U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko stands with Albany Mayor Kathey Sheehan during a rally supporting Planned Parenthood at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
lessU.S. Rep. Paul Tonko stands with Albany Mayor Kathey Sheehan during a rally supporting Planned Parenthood at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert
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Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan speaks during a rally supporting Planned Parenthood at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan speaks during a rally supporting Planned Parenthood at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, is introduced by Cecile Richards President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America before delivering his remarks during the Family Planning Advocates' 2017 Day of Action Rally on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, in Albany, N.Y. Cuomo called for a state constitutional amendment guaranteeing women the right to legal abortions Monday, saying the state must work to push back against President Donald Trump and other Washington Republicans who have worried supporters of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink) ORG XMIT: NYHP114
lessNew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, is introduced by Cecile Richards President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America before delivering his remarks during the Family Planning Advocates' 2017 Day of
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Protesters hold signs during a rally to defund Planned Parenthood outside the building on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in Schenectady, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/ Special to the Times Union)
Protesters hold signs during a rally to defund Planned Parenthood outside the building on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in Schenectady, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/ Special to the Times Union)
Photo: ON
State Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy speaks during a rally supporting Planned Parenthood at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
State Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy speaks during a rally supporting Planned Parenthood at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Bishop Edward Scharfenberger discusses plans for Bishop Maginn High School during an interview at the Pastoral Center Tuesday March 24, 2015 inAlbany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union)
Bishop Edward Scharfenberger discusses plans for Bishop Maginn High School during an interview at the Pastoral Center Tuesday March 24, 2015 inAlbany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union)
Photo: John Carl D'Annibale
Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, talks with reporters during the Family Planning Advocates' 2017 Day of Action Rally on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink) ORG XMIT: NYHP115
lessCecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, talks with reporters during the Family Planning Advocates' 2017 Day of Action Rally on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, in Albany, N.Y. (AP
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U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko speaks during a rally supporting Planned Parenthood at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko speaks during a rally supporting Planned Parenthood at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Legislators who support Planned Parenthood are introduced on stage at a rally held by reproductive health and rights patients, advocates and supporters from around the state at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, in Albany, N.Y. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)
lessLegislators who support Planned Parenthood are introduced on stage at a rally held by reproductive health and rights patients, advocates and supporters from around the state at the Empire State Plaza Convention
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Advocates for Planned Parenthood rally at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Advocates for Planned Parenthood rally at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Advocates for Planned Parenthood rally at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Advocates for Planned Parenthood rally at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Advocates for Planned Parenthood rally at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Advocates for Planned Parenthood rally at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Advocates for Planned Parenthood rally at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Advocates for Planned Parenthood rally at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko speaks during a rally supporting Planned Parenthood at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko speaks during a rally supporting Planned Parenthood at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan speaks during a rally supporting Planned Parenthood at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan speaks during a rally supporting Planned Parenthood at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Advocates for Planned Parenthood rally at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Advocates for Planned Parenthood rally at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Advocates for Planned Parenthood rally at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Advocates for Planned Parenthood rally at the organization's location on Central Avenue in Albany, N.Y. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Robert Downen/Times Union)
Albany Roman Catholic Bishop Edward Scharfenberger said a Christmas Mass for prisoners at maximum-security Great Meadow Correctional Facility on Friday Dec. 22, 2016 in Comstock N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)
lessAlbany Roman Catholic Bishop Edward Scharfenberger said a Christmas Mass for prisoners at maximum-security Great Meadow Correctional Facility on Friday Dec. 22, 2016 in Comstock N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times
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Bishop Edward Scharfenberger raises his hands in prayer during the Mass for St. Augustine's School June 3, 2016 in Troy, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)
Bishop Edward Scharfenberger raises his hands in prayer during the Mass for St. Augustine's School June 3, 2016 in Troy, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)
Photo: SKIP DICKSTEIN
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, is introduced by Cecile Richards President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America before delivering his remarks during the Family Planning Advocates' 2017 Day of Action Rally on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink) ORG XMIT: NYHP114
lessNew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, is introduced by Cecile Richards President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America before delivering his remarks during the Family Planning Advocates' 2017 Day of
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Bishop Edward Scharfenberger speaks during a news conference announcing National Grid Foundation's grant to Catholic Charities Emergency Energy Assistance Fund at the Pastoral Center Tuesday Feb. 2, 2016 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union)
lessBishop Edward Scharfenberger speaks during a news conference announcing National Grid Foundation's grant to Catholic Charities Emergency Energy Assistance Fund at the Pastoral Center Tuesday Feb. 2, 2016 in
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Christy Oakes, 62, of Scotia holds a sign during a rally to defund Planned Parenthood outside the building on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in Schenectady, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/ Special to the Times Union)
Christy Oakes, 62, of Scotia holds a sign during a rally to defund Planned Parenthood outside the building on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in Schenectady, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/ Special to the Times Union)
Photo: ON
Mike Schweigert, 66, of Guilderland holds a sign during a rally to defund Planned Parenthood outside the building on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in Schenectady, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/ Special to the Times Union)
Mike Schweigert, 66, of Guilderland holds a sign during a rally to defund Planned Parenthood outside the building on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in Schenectady, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/ Special to the Times Union)
Photo: ON
(Left) Sisters Kate Watson, 57, of Sharon Springs, and Eileen Kennon, 67, of Cobleskill, pray in front of the State Street Planned Parenthood on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in Schenectady, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/ Special to the Times Union)
less(Left) Sisters Kate Watson, 57, of Sharon Springs, and Eileen Kennon, 67, of Cobleskill, pray in front of the State Street Planned Parenthood on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in Schenectady, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/
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Kate Watson, 57, of Sharon Springs recites a prayer in front of the State Street Planned Parenthood on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in Schenectady, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/ Special to the Times Union)
Kate Watson, 57, of Sharon Springs recites a prayer in front of the State Street Planned Parenthood on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in Schenectady, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/ Special to the Times Union)
Photo: ON
Protesters hold signs during a rally to defund Planned Parenthood outside the building on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in Schenectady, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/ Special to the Times Union)
Protesters hold signs during a rally to defund Planned Parenthood outside the building on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in Schenectady, N.Y. (Olivia Nadel/ Special to the Times Union)
Photo: ON
Siena College senior Maeve McCullouch carries her bags onto a bus bound for Washington D.C. on Thursday evening, Jan. 26, 2017, at the Siena campus in Loudonville, N.Y. She is part of a group of Siena students heading to Fridays March for Life, an annual anti-abortion rally in the capital. (Will Waldron/Times Union)
lessSiena College senior Maeve McCullouch carries her bags onto a bus bound for Washington D.C. on Thursday evening, Jan. 26, 2017, at the Siena campus in Loudonville, N.Y. She is part of a group of Siena students
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Siena College seniors Jen Waterbury, left, and Maeve McCullouch, right, load their bags onto a bus bound for Washington D.C. on Thursday evening, Jan. 26, 2017, at the Siena campus in Loudonville, N.Y. They are part of a group of Siena students heading to FridayOs March for Life, an annual anti-abortion rally in the capital. (Will Waldron/Times Union)
lessSiena College seniors Jen Waterbury, left, and Maeve McCullouch, right, load their bags onto a bus bound for Washington D.C. on Thursday evening, Jan. 26, 2017, at the Siena campus in Loudonville, N.Y. They are
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Siena College senior Maeve McCullouch prepares to leave for Washington D.C. on Thursday evening, Jan. 26, 2017, at the Siena campus in Loudonville, N.Y. She is part of a group of Siena students heading to FridayOs March for Life, an annual anti-abortion rally in the capital. (Will Waldron/Times Union)
lessSiena College senior Maeve McCullouch prepares to leave for Washington D.C. on Thursday evening, Jan. 26, 2017, at the Siena campus in Loudonville, N.Y. She is part of a group of Siena students heading to
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Fr. Larry Anderson, chaplain at Siena College, heads onto a bus bound for Washington D.C. on Thursday evening, Jan. 26, 2017, at the Siena campus in Loudonville, N.Y. He is joining a group of Siena students heading to FridayOs March for Life, an annual anti-abortion rally in the capital. (Will Waldron/Times Union)
lessFr. Larry Anderson, chaplain at Siena College, heads onto a bus bound for Washington D.C. on Thursday evening, Jan. 26, 2017, at the Siena campus in Loudonville, N.Y. He is joining a group of Siena students
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U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik speaks during a campaign event at D. A. Collins on Aug. 29, 2016, in Wilton, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union archive)
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik speaks during a campaign event at D. A. Collins on Aug. 29, 2016, in Wilton, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union archive)
Photo: SKIP DICKSTEIN
Churchill: Bishop scolds Catholic politicians who stood with Planned Parenthood
Albany
The words from Bishop Edward Scharfenberger were startling. They were unlike anything we've heard from him during his three years here.
The head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany didn't just hit Planned Parenthood with tough language in a newly released statement. He rebuked three Catholic politicians — Kathy Sheehan, Paul Tonko and Patricia Fahy — for participating in Saturday's rally in support of the organization.
The rally emphasized Planned Parenthood services that aren't controversial, like pregnancy testing and cancer screening.
But Scharfenberger said focusing on Planned Parenthood's unobjectionable health services is like "saying that a man who beats his wife sometimes gives her flowers."
That line raised some eyebrows, I can assure you.
The issue here, of course, is abortion. Planned Parenthood is the nation's largest abortion provider. The church considers it one of the great evils of our time.
"It is the intentional killing of a unique human person in his or her mother's womb," Scharfenberger said in his 406-word statement. "This is a scientific fact that has nothing at all to do with religion or religious belief."
With Republicans in control of Congress and the White House, a hot debate of the moment is whether Planned Parenthood should continue to receive federal money, or whether funding should be redirected to clinics that don't provide abortion.
The defunding threat is largely what led hundreds of supporters to rally at the Planned Parenthood clinic on Central Avenue. Mayor Kathy Sheehan, U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko and Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy each spoke at the rally.
Scharfenberger didn't call them out by name, but noted that "three Catholic politicians" spoke passionately on behalf of federal funding. The bishop said "it is inappropriate and confusing to the faithful to hold yourself out as a Catholic while also promoting abortion."
A few eyebrows shot up at that one, too.
To be sure, Scharfenberger's statement was met with cheers by Catholics and others who have urged him to more aggressively counter elected officials who think abortion should be legal. Comments on the bishop's Facebook page were largely supportive.
Sheehan and Fahy were not, which is no surprise. I spoke to both by phone and each sounded startled, if not hurt, by the punch in Scharfenberger's words.
"It was unfortunate," Fahy told me. "I was a little taken aback by the comments and the tone."
Sheehan responded more aggressively. She said comparing Planned Parenthood to an abusive husband is "profoundly flawed and deeply offensive." She considered the rally to be primarily about health care and the need for Planned Parenthood's services.
"I didn't use the word abortion," she said. "I didn't use the term pro-choice."
But to Scharfenberger that's not the point. He said those "who gloss over the core issue of whether or not taxpayers should be funding the world's largest abortion business ... are engaging in obfuscation that is, at best, confused and, at worst, dishonest."
This is probably a good time to mention, as Sheehan did, that it is illegal for federal taxpayer money to be used for abortion.
Planned Parenthood's opponents, though, argue that money is fungible — the notion being that if someone gives you $500 to spend on groceries and nothing else, the money is certainly going to benefit the overall household budget.
Planned Parenthood receives $450 million a year in federal funding, largely from Medicaid reimbursements. The organization's political arm said it would spend $30 million on federal elections in 2016, almost entirely in support of Democrats — which may explain why the debate over its funding is so politicized.
Scharfenberger has occasionally criticized Planned Parenthood in recent years, and he has frequently spoken out against abortion. But the bishop has largely avoided direct political confrontation since succeeding Bishop Howard Hubbard in 2014.
Scharfenberger was unavailable for comment, so it isn't clear why Saturday's rally, in particular, led him to speak out.
The abortion debate has certainly provided other opportunities. Just last month at another Planned Parenthood rally in Albany, Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for an amendment to the state constitution that would codify the right to abortion in the state.
Cuomo is an important surname in the political debate over religion and abortion. In 1984, the governor's father gave a speech at Notre Dame that remains a touchstone for Catholic Democrats. Mario Cuomo argued that Catholic politicians who try to ban abortion would be "seeking to force our beliefs on others."
Thirty-three years later, the debate marches on.
I've posted Scharfenberger's full statement, along with written responses from Sheehan and Tonko, to my Facebook page.
cchurchill@timesunion.com • 518-454-5442 • @chris_churchill
http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus-local/article/Churchill-Bishop-scolds-Catholic-politicians-who-10936380.php
