally for Governor Sebelius. Her appointment as
Secretary for HHS places her in a position where she will have to make
many decisions that will in all probability continue her personal
involvement in promoting legalized abortion and her cooperation in this
intrinsic evil.

I am also concerned that the appointment of
Governor Sebelius places another Catholic supporting legalized abortion
in a prominent national position. She joins Vice-President Joe Biden,
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and unfortunately a host of Catholic
Senators and members of the House of Representatives who support
legalized abortion contrary to the clear and consistent teaching of
their Church. It saddens me that so many Catholics, to gain political
advancement, have chosen to compromise their Catholic faith by their
failure to defend the most fundamental of all human rights – the right
to life.

I am reminded of the powerful scene in A Man for All Seasons,
the play about the heroic Catholic English Martyr, St. Thomas More.
After Richard Rich has perjured himself in order to make it possible to
convict Thomas More of treason, the Judge asks Thomas More if he has
any questions for the witness. Thomas More notes that Richard Rich is
wearing a chain of office and asks what it signifies. He is told that
Richard Rich has been appointed Attorney General for Wales. Thomas More
then paraphrases the Gospel saying to Richard Rich: “What does it
profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul, but for Wales?”

We need to pray for all Catholics who serve in public life that
they will have the courage and integrity to be true to the teachings
and principles of our Faith no matter the political consequences.