by Lucy Grindon
National Catholic Reporter
[Ed. Note: Bishop John Stowe is Bishop-President of Pax Christi USA.]
In unusually direct terms for an American church leader, Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky, publicly criticized President Donald Trump during a July 31 webinar.
“For this president to call himself pro-life, and for anybody to back him because of claims of being pro-life, is almost willful ignorance. He is so much anti-life because he is only concerned about himself, and he gives us every, every, every indication of that,” Stowe said.
Though the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops often criticizes Trump administration policies, especially those concerning immigration and environmental protection, Stowe’s comment was one of the sharper criticisms a Catholic bishop has made of Trump himself.
The webinar, on the topic of the church’s future after 2020, was hosted by the International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs, or ICMICA-Pax Romana, a global lay community of Catholic intellectuals…
Read the entire article in National Catholic Reporter at this link.
Bishop Stowe makes me proud to be a brother Franciscan of his. Much more importantly his comments, I hope, will help counteract the clear impression left by too many of his brother bishops that they are either indifferent (read “in silent agreement“) with the Trump anti-life agenda – or worse, publicity endorse it.
Check the scandalous phone conversation recently between Trump and some 600 so-called “Catholic leaders (headed by Cardinal Dolan); and the recent announcement of the annual Catholic Prayer Breakfast on September 23 where Trump’s Attorney General, William Barr, will receive this year’s “Christifideles Laici” Award.
Retired Archbishop Charles Chaput will be the keynote speaker at that event and Arlington Diocese Bishop Michael Burbidge will celebrate the closing Mass at this occasion.
There is a vulgar word to describe examples of the Institutional Church allowing itself to be used in this way!
Bishop John
Way to go. Such honesty is so refreshing. More Catholics need to hear the other side
of the supposed “pro-life” argument.
Great to see a former Carey priest thrive as a Bishop
Ed Schleter
Thank you Bishop Stowe. May God bless you.
Thank you, Bishop Stowe! Thank you, thank you.
Profound (as I am capable of ) thanks …. Pax Christi, Pax Romana, All Participants for shining the light of truth on our lives as American Catholics and American Peace Lovers. Impetus to … more focused living….
Peace