A Catholic Statement on Pluralism and Abortion

A Catholic Statement on Pluralism and Abortion was a campaign of Roman Catholic theologians and lay people in the United States to reform the Roman Catholic theology in the abortion debate.

On October 7, 1984, the New York Times published a full-page advertisement display of the U.S. organization Catholics for a Free Choice ( CFFC ). The publication documented the dispute between the management of the Vatican in Rome and parts of the American Catholics in the United States.

In the newspaper campaign by the New York Times, a position paper was published, which was signed by over 80 Catholic theologians and members of the Roman Catholic order. In the paper it was stated that the negative attitude of the Vatican line, abortion rated " in all circumstances considered morally wrong ," "not the sole legitimate Roman Catholic position " is. In the position paper was shown that a " large number " of Roman Catholic theologians of the view is that abortion is a moral decision that entitled the respective women alone.

The campaign helped 1984, the democratic politician and vice-presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, a supporter of abortion rights of women in the media debate over the Roman Catholic Archbishop John Joseph O'Connor in New York City during the presidential election in the United States in 1984. After the appearance in the New York Times rejected the Roman Catholic U.S. bishops' conference from the campaign.

Undersigned (selection)

Among the persons who signed the position paper were:

Catholic Committee on Pluralism and Abortion

  • Anthony Battaglia, Ph.D., Professor, Religious Studies, California State University, Long Beach
  • Roddy O'Neil Cleary, D.Min. , University of Vermont
  • Joseph Fahey, Ph.D., Professor, Manhattan College
  • Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Ph.D., Professor, University of Notre Dame
  • Mary Gordon, MA, author of Final Payments and Company of Women
  • Patricia Hennessy, J. D., New York City
  • Mary E. Hunt, Ph.D., Women 's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual
  • Frances Kissling, Executive Director, Catholics for a Free Choice
  • Justus George Lawler, Executive Editor, Academic Book Line, Winston- Seabury Press
  • Daniel C. Maguire, S.T.D., Catholic theologian
  • Marjorie Reiley Maguire, Ph.D., Catholic theologian
  • J. Giles Milhaven, Ph.D., Professor, Brown University
  • Rosemary Radford Ruether, Ph.D., Professor, Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary
  • Thomas Shannon, Ph.D., Professor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  • James F. Smurl, Ph.D., Professor, Indiana University

More undersigned

  • Ronald Burke, Ph.D., University of Nebraska at Omaha, co-founder of The Journal of Religion & Film.
  • Anne Carr, nun and theologian of the University of Chicago Divinity School.
  • Patty Crowley, longtime head of the organization Christian Family Movement.
  • Margaret Farley, Ph.D., Yale Divinity School
  • Barbara Ferraro, a nun of the School Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
  • Maureen Fiedler, Ph.D., SL, Nun, pacifist and activist of the Equal Rights Amendment 1978 until 1982. Fiedler led the Women 's Ordination Conference in Detroit, 1975.
  • Christine E. Gudorf, Ph.D., Xavier University
  • Patricia Hussey, nun of the School Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
  • Paul F. Knitter, Th.D., Xavier University
  • Agnes Mary Mansour, former nun, director of the Michigan Department of Social Services, formerly president of the University of Detroit Mercy.
  • Kathleen E. McVey, Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary
  • Jeanne L. Noble, Ph.D., New York University
  • Dolly Pomerleau, co-founder of the Quixote Center
  • Donna Quinn, a nun, former president of the National Coalition of American Nuns.
  • Jill Raitt, Ph.D., University of Missouri
  • Jane Schaberg, Ph.D., University of Detroit
  • Margaret Ellen Traxler, Nun of the School Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, co-founder of the National Coalition of American Nuns
  • Marjorie Tuite, Dominican nun, feminist
  • Judith Vaughan, nun, director of the House of Ruth shelter for women, Los Angeles
  • Elizabeth Jane Via, district attorney, a professor at the University of San Diego
  • Mary Jo Weaver, author
  • Arthur E. Zannoni, Ph.D., University of Notre Dame

Comparison in other countries

Similar campaigns for abortion debate, there were previously in other countries such as France, the Netherlands or Germany. 1971 appeared in Germany in the magazine Stern Campaign We had abortions! .

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops University of Nebraska Omaha Margaret Traxler Dominican Order
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