An earlier edition of this post indicated that this brief response was from Prof. Wright. This is, in fact, the press release from the Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good website – Editor

Prof. Wright’s response can be found in PDF form here - Editor

In his article, “Holding ‘Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good’ Morally Accountable,” Michael New mischaracterizes Catholics in Alliance entirely. The Alliance promotes a consistent ethic of life and challenges both political parties to help end the tragedy of abortion. Our primary interest in commissioning the study, Reducing Abortion in America: The Effect of Socioeconomic Factors, was to explore ways to reduce abortions and find common-ground policies that support families, not to “provide cover” for any political party or ideology. In addition, as explicitly stated in the report, the Alliance endorses a comprehensive approach to reach this goal, including informed and parental consent laws.

We encourage Professor New and others across the political spectrum to work with us in good faith. At a time of economic crisis, efforts to prevent abortion must include solutions to complex socioeconomic realities. Pro-life and pro-choice members of Congress are working together to find common ground and promote initiatives that offer women and families a helping hand. The Pregnant Women Support Act, a bill in Congress supported by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is an example of effective legislation focused on preventing abortion through a comprehensive approach. After the recent March for Life in Washington, which Catholics in Alliance attended, we hosted a Capitol Hill briefing on the Pregnant Women Support Act and were pleased that Professor New attended this gathering. The Alliance will continue to support research and public policies that promote a consistent ethic of life.