ABORTION AMENDMENT
CONSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVE (CI-128)
As Catholics, we treasure life as a precious gift from God and recognize our sacred duty to nurture and protect every human life from the moment of conception through natural death. We believe each person is a unique and unrepeatable masterpiece of God’s creation endowed with infinite dignity. Recognizing this dignity informs our understanding of the basic rights and protections to which we are all entitled. When those rights are threatened, the Church must speak up with clarity and boldness.
On May 3rd, Bishop Jeffrey Fleming and Bishop Emeritus Michael Warfel of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, and Bishop Austin Vetter of the Diocese of Helena, jointly released a letter and video (see below). Their message calls for a defense against the threat posed by Constitutional Initiative 128 (CI-128). CI-128 uses ambiguous language to appear benign, when in fact, it seeks to abolish the limited abortion regulations currently in place and open the door to a host of practices that violate fundamental rights to life and dignity. Our Bishops implore Catholics and people of goodwill to DECLINE SIGNING THE PETITION THAT SEEKS TO PLACE CI-128 ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT, and to take steps to share with our family and friends what is at stake for our State.
Through the ministry of the Montana Catholic Conference, the Bishops of Montana have a long history of speaking out on issues, especially as a voice for those most vulnerable and those who cannot speak for themselves. This is the appropriate voice of the Church in public affairs, not endorsing a candidate or party, but focusing on issues of grave importance to our Church, our State, and our people.
On May 3rd, Bishop Jeffrey Fleming and Bishop Emeritus Michael Warfel of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, and Bishop Austin Vetter of the Diocese of Helena, jointly released a letter and video (see below). Their message calls for a defense against the threat posed by Constitutional Initiative 128 (CI-128). CI-128 uses ambiguous language to appear benign, when in fact, it seeks to abolish the limited abortion regulations currently in place and open the door to a host of practices that violate fundamental rights to life and dignity. Our Bishops implore Catholics and people of goodwill to DECLINE SIGNING THE PETITION THAT SEEKS TO PLACE CI-128 ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT, and to take steps to share with our family and friends what is at stake for our State.
Through the ministry of the Montana Catholic Conference, the Bishops of Montana have a long history of speaking out on issues, especially as a voice for those most vulnerable and those who cannot speak for themselves. This is the appropriate voice of the Church in public affairs, not endorsing a candidate or party, but focusing on issues of grave importance to our Church, our State, and our people.
| mcc_mt_bishops_ltr_ci-128.pdf |
FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP VIDEO SERIES
As we move further into this election cycle, the Montana Catholic Conference has produced an 8-part series highlighting what every Catholic should know about faithful citizenship and voting.
Check back weekly for future episodes!
Check back weekly for future episodes!
EPISODE 1: Partners in Truth Seeking
EPISODE 2: Catholic Voting
EPISODE 3: Conscience
EPISODE 4: Prudence
EPISODE 5: Lead us Not into Temptation: A Catholic Voters' Plea
EPISODE 6: Voting Through the Lens of Catholic Social Teaching
EPISODE 6: Voting Through the Lens of Catholic Social Teaching
EPISODE 7: Catholics and Politics
EPISODE 8: Hope for a New Kind of Politics