MCCL defends endorsement

A Nov. 5 article on the Catholic Spirit website (“Peterson’s loss shrinks number of pro-life Democrats in House”) quotes Kirsten Day, executive director of Democrats for Life of America, suggesting that Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) and National Right to Life made false criticisms of outgoing Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson’s record on abortion. Day is off the mark. MCCL’s Federal PAC (which Scott Fischbach, executive director of MCCL, is not involved with) endorsed Peterson’s opponent, Michelle Fischbach, for a couple reasons. First, although MCCL had endorsed Peterson in the past, we didn’t in 2018, and by 2020 Peterson’s pro-life voting record had become more and more concerning. For just the calendar year 2019, Peterson’s pro-life score fell to 50%, according to National Right to Life’s scorecard. That included, among other troubling votes, a vote for an appropriations bill that would have overturned an existing pro-life policy against funding groups that perform or promote abortion around the world. Second, in the 2020 election, Peterson faced a strong and viable challenger with a proven track record of pro-life leadership in the Minnesota Legislature. Michelle Fischbach put together a 100% lifetime pro-life voting record while taking the lead on numerous pro-life bills, including lifesaving measures that became law, such as Minnesota’s Woman’s Right to Know and Positive Alternatives laws. That’s why it’s no surprise that the major pro-life groups endorsed Fischbach — not just MCCL and National Right to Life, but Susan B. Anthony List and Family Research Council Action as well. MCCL is not a partisan organization. We continue to endorse pro-life Democrats as well as pro-life Republicans (our State PAC endorsed several pro-life Democrats this year). But in the race between Collin Peterson and Michelle Fischbach, the choice for pro-life voters was clear.

Paul Stark, communications director
Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, Minneapolis

Taking encyclical to heart

Thank you for publishing about Pope Frances’ latest encyclical, “Fratelli tutti”! I’m glad it made the front page (“Belief in God as creator of all has practical consequences, pope says,” Oct. 9)! It would have been powerful had it been printed in its entirety! I wonder the impact in our archdiocese on upcoming elections, on addressing racial injustices, and on our divided communities if we individually and collectively took an honest look at our neighbor both in the geographic sense and spiritual sense! It’s good to have a clear reminder of the importance of human love and relating to our neighbor/s despite the inconvenient, uncomfortable and often messy ways that true encounters occur, as the profound Good Samaritan story demonstrates.

MaryAnn de Ruiter
Ascension, Minneapolis

Honoring aborted babies

Four score and eight years ago, my earthly journey began. My letters to honor God’s preborn children are self-serving. Upon my passing, I hope my escort to the throne will be a multitude of the 60 million mutilated martyred unborn, baptized in blood, angelic cherubs.

Everett C. Dehmer
Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul

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