Catholic Church Pressured to Condemn Pro-Abortion Gov Candidate



Detroit, Mi — Pro-lifers in a Detroit suburb Tuesday increased the pressure on the region's Roman Catholic leader to repudiate the pro-abortion views of Michigan gubernatorial nominee Jennifer Granholm, a pro-abortion candidate.

A letter, requesting a condemnation of Granholm's views, was delivered to the residence of Cardinal Adam Maita, nearly a month after the associate pastor of the church where Granholm worships defended the candidate's political views in a letter published in the church bulletin.

Many of the parishioners at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic church in the western Detroit suburb of Plymouth plan to leave the parish as a result of the Aug. 4 article written by Rev. Doc Ortman.

Nancy Restuccia of Canton, another Detroit suburb, led a protest Saturday at Maida's residence and joined other pro-life activists in delivering the letter to the cardinal Tuesday.

Restuccia said her group decided to make a public request because e-mails, other mail and phone calls to the cardinal were not returned.

“We delivered a letter this morning (Tuesday) that basically contained a request. This is not a demand,” she said. “We are obedient Catholics and he is our leader in the faith. This is not a demand because the church is not a democracy. We did this to publicly reiterate the church's teaching.”

Over the weekend, Ned McGrath, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Detroit, told the Detroit News that Maida has “called all Catholics and people of good will to affirm the value of life.”

The statement also called on Catholics to “familiarize themselves” with a Michigan Catholic Conference election guide that calls abortion “the preeminent threat to human dignity.”

Restuccia said she and other protesters are “totally heeding that call.”

“Cardinal Maida has been a bold and brilliant leader in the defense of life in the past. I am hoping that the cardinal will step up on this issue and proclaim the church's teachings on the sanctity and dignity of human life from conception to natural death,” she said.

“Public officials who espouse abortion rights are indirectly colluding in the taking of human life. I feel that he has a responsibility as Ms. Granholm's bishop to keep her from going into dangerous territory for her own soul,” Restuccia said.

Chris DeWitt, Granholm's spokesman, told the Detroit News the candidate's position on abortion should not put her at odds with the Catholic faith. She has personal beliefs, which are consistent with her faith. But she oes not believe she should impose her views on others,” DeWitt said.

Mary Dettloff, also with the Granholm campaign, said that, “Jennifer Granholm is not the only pro-choice Catholic candidate.” She would not comment any further.

However, Restuccia dismissed the efforts to separate Granholm's private and public views on abortion.

“It's really impossible to separate your private beliefs from your public actions and you shouldn't. That is not compatible with Catholic teachings,” Restuccia said. “Your private belief informs your public action. Faithful Catholics should embrace women in crisis and their unborn children and should refuse to support the culture of death with their votes.”

Restuccia said she and others would like to meet with Granholm before the election to discuss the abortion issue.

Granholm faces pro-life Lt. Governor Dick Posthumus, a pro-life advocate, in the Nov. 5 gubernatorial election.

Sage Eastman, spokesman for the Posthumus campaign, declined to comment about the protest letter to Maida and the anger of parishioners at the Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic church.

“That's a matter for the Catholic church. It's not something that is part of his (Posthumus) campaign. I don't think we are about to tell the Catholic church what it should or should not do,” Eastman said.



Please consider making a donation to help the work of the Pro-Life Infonet.

You can send a donation to: Women and Children First, P.O. Box 523143,

Springfield, VA 22152. We appreciate your support.

Subscribe to CE
(It's free)

Go to Catholic Exchange homepage

MENU