CatholicVote is committed to holding self-professed Catholic leaders and institutions to the standards of Church teaching. That’s what our Catholic Accountability Project is all about.
You deserve to know exactly where our Catholic leaders stand – both the heroes who are standing up for the truth and the “zeroes” who cause grave scandal by their words and actions.
Every month, we will hold these Catholics accountable – and praise them when they deserve it.
But we also ask that you pray for all Catholics in the public square, heroes and zeroes alike.
HEROES
HERO 1: Justice Samuel Alito
The leak of a draft opinion in Dobbs case in May caused an immediate firestorm. Supporters of abortion didn’t just protest, they showed up outside the homes of Justice Barrett and Justice Kavanaugh. In fact, one man showed up outside Justice Kavanaugh’s house with a gun with the intention of assassinating him. Conservatives recalled the words Senate Majority Leader Schumer Schumer said outside the Supreme Court: “I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price.”
Despite the very real threats of violence and intimidation, Justice Samuel Alito pushed forward and wrote a fantastic legal opinion, in which he declared: “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences… It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”
Justices Kavanaugh, Barrett, Thomas, and Gorsuch (baptized Catholic, but now Anglican) also deserve credit for their courage. They didn’t buckle to the mob, but affirmed the rule of law.
HERO 2: Governor Doug Ducey
Catholic parents who want an education that doesn’t offend their faith face financial difficulties in paying tuition for Catholic schools. That’s because they end up paying for education twice. Once when they pay their taxes, then again when they pay tuition. This all started because of anti-Catholicism of 19th century politicians like James Blaine of Maine.
Thankfully, we have Catholic politicians like Doug Ducey in the 21st century. During his State of the State address, Ducey called on the Arizona Legislature to send him legislation to reform the funding of schools in Arizona. That’s exactly what they did. Arizona’s lawmakers passed a universal school choice funding bill – the first state in the Union to do so. Arizona is now considered the “gold standard” on education reform.
Governor Ducey said: “Arizona is the top state for school choice. We give the power to parents to make decisions in their children’s education.”
HERO 3: Bishop Robert J. McManus of the Diocese of Worcester
Too many schools in our country are embracing political fads and ideological causes. Sadly, some Catholic schools like Nativity School in Worcester, Massachusetts, are gutting their Catholic identity and following the crowd.
This Jesuit school has displayed a Black Lives Matter flag despite that organization’s stated goal to “disrupt the nuclear family structure” and “foster a queer-affirming network.” The Pride flag is the symbol of the LGBTQ movement which is diametrically opposed to the Catholic Church’s teaching on human sexuality and the unique role of male and female.
Bishop Robert McManus deserves the respect of Catholics for having the courage to challenge Nativity School back toward Catholic teaching and against political indoctrination. After his attempts at persuasion were unsuccessful, Bishop McManus decreed: “The Nativity School of Worcester is prohibited from this time forward from identifying itself as a ‘Catholic’ school and may no longer use the title ‘Catholic’ to describe itself.” Additionally, the Mass and sacraments are no longer permitted on the school grounds. Taking such a step is never easy for a bishop, because it upsets so many people. But we salute his courage in standing up for the faith.
ZEROES
ZERO 1: President Joe Biden
President Biden has a long track record of supporting abortion. So it came as no surprise that he would further embrace abortion when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.
Back in 2005, then-Senator Biden stridently opposed modifying or “nuking” the filibuster. That’s because Republicans were in the White House and held both houses of Congress. Now that Democrats controlled all three, Biden has changed his tune.
Speaking in Madrid, Biden said: “We have to codify Roe v. Wade in the law, and the way to do that is to make sure the Congress votes to do that. And if the filibuster gets in the way, it’s like voting rights, we provide an exception for this, or an exception to the filibuster for this action.”
President Biden smeared the Supreme Court for their “outrageous behavior” which he called “destabilizing.” That explosive rhetoric is disgusting for a president, but especially when overseas.
ZERO 2: HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra
Does Health secretary Xavier Becerra work for the American people or does he work for Planned Parenthood? It can be hard to tell. His agency is currently publicizing AbortionFinder.org to help women find places where they can abort their unborn child. He called the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade as “despicable.”
Becerra has said he will use taxpayer dollars to help transport women in pro-life states to places where they can have their child aborted – despite the obvious prohibition against using taxpayer funding for abortion. When asked if the federal government would consider opening abortion facilities on federal lands, Becerra said: “All options are on the table.”
In addition to his zeal for dead children, Becerra also publicly supports radical sex changes on young grade school children.
ZERO 3: Justice Sonia Sotomayor
During her tenure on the Supreme Court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor has unfortunately become a rubber stamp for every secular left-wing cause that crosses her desk. Two prominent court case in June illustrated this perfectly.
In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, Justice Sotomayor believed that a school football coach should have no right to voluntary prayer while in public. After football games, Coach Kennedy would pray at the 50 yard line. Thankfully the majority of the Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing these non-compulsory acts of faith to exist without fear of retribution or reprisal. But Sotomayor called the decision “misguided” and would have supported the school’s decision to fire the coach.
Likewise, when the Supreme Court upheld Mississippi’s 15-week ban and overturned the notorious Roe v. Wade decision, Justice Sotomayor blasted the Supreme Court majority. She joined the dissent opinion, which read: “From the very moment of fertilization, a woman has no rights to speak of. A state can force her to bring a pregnancy to term, even at the steepest personal and familial costs.”
It’s particularly odious to invoke the moment of fertilization at the same time you are calling for the ability to terminate unborn human life.
SUBZERO: Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi’s relentless advocacy for abortion is perhaps unmatched among politicians today. She has consistently invoked her ‘Catholic’ faith while calling for the legal right to murder unborn children. She has led the push to eliminate all pro-life protections in the states and to force taxpapyers to pay for abortions.
Given this enormous public scandal, San Francisco Archbishop Cordileone was left with little choice but to ban Nancy Pelosi from receiving Holy Communion until she publicly repented from the scandal of supporting the deaths of millions of unborn children.
Nancy Pelosi’s response? She went to Rome and attended Mass with Pope Francis – and she received Holy Communion despite her archbishop’s direct order. Her defiance made international news.
Nancy Pelosi has no interest in “dialogue.” She thinks there’s nothing wrong with her public support for abortion. She doesn’t respect the teachings of the Catholic Church, nor the shepherds charged with leading the flock.