Church & State Magazine
March 2009
A Roman Catholic priest angered some members of the Kansas House of Representatives in January by delivering a guest invocation that attacked reproductive rights.
The Rev. Brian Schieber, pastor of the Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Topeka, used his time at the podium to rail against legal abortion.
“We remember the over 53 million beautiful, innocent unborn children who have been legally exterminated in our land,” Schieber intoned. “By your grace, guide us to transform this culture of death into a culture of life and a civilization of love.”
The prayer was offered on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision upholding a woman’s right to abortion. Several legislators said they did not appreciate its political tone.
“Prayers ought to be more ecumenical,” Rep. Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat, told the Associated Press. “It’s supposed to be a prayer that all 125 people will feel comfortable praying.”
Added Rep. Mike Slattery, a Mission Democrat, “That prayer was a little more abrasive than necessary.”
But others praised the prayer.
“It’s always like music when you hear the truth,” asserted Sen. Mary Pilcher Cook, a Shawnee Republican.
[Read more.]
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