Governor Cuomo vs. Catholic Bishops

With Governor Andrew Cuomo still pursuing his plans for easier access to third-trimester abortions, New York Catholic bishops were prompted to meet with him on Tuesday in Albany. The bishops of the New York State Catholic Conference lobbied for two days in response to Cuomo’s controversial push on abortion, but it came without the infamous Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), who was still in Rome for the Papal Conclave that recently elected Pope Francis. However, Dolan did offer some words on his blog, saying that he is with his “brother bishops in spirit” in supporting “real choices for pregnant women and girls” with regards to abortion.

The Catholic delegation is attempting to persuade Governor Cuomo to withdraw his efforts to alter state law for abortion expansion in New York, even if Roe v. Wade is overturned at the federal level.

Cuomo has focused on abortion and other related issues strongly from his State of the State address earlier this year, stating that “it is not a man’s world in New York — not anymore.” But after discussing with the bishops on Tuesday, Cuomo spokesman Matthew Wing has said he “always enjoys meeting with the bishops. They agree on some issues, and disagree on others.”

“I think we have different perspectives,” Bishop Hubbard said after having a discussion with the governor in his office. “He’s looking at it from the perspective of the man who has to look at the law of the land, and we’re looking at it from a moral perspective. And whether these two can come together remains to be seen.”

Dean Skelos, a Senate Republican leader, and New York State’s Conservative Party say Governor Cuomo’s bills regarding abortion would legalize abortion until the day of birth.

Melissa Ohden of Kansas states, who survived a saline abortion, explains that “[p]artial-birth abortion is an abortion method created specifically to ensure that ‘mistakes’ like me don’t happen again. I come to speak for the children. I am the voice for the voiceless. While the governor promotes ‘women’s equality,’ he neglects equality and justice for the infants.”

It is problematic when numerous “Catholic” politicians in office continue claiming to be in good faith when they’re pushing for abortion, especially in the third trimester, which clearly contradicts Catholic teaching. Governor Cuomo, John Kerry, Joe Biden, and others who claim to be authentically Catholic should learn that there is no such thing as being “personally pro-life.”