WASHINGTON -- The nation's Catholic bishops approved a document Wednesday chastising Catholic politicians who depart from church teaching on abortion and other "pro-life" issues, including assisted suicide and euthanasia.
But for a group firmly united in favor of "sanctity of life" issues, many bishops disagreed on how best to persuade politicians and other Catholics to follow the church's teachings.Some wanted the 26-page document to address specifically how the bishops should urge politicians to support pro-life issues.
Others wanted the document to deal with the conflicts many Catholic officials face in voting on such issues.
The document is a sharp -- and rare -- public scolding of Catholic elected officials.
"We urge those Catholic officials who choose to depart from Church teaching on the inviolability of human life in their public life to consider the consequences for their own spiritual well-being, as well as the scandal they risk by leading others into serious sin," reads one paragraph of the document.
In 1984, Cardinal John O'Connor of New York criticized Democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro for signing a letter by a group called Catholics for Choice. And two months ago, Illinois Catholic bishops asked Illinois U.S. Sens. Carol Moseley-Braun and Dick Durbin to vote for a ban on late-term abortions. Both voted against the ban. The ban wasn't approved.
While most bishops said they thought the document was a good step in urging political officials to consider their religion when they vote, others worried it raised more questions than it answered.
The final vote was 217 for and 30 against the document. Three bishops abstained.
Bishop Howard Hubbard of Albany, N.Y., said the document "will fuel the anti-Catholicism latent in our culture and put us on the defensive."
Rembert Weakland, archbishop of Milwaukee, said the document didn't address imperfect legislation -- legislation that achieved good but still contained a flaw that conflicted with Catholic teachings.
"What are the conditions when a politician can support imperfect legislation and still resolve themselves?" he asked.