Two Thumbs Down for the Bishops on Election of Zavala!

The bishops' meeting in Baltimore continues, but one decision merits two thumbs down as it indicates episcopal politics as usual.

The bishops elected Gabino Zavala, auxiliary of Los Angeles and affilitated with the liberal group Pax Christi to head up the Communications Committee passing over Bishop Robert Finn, a strong advocate for the unborn.

While some bishops were strongly defending abortion as the central issue in the recent presidential campaign, Bishop Zavala was mouthing nuanced interpretations of the bishops' document on Faithful Citizenship providing cover for liberals voting for Obama. Washington Post Columnist E.J. Dionne, an abortion champion, praised the bishop's statement which says more than enough about its impact.

That the bishops chose Bishop Zavala over Bishop Finn who called voting for pro-abortion candidates a grave sin sends a clear message to pro-life Catholics who believe abortion is the central issue of our day. "We don't want to be embarrassed by a bishop who might speak TOO clearly on this issue."