‘Legal’ not the same as ‘morally good’
By BERN ZOVISTOSKI
The New Vision
Declaring that conscience is “at the heart of human dignity and freedom,” two Arizona bishops have issued a call for support in facing up to the challenges posed by laws that threaten “the freedom to act upon our moral convictions.”
In a pastoral statement on behalf of the Arizona Catholic Conference, Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas and Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, who is also Apostolic Administrator of Gallup, said:
“…just because something is legal…doesn’t mean it is something morally good.”
Titled “Freedom of Conscience,” the pastoral letter, released on April 21, said:
“Today in our state and elsewhere in our nation, healthcare professionals and institutions find themselves struggling to preserve their rights of conscience, especially in matters that would involve the taking of human life.”
The rights of people to follow their religious beliefs and moral convictions are being “compromised, undermined, and increasingly disregarded today” by some, the bishops said.
Society benefits, they said, “when people are free to live by their conscience.” When conscience is ill-informed or suppressed, they added, society is injured.
As an exemplar of courage, the bishops cited St. Thomas More, an outstanding lawyer and public servant who lived in “a time of great challenge,” who did not seek to become a martyr but, “because of his solid faith and convictions,” was put to death by King Henry VIII.
The bishops said today there is “a growing disregard especially for healthcare workers striving to exercise their God-given freedom to follow their conscience.”
Some doctors in Arizona “face ridicule and difficult ramifications” if they decline to participate in or sanction abortions, the bishops said. Nurses and pharmacists are also experiencing problems, they said.
Citing attempts in the Arizona Legislature to pass laws in support of “morning-after pills,” the bishops said pressure is mounting “to deny ‘rights of conscience.’”
The bishops called for prayer “for all those who are denied the freedom to live according to their conscience.” They urged people to educate themselves and become “more aware” of the threats posed.
A major concern, they said, is “the lack of adequate conscience protection in Arizona law” and they urged people of all faiths to support and encourage lawmakers who are committed to protecting religious liberty and free exercise of conscience.
Support for individuals and businesses “that are respective of conscience rights” was encouraged by the bishops, “especially in matters where the taking of human life might be involved.”
The text of the pastoral letter follows, in English and in Spanish.