To the Editor:
As a Catholic who was baptized and confirmed in the Diocese of Providence, and who served as an altar boy at St. Jude's in Lincoln, I was shocked and saddened by a March 5 editorial (“Culture of death lives with Sebelius nomination”) claiming that my organization, Catholics United, was “formed to provide cover for pro-abortion policymakers.” This statement is absolutely false. We created Catholics United to bring the fullness of our Church's social teachings – beliefs such as health care for all, war as a last resort, rights for workers, an economy that benefits everyone, and a consistent ethic of life – to the public sphere. We also formed our organization to help bring Americans of all political backgrounds together behind efforts that address the root causes of the tragedy of abortion. In both these pursuits we have achieved wide-ranging success.
From its inception in 2004, Catholics United has been instilled with authentically Catholic values I learned while growing up in the Church in Rhode Island. These same values have guided our work to date, all of which is consistent with more than a century of Catholic teaching on lay responsibility and engagement in the public square.
Chris Korzen
Executive Director,
Catholics United
Denver, Colorado
