Key U.S. Catholic bishops told 55 Catholic Democrats in the House that there is no wiggle room in church teaching on abortion, and that they are duty-bound to work against "the destruction of unborn human life."

* Key U.S. Catholic bishops told 55 Catholic Democrats in the House that there is no wiggle room in church teaching on abortion, and that they are duty-bound to work against "the destruction of unborn human life." The statement March 10 by three top leaders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was a response to those who issued a public statement in late February asking for room to disagree on abortion.

The bishops, in turn, said they were willing to work together on issues affecting the "poor and vulnerable" but would not budge on church teaching that says abortion is gravely immoral. The lawmakers said the "primacy of conscience" led many of them to support abortion rights, but the bishops suggested that stance was illegitimate if the lawmakers' position was contrary to church teaching.

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