Bishop John Smith's annual appeal (2/3/09 letter to the Times of Trenton)

In an article last summer, the Times quoted Father Ronald Cioffi of the Trenton Diocese's Office of Social Concerns:

• "You may vote for a person who is pro-choice if you feel you have a moral reason to support the candidate for his stand on other issues."

The Vatican 's Archbishop Raymond Burke has bemoaned such misrepresentations:

• "The economic situation, or opposition to the war in Iraq, or whatever it may be, those things don’t rise to the same level as something that is always and everywhere evil, namely the killing of innocent and defenceless human life” <www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jan/09012805.html>.

While Father Cioffi never denied the words attributed to him, his office is designated to be a recipient of Bishop Smith's annual appeal <www.bishopsannualappeal.com/ministriesfunded.php#missions>.

There are reasons to be concerned about Bishop Smith's appeal. For example, hormonal contraceptives can be abortifacient; their manufacture and distribution constitute a multi-billion dollar industry. While Wyeth is among the WORLD’s top three manufacturers of such <http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADF983.pdf>, the appeal makes special outreach, free of fraternal correction <www.bishopsannualappeal.com/matchinggifts.php>.

Catholics can be faithful and generous, without moral taint on their dollars. Money can easily go to church "poor boxes" or specific charities, known to be faithful to Church teaching.