Bishop Daly Calls Pro-Abortion Politicians to Reconcile with the Church

On February 1, Bishop Daly published a letter concerning abortion that drew national and international attention. Speaking about recent legislation passed or proposed in multiple states, Bishop Daly said, “Efforts to expand access to abortion, allowing murder of children up to the moment of birth is evil. Children are a gift from God, no matter the circumstances of their conception.” 

Bishop Daly referenced Governor Andrew Cuomo’s role in the expansion of abortion in the state of New York. Bishop Daly takes issue with Governor Cuomo’s Catholic faith and incongruent support of abortion; “Governor Cuomo frequently cites his Catholic faith in support of legislation he favors. His public witness as a Catholic politician, coupled with his stalwart support of abortion, is unacceptable.”

Bishop Daly reminded Catholic politicians who live in the diocese that public support of abortion is contradictory to the Catholic faith. Citing Church law and guiding documents from the Vatican, he further stressed that “politicians who reside in the Catholic Diocese of Spokane, and who obstinately persevere in their public support for abortion, should not receive Communion without first being reconciled to Christ and the Church.”

The Office of Communications for the Diocese of Spokane reiterated, “Bishop Daly is not commenting directly on any one politician in his diocese, but is making it clear that advocating publicly in favor of abortion is incompatible with the Catholic faith.” The diocese also stressed that this is primarily a pastoral issue, “A politician should speak with their pastor for guidance if he or she is concerned that their voting record on abortion, or on another essential teaching of the Church, might preclude them from receiving Holy Communion.”