Bishops object to use of letter in political ad
Advertisement aimed at Catholic voters used 2017 statement on abortion
The New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement objecting to a full-page political advertisement concerning abortion in the Sunday Journal that contained a document previously issued by the bishops.
The advertisement asked, “Are You A Catholic Voter?” and was accompanied by the reprint of a March 6, 2017, letter from the bishops titled “Statement on the Dignity of Human Life.”
The advertisement, which also ran in the Santa Fe New Mexican, was paid for and placed by the Hispanic Action Network, based out of Dallas. Phone messages left for Mark Gonzales, listed as founder and president of the Hispanic Action Network on its website, were not returned.
“We were not aware of plans to publish our statement … as part of a political advertisement,” the bishops said in their Sunday rebuttal letter. “We
did not coordinate or pay for this advertisement. Our statement was written a year and half ago and was never intended to be used for political advertising.”
Allen Sanchez, executive director of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops, told the Journal on Monday: “We don’t know anything about the Hispanic Action Network. This is the first time we’ve heard of them, we don’t know who they are affiliated with, but they’re not a Catholic organization. The church does not have a political action committee … and absolutely does not endorse political candidates.”
The 2017 “Dignity of Human Life” statement was issued in response to statements made by a New Mexico legislator during a hearing on a bill supported by the Catholic Church that would have banned abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. It said that the Catholic Church works to “uphold the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death” and that it is “not morally permissible for a Catholic to support abortion or doctorassisted suicide.”
Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero, D-Albuquerque, had said during a House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee that her Catholic faith informed her decision to oppose the bill, describing her Roman Catholic upbringing and education.
“Thank you for reminding me that our Catholic faith teaches that women and men have the right to make their own decisions – their own moral decisions – based on the dictates of their own consciences,” she then told bill supporters.
The bishops’ 2017 statement pointed out that “Individuals and groups do not speak for the Catholic Church. As bishops, we do.”
While encouraging individuals to live and proclaim their faith, “they must be steadfast in stating they speak for themselves and do not speak for the Catholic Church.”
Toward the bottom of Sunday’s political advertisement, a box featured photos of the two gubernatorial candidates — Republican Steve Pearce and Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham — and listed three issues: abortion without restrictions; abortion after 20 weeks; and physicianassisted suicide.
The word “opposed” appeared under Pearce’s photo on all three issues and “supports” under Lujan Grisham’s.
It’s ironic, Sanchez said, that the “Dignity of Human Life” statement in part was “to tell politicians, individuals and groups that they do not speak for the church; yet, this political advertisement is doing just that — speaking for the church, which is contradictory to the very point of the letter.”
“We would hope Rep. Pearce would not condone that kind of advertising,” he said. “It’s an improper use of church documents.”
Asked whether Pearce condoned the ad, spokesman Kevin Sheridan instead issued a statement that said: “Steve Pearce supports people of faith and it’s not surprising they support him. We would direct questions about independent ads to the groups issuing them.”
On the Hispanic Action Network website, Gonzales identifies himself as a pastor and says: “The Church has been silent for too long and we have lost ground in critical areas of our society. Sunday mornings alone are no longer enough. We must take a stand as people of faith and use our voice to proclaim God’s truth in our communities. It’s time to bring transformation to our school boards, city councils, boards and commissions and state capitols across our nation.”
An Internet search showed that Gonzales is also the founder of the United States Hispanic Prayer Network and has chaired election campaigns from the local to the national level.