Vatican Worries About Kerry

NewsMax.com ^ | 3/28/04 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

John Kerry's support for abortion and gay marriage, both condemned as mortal sins by the Roman Catholic Church, is raising serious concerns in the Vatican over the clear apostasy of a nominal American Catholic politician.

"People in Rome are becoming more and more aware that there's a problem with John Kerry, and a potential scandal with his apparent profession of his Catholic faith and some of his stances, particularly abortion," a Vatican official and an American told Time magazine.

Taking such positions at odds with Church teaching could subject Kerry to excommunication, but the Massachusetts senator says he's comfortable with his stands even when they conflict with the doctrines of the Church to which he claims allegiance.

"I don't think it complicates things at all," Kerry told Time Saturday, the first article in which he has discussed his faith extensively. "We have a separation of church and state in this country. As John Kennedy said very clearly, I will be a President who happens to be Catholic, not a Catholic President."

Time, however, noted that there are huge differences between the time in which Kennedy ran and today. When Kennedy ran for president in 1960, Time recalls, "a candidate could go through an entire campaign without ever having to declare his position on abortion – much less stem cells, cloning or gay marriage. It was before Roe v. Wade, bioethics, school vouchers, gay rights and a host of other social issues became the ideological fault lines that divide the two political parties and also divide some Catholics from their church."

Kerry, a former altar boy who Time says complains when his campaign staff does not leave time in his Sunday schedule for Mass and receives Communion, describes himself as a "believing and practicing Catholic, married to another believing and practicing Catholic."

In the face of that declaration, however, last week he went out of his way to show up on the Senate floor to vote against the Unborn Victims of Violence Act ("Laci and Connor's Law"), a bill that would make harming an unborn child during the commission of a crime a separate offense. The bill was named for Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Connor, who were murdered.

As Time observed, Kerry's vote put him squarely on the same side as abortion industry supporters in opposing specific legal rights for the unborn – and against nearly two-thirds of his fellow senators and the great majority of Americans.

Kerry told Time his Catholic faith was instilled in him in childhood. He even took the opportunity to raise the subject of his four months of service in Vietnam once again, claiming that he wore a rosary around his neck when involved in combat operations.

When Kerry got home, however, he admits to having gone through what he described to Time as a "period of a little bit of anger and agnosticism, but subsequently, I did a lot of reading and a lot of thinking and really came to understand how all those terrible things fit."

Kerry and other nominally Catholic politicians insist that their religious faith does not oblige them to follow the tenets of their Church when acting as elected representatives. As Time notes, politicians taking that position provoked New York's Archbishop John Cardinal O'Connor in 1984 to chastise then-New York Gov. Mario Cuomo and Democratic vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro for being in favor of abortion.

Times have changed. In response to the demands of huge numbers of the Roman Catholic faithful that Catholic bishops in America clamp down on politicians thumbing their noses at Church doctrine in their public lives, the Church is, as Time notes, getting tougher.

Last year, for example the Vatican issued a "doctrinal note" warning Catholic lawmakers that they have a "grave and clear obligation to oppose any law that attacks human life. For them, as for every Catholic, it is impossible to promote such laws or to vote for them."

Moreover, when Kerry campaigned in Missouri in February, St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke publicly warned him "not to present himself for Communion" — an ostracism, Time explained, that Canon Law 915 reserves for "those who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin." A defiant Kerry told Time that regarding his planned trip to St. Louis last Sunday, "I certainly intend to take Communion and continue to go to Mass as a Catholic."

According to Time, most Catholic officials believe that the Church's response to Kerry's candidacy will vary from diocese to diocese. "You may not see many Catholic bishops appearing at Kerry photo ops this campaign season, and there's a possibility of some uncomfortable moments on the trail. All you need is a picture of Kerry going up to the Communion rail and being denied, and you've got a story that'll last for weeks," Father Thomas Reese, editor of the Jesuit magazine America, told Time.

Even in his own Boston archdiocese, Kerry will face his newly hard-nosed archbishop, Sean O'Malley, who, although he has given Kerry Communion in the past, now says that Catholic politicians who do not vote in line with Church teachings "shouldn't dare come to Communion."

Being banned from receiving the Eucharist is excommunication.

Said Kerry, "I don't tell church officials what to do, and church officials shouldn't tell American politicians what to do in the context of our public life."

As Crisis magazine noted last May, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in November 1998 released a pastoral letter, "Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics," that castigated Catholic politicians for supporting abortion and euthanasia.

On Jan. 16, Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, president of the USCCB, issued a statement welcoming the doctrinal note issued by the Vatican that denounced Catholic politicians who favor abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage and human cloning. Said Bishop Gregory, "Catholic politicians cannot subscribe to any notion which equates freedom or democracy with a moral relativism that denies these moral principles.”

Both of these statements flow naturally from the seriousness the Catholic hierarchy attaches to abortion in particular. As early as 1975, the bishops described the right to life as "among basic human rights."

[Young Rhino]

Kerry is free to believe whatever he wishes. On the other hand, the Church is free to excommunicate him because of those beliefs. Kerry is intentionally being a putz by pretending separation of church and state is relevant to this issue.

[Qwinn]

"Said Kerry, "I don't tell church officials what to do, and church officials shouldn't tell American politicians what to do in the context of our public life."

He's not telling you you can't vote for abortion, Kerry. He's telling you that if you do, you can't go to a Catholic Church and demand Communion, and they will make sure that everyone knows that when you claim to be a Catholic, that the Church's position is that you are -not-. They have the right to do that. You do not get to dictate who is and who isn't Catholic. If you could, well, you'd be the Pope.

Qwinn

[KangarooJacqui]

Vatican Worries About Kerry

Ah, for once the Pope and I see eye-to-eye on something.

[zbigreddogz]

Any chance that he's gonna get excommunicated?

I don't actually think that would be good from a religious standpoint, I believe it's more important to be inclusive and let God sort out the rest, but it would be great from an election point of view.

[APFel]

Interesting. He claims to be a Catholic but doesn't follow the Church's teachings, principles, or ethical code. When questioned, he claims that there is a seperation of church and state. An excommunication would be hysterical.

APf

[AdmSmith]

Is this good or bad?
Since the Vatican not exactly has the highest ethical standards (treatment of priests involved with boys)I am not sure if this will increase or reduce the support of Kerry.

Any PR consultant around that can comment?

[John Thornton]

I was disappointed to read that the Catholic Church granted Kerry an annulment of his 18 year old Catholic marriage (with children):
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=37755

[kitkat]

"We have a separation of church and state in this country." WHAT does that have to do with the issue at hand???? The issue is that Kerry is either a Catholic or he isn't. And obviously, he isn't.

And Kennedy was actually saying that he wouldn't let the Church rule this country. If abortion had been an issue at that time, Kennedy would have had to make a statement as to his beliefs. Lucky for him it was not an issue.

[bimbo]

I was disappointed to read that the Catholic Church granted Kerry an annulment of his 18 year old Catholic marriage (with children):

Wealthy Massachuttes politicians have regularly gotten annulments. Maybe that will change with Archbishop Sean O’Malley. Meanwhile the unasked questions for Kerry are:

Doesn’t your annulment mean that your first marriage never existed? … Doesn’t that mean that your children are illegitimate?

[John Thornton]

I believe that Kerry has supported abortion his entire Senate career. Why would the Church grant him an annulment when he was an abortion crusader? Would it do it today if a similar Catholic politician asked for one?

[John Thornton]

It sounds like the Massachusetts Catholic Church existed on two pillars: Protect child abusing priests and service the needs of Catholic politicians.

[Young Rhino]

The annulment is disappointing. I find it interesting that the one daughter is out on the campaign trail trashing Bush on Kerry's behalf. In her shoes, I'd slap Kerry for making her illegitimate in the eyes of the Church.

[Jim Noble]

Why would the Church grant him an annulment when he was an abortion crusader? Would it do it today if a similar Catholic politician asked for one?

Wealthy Massachuttes politicians have regularly gotten annulments.

It is tempting to believe there is some particular corruption associated with wealth and annulments, or being a RAT politician and annulments, but the truth is that the rejection rate is very low (if not zero), and that Kerry, Kennedy, and all the others got annulments because everyone gets annulments.

[Northern Yankee]

Kerry's arrogance is mind-boggling!

"I don't tell church officials what to do, and church officials shouldn't tell American politicians what to do in the context of our public life."

Oh really... I guess John then it means you don't have to suscribe to the doctrine of the church, or the teachings of Christ, or the Ten Commandments. It crimps your style, John?

What an absolute smug attitude.

No wonder you're so lost.

Tell me John, just when did you decide to sell your soul?

Satan must be howling with delight!

[NYer]

Last year, for example the Vatican issued a "doctrinal note" warning Catholic lawmakers that they have a "grave and clear obligation to oppose any law that attacks human life. For them, as for every Catholic, it is impossible to promote such laws or to vote for them."

Faith in Jesus Christ, who is «the way, the truth, and the life»(Jn 14:6), calls Christians to exert a greater effort in building a culture which, inspired by the Gospel, will reclaim the values and contents of the Catholic Tradition. 
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[Northern Yankee]

Glad you saw this.

I can't imagine the arrogance here.

Kerry's basically telling all practicing Catholics that church doctrine only applies to them, and not the supreme, arrogant politicians.

I think every Catholic publication in the United States ought to print his comments, and then see how good, practicing Catholics respond come election time.

[LadyDoc]

Being banned from receiving the Eucharist is excommunication.

Actually, it's not.

Being banned from communion means that you are in a state of mortal sin. Indeed, since Kerry's first marriage has not been annulled, he shouldn't be receiving communion, since he is living in sin...there is a line from Paul that says you shouldn't receive the bread and wine "unworthily"...

For all that is written about JFK, I remember back then he never went to communion, although he usually went to church...so when I heard about his girlfriends, I figured that was the reason why...Kerry doesn't have that problem. He obviously doesn't think receiving the bread and wine is receiving the body and blood of Christ...imagine meeting Christ and saying: Yes, I am your follower, but I will help people murder babies if they chose to do so....

[John Thornton]

I think that Kerry's first marriage *has* been annulled? I'm sure he felt this was needed for his political viability--not because he was an actual believer in any Church doctrine.

[John Thornton]

This got me wondering:

What was Kerry's relationship with the disgraced Cardinal Law of Boston?