PHOENIX, Arizona (LifeSiteNews) – A Catholic priest penned a letter to pro-abortion Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs “for advancing a method to abort a child that disregards the safety of women beyond what she has done in the past.”
Fr. Craig Friedley, the pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Queen Creek, Arizona, wrote the in response to an announcement of a measure expanding access to over-the-counter contraceptives — many of which are abortifacients — without a doctor’s prescription.
Friedley took the Democrat to task for her long-standing promotion of abortion up until birth under the guise of advocating for “women’s health,” saying her latest move “is not only immoral, but it means that you are placing your eternal soul in danger of damnation by your public, proud, and scandalous actions in supporting the murder of children in the womb.”
Donald Trump has suggested a 6-week abortion ban is ”too harsh”, attacking Gov. Ron DeSantis for his bill protecting innocent human life after 6 weeks.
Obviously pro-lifers wish to protect all human life from conception with outright abortion bans.
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The former president said he is ”looking at all alternatives” when asked if he would support such a 6-week ban, making this a crucial opportunity for pro-life voters to make their views known to him in no uncertain terms.
“He has to do what he has to do,” Trump said about Gov. DeSantis’ abortion bill. “If you look at what DeSantis did, a lot of people don’t even know if he knew what he was doing. But he signed six weeks, and many people within the pro-life movement feel that that was too harsh.”
Anyone truly in the pro-life movement thinking the ban is too harsh must mean it’s too harsh on those babies less than 6-weeks who can still be murdered.
Mr. Trump’s outlandish claim about anyone in the pro-life movement opposing the ban is doubtful to say the least, but there was more to follow in the interview.
When pressed on whether he thought the bill was ”too harsh”, Trump would not answer directly, instead saying: ”I’m looking at all alternatives. I’m looking at many alternatives. But I was able to get us to the table by terminating Roe v. Wade. That’s the most important thing that’s ever happened for the pro-life movement.”
The former president is correct in saying the overturning of Roe v. Wade was a monumental step for the pro-life movement, but it should only be the beginning of banning the killing of babies in the womb entirely.
Donald Trump’s belief that even a 6-week abortion ban is extreme spells trouble for every citizen concerned about ending abortion, which is why we need you to take part in this urgent petition to him.
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Our true loyalty is to innocent human beings facing death, none more so than those in the womb, and any candidate who prevaricates about something so important to building a civilized society has to be corrected.
We urge all Republican candidates to advocate for a total ban on abortion, without any exceptions – not just at 6-week’s gestation as an incremental measure.
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MORE INFORMATION:
Trump distances himself from 6-week abortion ban by DeSantis: ‘Too harsh’ – LifeSiteNews
Friedley reminded Hobbs, who is a professed Catholic, of the Church’s teaching on the gravity of the crime of abortion and the need to repent for the public scandal of pushing the abortion agenda in every way possible. “You should immediately repent and go to confession for advocating for abortion in the public square,” he said.
“The murder of a child in the womb is not health care. Stop spreading this lie and causing a scandal in the Catholic Church. If you are still attending any Catholic Mass, you should refrain from presenting yourself for communion until you repent of spreading lies and advocating for the murder of children in the womb,” Friedley stated unequivocally.
As the priest noted, the Church’s Code of Canon Law mandates that persons “obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.” (CAN. 915†). Friedley ended by challenging Hobbs, “for once in your life, defend the unborn. Pray for the courage and strength to stand up for your Catholic faith instead of cowering in fear as to what might happen to your political career if you defend the right to life from conception to natural death.”
In comments to LifeSiteNews, Fr. Friedley said, “When my Catholic faith is attacked, I will defend it. It is not that it needs any defense; Jesus, His Father, and the Holy Spirit could handle that on their own. I am striving to help those who are being misled from going down the path that leads to hell. There are great many Catholics who have just a basic understanding of their faith. Then when a person gets into a position of power, like Governor Katie Hobbs, who claims to be Catholic, and starts publicly supporting and promoting something which is intrinsically evil, people will listen to her and think that she is embracing the truth and being compassionate. The cannot be further from the truth. Her lies will not stand up to the light of truth.”
“Most people do not like to be held accountable. It can be very uncomfortable. Usually because it means change. But for people that promote something that is intrinsically evil, they need to be shut down. Any person that hears God’s message about promoting the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, like I strive to promote in my homilies should (must!) take action.”
Commenting that he had not received any reply from Hobbs and did not expect any, Friedley told LifeSiteNews, “Governor Hobbs probably has no clue who I am and probably does not care. She even publicly stated that her stance on abortion is at odds with Catholicism and that she opposes Bishop John Dolan on this matter. She is not only at odds on the matter of abortion, she is at odds with other ‘Catholic issues.’ That is the standard for a person in today’s Democratic Party. In the state of Arizona, there is not a single Democrat, who claims to be Catholic, that will defend the unborn.”
“The way I vote now is to look at the issues, starting with the five non-negotiables: Abortion, Euthanasia, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Human Cloning, and Same-Sex Marriage. The Democrat Party negotiates with each of these in one manner or another. In other words, they support and promote intrinsic evils with their very platform and beliefs. If one disagrees with the party on any one of these issues, they are a pariah and must be cast out and canceled. Is it any wonder that I do not expect to hear from the governor? To her, I am a nobody. If I can encourage the 2000 families at my parish to write to her and express to opinions and their votes, she might start to listen.”
Affirming that he will not back down from calling out the pro-abortion “Catholic” governor, the priest declared, “Until she returns to her Catholic faith, or renounces her Catholic faith, I will call her out on the intrinsic evils that she supports and promotes. May she one day renounce evil and embrace her Catholic faith and reconcile with God so that her eternal soul may get to heaven. The Catholics in Arizona are strongly pro-life. The Democrats in Arizona are strongly anti-life. Sometimes the two do not mix well together.”
LifeSiteNews reached out to Gov. Hobbs’ office for comment but received no reply by publication. She can be reached at:
Constituent Engagement
Office of the Governor
602-542- 4331
[email protected]
azgovernor.gov
The full text of Fr. Friedley’s letter is given below.
The Honorable Katie Hobbs (D)
Governor of Arizona
Dear Governor Hobbs,
You just moved forward with allowing hormonal contraceptives to be used without being seen by a physician, physician’s assistant, or a nurse practitioner. Your justification was that you are “standing up to the extremists who threaten access to basic healthcare our families rely on.”
This is not only immoral but, it means that you are placing your eternal soul in danger of damnation by your public, proud, and scandalous actions in supporting the murder of children in the womb. You should immediately repent and go to confession for advocating for abortion in the public square. Not only was any medical professional removed from the consultation process, the lives of women who may have pre-existing conditions that could be exacerbated by hormonal treatment are dismissed in the name of promoting abortion. Abortion, as an intrinsic evil, and most likely a mortal sin, endangers the souls of those involved.
I am certain that Seton High School did not teach you to promote the evil of abortion. An apology to them seems appropriate. An apology to Catholics who defend the right to life also should receive an apology, along with corrective action.
I will not ask you for an apology for you calling me an extremist that defends the Catholic faith as a Catholic priest in good standing in the Diocese of Phoenix. I believe in the sanctity of every human life from conception to natural death and I believe that all humans should receive the health care they need.
The murder of a child in the womb is not health care. Stop spreading this lie and causing a scandal in the Catholic Church. If you are still attending any Catholic mass, you should refrain from presenting yourself for communion until you repent of spreading lies and advocating for the murder of children in the womb.
Here is the justification you will need for verification that you should not be admitted to holy communion, “Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.” (CAN. 915†, Code of Canon Law: New English Translation. Canon Law Society of America, 1998, p. 298.)
Finally, I encourage you to, for once in your life, defend the unborn. Pray for the courage and strength to stand up for your Catholic faith instead of cowering in fear as to what might happen to your political career if you defend the right to life from conception to natural death.
The SCOTUS reaffirmed the right to life in our US Constitution and corrected an evil that was growing in our country for 50 years (Roe v Wade). All Catholics should strive to get back to what the Catholic Church has taught for 2000 years. That is called a precedent that was set by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I will pray for your eternal soul. You are welcome to contact me at my parish.
Fr. Craig W.M. Friedley