The chief pastor of St. Patrick’s Cathedral is organizing a letter-writing campaign urging Catholics to condemn Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “tragic” support of New York’s expanded abortion rights law and calling for a special prayer at the church to atone for Albany’s sin.
“I join my fellow New Yorkers, both Catholic and non-Catholic, in denouncing the tragic decision of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislators in passing and celebrating the Reproductive Health Act,” Monsignor Robert Ritchie, rector of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, writes on the church’s home page.
“We strongly urge anyone who is concerned by this to speak to your local representatives and/or write a letter to Governor Cuomo’s office.”
Ritchie then lists the governor’s Albany office address. The monsignor then urges parishioners to atone for the sinful law.
“As an act of reparation for this tragic event, St. Patrick’s Cathedral will pray the Rosary on Tuesdays at 6:00 PM in the Lady Chapel. We welcome our fellow New Yorkers in joining us in prayer at home. Let us continue to pray for all unborn children and may God guide us through this trying time,” he said.
The New York allows abortion in the final trimester to protect the life health of the mother, just like Roe v. Wade, But it adds new language that that permits an abortion if there is a lack of “fetal viability” outside the womb.
Late-term abortions are rare — 1.3 percent nationally occur after the 21st week of pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Cuomo, who identifies as Roman Catholic, defended the new abortion law earlier Friday.
“Why is the Catholic Church and extreme conservative Republicans upset? They want to roll back Roe v. Wade now,” the governor said on WCNY’s the Capitol Pressroom, referring to the 1973 federal court decision legalizing a woman’s right to an abortion.
Concerned that a more conservative Supreme Court might restrict or overturn abortion rights, Cuomo and Democratic lawmakers insisted New York’s law needed to codified and strengthened and passed the Reproductive Health Act on Jan. 23.
“The Catholic Church was never for Roe v. Wade. That’s why they were annoyed with the New York law,” the governor said, noting the church’s teaching says abortion is the taking of a unborn life.
But Cuomo said he’s not backing down, noting he also championed the state’s same-sex marriage law in 2011 and the Child Victims Act this week over the church’s objections.
“Being at odds with the Catholic Church is nothing new to me. I am a Catholic … I was an altar boy. My religion is my personal business,” he said.
“How I counsel my [three]daughters is my own business. I don’t govern as a Catholic. That’s why freedom of religion exists in this country. You can’t ask a legislator to legislate their own religious beliefs.”
Ritchie’s broadside against Cuomo comes just days after Timothy Cardinal Dolan and the governor traded barbs over both the abortion law and the Child Victims Act.