Bp Morlino: 'We Were Double-Crossed'

P-Mac highlighted a letter from Bp. Morlino, the Catholic Bishop of Madison, which objects to AB377 (as currently proposed.)

We expected that the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (a lobbying/policy creature of the Wisconsin Catholic Bishops) would be unhappy with AB377's provisions which seem to create an opportunity for abortion, despite the ostensible purpose of the bill--which is to help rape victims avoid conception through administering "Plan B" to rape victims.

However, the WCC remained "neutral" on the bill. Based on the science, some Catholic doctors and ethicists objected to the bill in toto; and I thought that the WCC should have done the same thing. WCC did NOT object--and as it turns out, they were also double-crossed by the Legislature.

Now Bishop Morlino calls a spade a spade.


The hoped-for effect of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference’s earlier stance of neutrality on this bill was to protect women who are the victims of rape, while also protecting the possible pre-born human being, by affirming the necessary conscience exemption for institutions and individuals with regard to the appropriate testing, so as to avoid abortifacient emergency
contraception. It is my judgment as Bishop of Madison that the earlier position of neutrality did not have its hoped for effect, and so it is now moot, and this neutrality position has now expired. Our conference’s neutrality stance has also unintentionally provoked scandal among Catholics who have been persuaded by statements in the media that we are becoming less fervent in our defense of the dignity of pre-born human life

...
It is clear that the Assembly, in rejecting explicit conscience exemption language in this AB 377, is opening the door to the coercion of consciences by the state. As the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, we had been advised that there would be statutory protection of conscience exemption from another statute. If this were assured, there would be no reason why the Assembly would have rejected conscience exemption protection for the reasons they gave. Therefore, I am firmly convinced that our conscience exemption protection is threatened by the approach in the legislation presently being considered. 3) It is clear that Planned Parenthood,
NARAL, and their colleagues are more interested in promoting a state-supported, contraceptive ideology than they are in simply, reasonably, protecting women.

In other words, the WCC was double-crossed by the Legislature. As a professional cynic, my only response is "Doh!"

Now here is a most curious comment from the Bishop's letter:


I might add that Bishop Jerome Listecki of LaCrosse finds himself completely in accord with the sentiments that I have expressed

Which leaves the question: where was the Ordinary of Milwaukee? Marquette?

The Bill has serious constitutional issues as written; it is blatantly pro-abortion; and those who re-wrote it to eliminate the "conscience" clause are scumbags, at best.