Church Teaching Against Abortion Constant Through Centuries, Says New Resource

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To help end confusion caused by
recent misrepresentations of Catholic Church teaching on abortion, the U.S.
bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities has issued a two-page fact sheet
called "Respect for Unborn Human Life: The Church's Constant Teaching."

Public debate on the topic was prompted by misleading remarks by Speaker of
the House Nancy Pelosi, August 24 in an interview on Meet the Press. On
August 26, Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the bishops' Committee on
Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop William Lori, chairman of their Committee on
Doctrine, issued a statement to correct her remarks. Other Catholic bishops
released similar statements.

"This well documented fact sheet will help Catholics and others form their
consciences in accordance with the Church's unchanging teaching in defense of
unborn human life," said Deirdre McQuade, Assistant Director for Policy and
Communications at the USCCB's Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities.

Among other points, the fact sheet states that "modern science has not changed
the Church's constant teaching against abortion, but has underscored how
important and reasonable it is, by confirming that the life of each individual
of the human species begins with the earliest embryo."

The full text of "Respect for Unborn Human Life: The Church's Constant
Teaching" is available online at
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/constantchurchteaching.shtml. The August 26
statement by Cardinal Rigali and Bishop Lori may be found at
http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2008/08-120.shtml.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat for Pro-Life
Activities

Sr. Mary Ann Walsh of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat for
Pro-Life Activities, O: +1-202-541-3200, H: +1-301-587-4762