Kerry raps Pope: Senator fuming over gay marriage order

Boston Herald | Saturday, August 2, 2003 | By David R. Guarino

[ninonitti]

Bluntly telling the Vatican to stay out of American politics, U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry yesterday said Pope John Paul II ``crossed the line'' by instructing pols to block legalization of gay marriage.

A fuming Kerry, taking on his own Catholic Church in the midst of a campaign for president, said Rome should have more respect for America's long-held separation of church and state.

``It is important not to have the church instructing politicians. That is an inappropriate crossing of the line in this country,'' Kerry said. ``President Kennedy drew that line very clearly in 1960 and I believe we need to stand up for that line today.''

The Democrat said political concerns are secondary to his moral outrage over Thursday's Vatican statement on gay marriage.

``Our founding fathers separated church and state in America. It is an important separation,'' he said. ``It is part of what makes America different and special, and we need to honor that as we go forward and I'm going to fight to do that.''

Catholics were stunned at the broadside from Kerry, saying he's sure to draw the ire of some 65 million voting Catholics.

``What one often calls separation of church and state guarantees the religion the right to express its convictions,'' said Monsignor Francis Maniscalco of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. ``To object to religious people's deep moral convictions . . . would also create a problem because it would also (fail to) recognize something the First Amendment guarantees.''

Former Vatican Ambassador Raymond Flynn said Kerry was just wrong. ``I don't see it as crossing any line at all,'' Flynn said. ``Too many Catholic politicians want to have it both ways, they want the Catholic vote but then they go ahead and ignore Catholic teaching.''

The Vatican injected itself into the simmering gay marriage debate Thursday, firing off a letter issuing instructions to Catholic politicians to oppose any legalization efforts.

``The Catholic lawmaker has a moral duty to express his opposition (to gay marriage laws) clearly and publicly and to vote against it,'' the directive read. ``To vote in favor of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral.''

The statement followed by a day strong comments from President Bush denouncing gay marriage proposals.

Kerry, who supports civil unions but opposes the legalization of same-sex marriage, took pains to say, ``I believe in the church'' and ``care about it enormously'' but said church leaders went too far.

Alone among Democrats in criticizing the church, Kerry said he didn't weigh the political impact of his statement.

``This isn't a matter of political calculation, it's simply a matter of strong personal beliefs,'' Kerry said.

The Democratic senator also railed against Republicans who this week said Democratic efforts to block the judicial nomination of Alabama Attorney General William H. Pryor were anti-Catholic. One group, the Ave Maria List, ran print ads equating Democrats' opposition to Pryor as saying ``Catholics need not apply'' to the federal judiciary.

``That couldn't be further from the truth. This judge is not a good judge,'' Kerry said. ``He should not be appointed to the court, and many of us who are Catholic voted against him without regard to Catholicism.''

Kerry also continued his criticism of Bush's ``faith-based'' programs, saying he would end government funding to any religious group.

The White House and Kerry's opponents declined comment.

But the Republican National Committee blamed the sudden attack on the growing popularity of Kerry opponent, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean.

``It seems like a very odd political strategy to attack the Catholic Church but Howard Dean is forcing Sen. Kerry to take a number of odd positions on a number of odd issues,'' said RNC spokeswoman Christine Iverson.

[madison10]

If any one group of people should be familiar with the nuances of political hypocrisy it is the Papacy.

[xp38]

I find this all very ironic. Anyone remember when JFK was running for President that the big worry was him being under the direction of the Vatican?

[Malesherbes]

Note that this account comes from the Boston Herald. The Boston Globe (owned by the New York Times) will paint Kerry as a hero fighting against the evil, homophobic, anti-man-boy-love, spoil-sport Pope.

[oldironsides]

The pretend Catholics will just have to make a decision soon. The voting on the judges is a test of the faith. Many are failing miserably. The men marrying men issue will further test them. They are not upset about votes or rights of men to marry men. They are angry that they are being tested in a very public way on their faith. Lukewarm and pretend Catholics have been outed. Kennedy's, Leahy ,
Pelosi,Daschle, Kerry and others will either walk away from the church or affirm their faith. It is very easy to carry a label of Catholic, Jew or whatever but it is much harder to live it. I believe you will see many angry politicians on both sides of the aisle.

[DaBroasta]

Actually we agree . . .

Absolutely!

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances".

The system of the anti-liberty "liberals" is to inflate the "Establishment" clause to such an extent as to, for political purposes, essentially moot the "Free Exercise" clause.

The First Amendment is highly controversial; it couldn't be ratified today, sad to say.

"make no law respecting an Establishment" is far weaker than, "shall not establish." And mention of "Congress" explicitly excludes the state governments and therefore is weaker than a blanket prohibition.

Likewise the "liberal" holds the "freedom of speech, and of the press" to mean not that you and I can talk, and can listen to whom we please. Rather, the liberal wants that clause to mean "the right to be bombarded with liberal propaganda;" conservatives need not apply for a job with public-relations influence.

[Right_in_Virginia]

"...why didn't he tell the Pope to mind his own business when the Pope was making all those anti-war comments obviously aimed at the U.S."

That was my first question, too.

Here's my second question: ~~Why haven't I heard Kerry express this same "moral outrage" about religious leaders voicing support FOR gay marriage? Don't they, too, cross his cherished "line between church and state"?

What an unmitigated hypocrite this John F. Kerry is!

[ninonitti]

The Boston Globe (owned by the New York Times) will paint Kerry as a hero fighting against the evil, homophobic, anti-man-boy-love, spoil-sport Pope.

Exactement mon ami!!!

Globe headline today: "Panel Backs Gay Bishop" page one above the fold talking about the Episcopal conference out in Minneapolis......and more than a little misleading to boot when you read the piece.

(I think I'm going to start calling these Globe stories Poof Pieces from now on)

[Northern Yankee]

Excellent post!

As a Catholic I find it amazing when I hear these incredulous remarks by John Kerry.

It truly shows just how far the Democratic Party has strayed since the 1960's.

Kerry should have more respect for his religion, but I guess that doesn't matter to him anymore.

What an absolute creep he is.

[Aetius]

You are absolutely right. Legally recognized gay-unions differ from marriage in name only. If you grant the legal rights, benefits, responsibilities, obligations, status, etc of marriage onto same-sex unions then you have gay marriage, you're just not using the word marriage. That's why Vermont already has gay marriage. That's why politicians who claim to oppose gay marriage, but support recognizing whatever euphemism is used (civil union, domestic partnership) are phony. Part of me thought the radical gay/left lobby would be happy with this deception, but I should have known better. They are past the point of tolerance and even acceptance. Now they demand the celebration of their lifestyle. Thats why they insist on having the word 'marriage', because it has symbolic value and as such its a way to loudly announce that they are going to shove their unnatural lifestyle down the throats of every person in the country.

It is the institution of marriage that must be protected. It is the concept, the social construct of marriage that must be preserved.

[ExSoldier]

Kerry must figure that more gays than Catholics vote...then there are those gay catholics who don't have a voice in the Church...wow what a conundrum he is faced with. Too bad he is incapable of figuring out (because he's a liberal) there is a reason for the definition of "minority."

[Jim Noble]

Kerry must figure that more gays than Catholics vote..

John Kerry knows very well that Catholics vote-and he knows who they vote for.

Why do you think he is a United States Senator?

[geedee]

Great, great commentary! I'm still cleaning up my keyboard after snorting my coffee.

[Tarl]

It's sad to see a politician treat religion as a cloak that can be worn or thrown off. His choice of a talking point to politicize on is apalling but then again I guess he had to give in to his liberal side...can't let Dean have all the marbles. I find it so hard to believe these nine are the REAL Dem wannabe's. I wonder if they are only the Bashing Crew sent out to see what damage can be done before Gore/Clinton announce their true intentions. Also its funny how long Hillary takes to jump on a Dem "talking point", is she as much of a poll-watcher as her infamous husband?
Lately Dems parade out lamenting(lying) that there has been no proof that Iraq posed an imminent threat. Bush never said they were imminent, he warned we mustn't wait till the threat is imminent. The following is quoted from GWB State of the Union :"Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent. Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike? If this threat is permitted to fully and suddenly emerge, all actions, all words, and all recriminations would come too late. Trusting in the sanity and restraint of Saddam Hussein is not a strategy, and it is not an option." SOTU quoted to dispute Demo mantra that the president claimed Iraq's danger was imminent. They lie and mislead everytime they utter this.

[Northern Yankee]

These guys continue to shoot themselves in the foot.

[George W. Bush]

``He should not be appointed to the court, and many of us who are Catholic voted against him without regard to Catholicism.''

Does Kerry know what the Roman church is?

``It seems like a very odd political strategy to attack the Catholic Church but Howard Dean is forcing Sen. Kerry to take a number of odd positions on a number of odd issues,'' said RNC spokeswoman Christine Iverson.

This is weirder yet. Howard Dean is making Kerry defy the church of Rome? I see her point but it's still strange.

[NewCenturions]

"If one has religious convictions, those convictions ought to guide one's actions, including voting on morally charged issues such as the definition of marriage or abortion."

Exactly!

[kstewskis]

``Our founding fathers separated church and state in America. It is an important separation,''

Our founding fathers had no intention of seperating morals and decency from church and state either.

Keep it coming, Kerry. You're a bigger idiot than I originally gave you credit for.

[ken5050]

Rick Santorum said it best yesterday, ( paraphrasing here).."The Dems object to judicial candidates with deeply held beliefs...what do they want, judges with wishy-washy beliefs.."

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

He's a member of anti-Catholic secret societies. He's a member of a grotesquely anti-Catholic party. He supports the slaughter of the unborn and the sale of their body parts. Sum total: He ain't a Catholic. He's not even close. He's a creep. He should be banned from Holy Communion. His bishop should admonish him publicly NOW.