The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is opting not to take a position on the constitutional amendment calling for the election of justices to the Kansas Supreme Court
Archbishop Shawn McKnight said in a statement posted on the archdiocese website Wednesday that the church would be neutral on the amendment, a very different approach to 2022 when the church helped bankroll the campaign for the abortion amendment.
It also reflects a split with his predecessor, retired Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, who recently wrote a column published in the National Catholic Register in support of the amendment.
“The upcoming August vote regarding whether to return the Kansas Supreme Court judicial selection process to a popular vote is a significant decision for our state,” McKnight said in a statement originally posted on Facebook July 14, a week after Naumann’s piece was published in the Catholic Register.
“While the Church does not take a position on the outcome of this ballot measure, it does encourage all Catholics to embrace their civic responsibility by participating in this important vote, grounding their decision in Catholic principles and a well-formed conscience.,” he wrote.
“I also encourage respectful and charitable dialogue, especially when opinions differ,” he wrote.
“Our parishes and Catholic institutions stand ready to share the richness of Catholic social teaching and assist the faithful in forming their consciences,” he wrote.
The archdiocese didn’t respond to emails to seeking further clarification about the church’s position on the amendment.
Next week, voters will decide on the amendment, which would abolish the judicial screening panel made up of five lawyers elected by their peers and four nonlawyers picked by the governor.
The panel recommends three nominees for the court and the governor appoints one.
Naumann went national earlier this month in his support for the amendment, blaming the state’s method for selecting judges on the 2019 Supreme Court decision that found a right to an abortion in the Kansas Constitution.
“One of the worst consequences of the current judicial selection method was the Kansas Supreme Court decision that the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights, proclaiming “the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” granted a right to unlimited abortion,” Naumann wrote.
“This absurd interpretation is but one example of the state’s highest court abusing its power by creating legislation,” he wrote adding that he was not speaking for the church.
He added that “trial lawyers’ groups have linked arms with Planned Parenthood, the abortion lobby, and gay-rights and gender-rights advocates” to spend “large sums of money to inundate mailboxes, television, computer screens, radio ads and social media with frantic messages urging Kansans to continue the current system.”
Naumann, who appeared on a mailer supporting the amendment, said that “by design” the public does not directly participate in electing the lawyer members of the commission. There is no public vetting or media scrutiny about the qualifications of candidates.
“Courts do not exist to further special interests,” he wrote.
“They exist to ensure that the laws enacted by Congress and state legislatures and the executive actions of our president and governors are faithful to the powers and limitations set forth in our federal and state constitutions.
“Justices and judges do not have the authority to legislate — to create and impose laws upon citizens.”
Naumann appears on a mailer sent out by the Do Right PAC, chaired by former Congressman Tim Huelskamp. The PAC reported spending about $38,000 in support of the amendment.
“I will be voting to restore to Kansas the ability to choose the justices who serve on the Kansas Supreme Court,” Naumann is quoted on the mailer.
The mailer labeled Nauman as “archbishop” although he has the title of “archbishop emeritus.”
Huelskamp acknowledged that under church canons a retired archbishop retains the honorary title of emeritus, adding that the mailer points out that he’s retired
“Many Catholics are not familiar with the term, so we made sure to note that he was retired to avoid confusion.”
Huelskamp said he decided to send the mailer after Naumman wrote his column for the National Catholic Register.
“I sent out the mailer with the quote from Archbishop Naumann after I read his op-ed in the National Catholic Register,” he said in an email.
“As he is a well-known, well-respected retired church leader, I wanted to share his views with Catholics across the state.”
The mailer encourages Kansans to “vote our Catholic values.”
“The Kansas Supreme Court has gone liberal. It’s time to hold it accountable,” the mailer said.
Spokespersons for the archdioceses in Wichita and Salina said they were not taking a position on the amendment.
The newspaper of the Wichita archdiocese – the Catholic Advance – published a piece in support of the amendment written by Chuck Weber, the former executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference.
Wichita Bishop Carl Kemme wrote a letter authorizing Weber to appear in parishes to discuss the amendment.
“There is a vitally important measure coming up for a vote this Aug. 4 that few Kansans – let alone Kansas Catholics – are fully informed about,” he wrote.
“The purpose of this letter is to give my approval of a way for you and your parishioners can larn more about this issue so they can make an informed decision,” he said.
In a statement, Weber said the outcome of the amendment is critical for Kansans and especially the state’s 380,000 to 400,000 Catholics.
“Virtually every public policy question brought forth by the Catholic Church – from immigration reform to social services to defense of the integrity of the family and the protection of human life – has the very real possibility of being impacted by the Kansas Supreme Court,” he said.
“Voting ‘yes’ so the High Court will once again reflect the values of all Kansans is an absolute no-brainer for Catholics who care about these and other issues,” he said.
