You may have heard that a Roman Catholic group gave former President George W. Bush a "pro-life" award this month.  LifeNews.com reports:

The organization (Legatus) said Bush's presidency saw "pro-life policies that included opposition to embryonic stem-cell research, the appointment of two pro-life Supreme Court Justices, an executive order barring federal funds to be used for abortion-related projects abroad, and a rule protecting federally funded health employees from taking part in abortion or practices that conflict with their faith."

You really have to suspend a sense of reality to argue that this president - whose war in Iraq alone cost the lives of as many as 600,000 civilians by direct and indirect means - deserves an award for being pro-life.

The honor raises an essential question that should challenge both political parties and underscores the limits of labels: What does it mean to be pro-life? 

For some, that question is answered simply by evoking opposition to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. This landmark ruling has defined a generation of political polarization and fueled bitter culture wars that reward the shrillest voices. A singular focus on abortion as the only pro-life issue has also severely narrowed our national discourse about moral values in the public square. 

While the former president spoke eloquently about the sacred dignity of life, as governor of Texas his state led the nation in executions. His presidency is remembered for a legacy that often undermined lofty rhetorical appeals to human dignity. Preemptive war, torture, a reckless disregard for the environment and economic policies that left the poor farther behind even as the wealthy grew more prosperous is not a proud record in defense of life. It also fails to honor the broad spectrum of Catholic social teaching, which stresses a consistent ethic of life often referred to as a “seamless garment” because one life issue can’t be easily separated from another. Catholic teaching has a rich and expansive vision that recognizes seeking peace, caring for the poor, the unborn, the immigrant and our environment -- “promoting the common good in all its forms” in the words of Pope Benedict XVI -- are all integral. Catholicism is not a single-issue faith, and no political party has a monopoly on moral values.

The award reinforces the idea that many of us have that some in Catholic leadership positions have abandoned their faith for a narrow partisan political agenda and that for those leaders the pro-life cause is less important than electing and supporting Republicans candidates.

How can you be pro-life when you order torture, side with tobacco companies over health care for children, and wage unjust wars that kill thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians?