FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 25, 2006

Contact: Peggy Hamill, State Director, (262) 796-1111, cell: (414) 416-0489
or Marc Tuttle, Communications Director (262) 796-1111, cell: (262) 408-0506

Governor’s Defiance of Bishops “Scandalous” says Pro-Life Wisconsin

Brookfield, WI – In a May 22nd letter to Governor Doyle, signed by Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan and Bishop Robert C. Morlino, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference of Bishops strongly urged the Governor to “rethink our state’s policy regarding the destruction of human embryos.”

In a written response, stridently defending his utilitarian policies facilitating the killing of embryonic people, Governor Doyle defied his Bishops. In the May 24th letter, released to the public on official Wisconsin letterhead, Doyle stated, “I must respectfully disagree with your position.”

“As Pro-Life Wisconsin continues our programs educating the public about the deadly nature of human embryonic stem cell research, we often cite the sound teachings of the Roman Catholic Church with regard to the protection of innocent human life,” stated Peggy Hamill, State Director of Pro-Life Wisconsin. “As people of all faiths become aware of God’s providential plan for his gift of human life they are more and more scandalized by the anti-life actions of our Governor. By purporting to be Catholic and still callously maintaining that jobs and financial gain are worth more than life itself, the Governor sets an example of warped morals that the citizens of Wisconsin may be tempted to follow.”

According to Governor Doyle’s office, he is a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace Roman Catholic Church in Madison. The Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly condemns the willful destruction of an innocent human being. Likewise, the American Catholic Bishops have made their position crystal clear, stating:

“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. We call on them to reflect on the grave contradiction of assuming public roles and presenting themselves as credible Catholics when their actions on fundamental issues of human life are not in agreement with Church teaching. No public official, especially one claiming to be a faithful and serious Catholic, can responsibly advocate for or actively support direct attacks on innocent human life.”
(Living the Gospel of Life, Sec. 32, United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, 1998)

“Governor Doyle is certainly not representative of the good people of our state, who instinctively know that human sacrifice can never be justified,” continued Hamill. “Likewise, Gov. Doyle would be advised to refrain from hypocritically defying in public the precepts of the faith he purports to hold.”

Pro-Life Wisconsin has recently been presenting on stem cell research, both adult and embryonic, at churches and small groups across the state. Pro-Life Wisconsin’s Speaker’s Bureau will continue to schedule these talks throughout the year in an effort to keep the public up to date on the scientific and moral developments of adult and embryonic stem cell research. For more information about Pro-Life Wisconsin’s Speaker’s Bureau and other educational programs, visit the website www.prolifewisconsin.org.

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