Posted on 11/13/2009 5:59:25 AM PST by ThomasMore
Dear Congressman Kennedy:
“The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic.” (Congressman Patrick Kennedy)
Since our recent correspondence has been rather public, I hope you don’t mind if I share a few reflections about your practice of the faith in this public forum. I usually wouldn’t do that – that is speak about someone’s faith in a public setting – but in our well-documented exchange of letters about health care and abortion, it has emerged as an issue. I also share these words publicly with the thought that they might be instructive to other Catholics, including those in prominent positions of leadership.
(Excerpt) Read more at thericatholic.com ...
Brilliant letter written by the bishop!
I need to keep a copy of that myself.
Too many times, churches dance around these issues for fear of offending someone, or possibly losing their tax-exempt status.
Now that is a smack down if I ever saw one.
Compared with, say, the former/present archbishop of San Francisco, for instance. Of course, she is who she is, and Kennedy is just a little twerp getting by on his name.
If every Bishop in the US and Canada was this clear in their defence of the Faith and in their criticism of public officials who cling to a pseudo-Catholicism while openly defying the Church, the Church in North American would be much more healthy and invigorated. There are too many Bishops and Priests who lack the courage to defend the Faith with such clarity and resolve. Well done Bishop!
Ow! That’s going to leave a mark.
Thanks for posting the letter. I have emailed it to many friends.
That'll leave a mark!
“The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic.” Well, in fact, Congressman, in a way it does.”
While this is extremely well thought out and written, I certainly would not have qualified this otherwise strong statement with “in a way it does.” I may have said something a bit more direct like: “Well, in fact, you baby murdering POS, you have clearly excommunicated yourself from the Catholic faith!”
....or something equally as subtle.
Militant
Awesome! God Bless Bishop Thomas Tobin.
Good letter!
If this approach fails, would interdiction work? Could bishop's suspend the sacraments in districts that elect punks like Kennedy? Would the "faithful" care if they could not marry, baptize their children, bury their dead? It used to bring rulers around but I doubt its efficacy today.
We need much more of this type public confrontation if the church is to keep any credibility with the people.
Just imagine someone saying they are catholic, but all that virgin stuff and rising from the dead stuff sounds like fairy tales to me. What possible connection with the faith could they have with the church? Why bother even calling yourself "Christian" if you don't believe even the basic dogma that Jesus was born of a virgin and rose from the dead? Is "Jesus was a good man", and "Jesus was a good philosopher" good enough in today's church to be saved?
Killing a baby that has a heartbeat, it's own DNA, blood type, brainwaves, fingerprints, etc, has to be a different argument than whether you believe in contraception or not. Arguing whether you are sinning by contraception or not is different, in my mind, than arguing on dismembering a baby in the womb. One is arguing opinions of the church and the other is arguing if you are even in the human race. To say " I'm a catholic that believes in abortion" is an affront to catholics, not to mention Jesus. The church should have something to say about it, LOUDLY and IN PUBLIC!
BRAVO!
Well said.
God bless America ... God help us in our day, in Jesus name, amen.
From the beginning man has always wanted to do what he wanted to do (what was right in his own eyes); and has always justified it in his own mind.
Nothing has changed.
The Holy Bible has the Word of God; and instructions on how to live to please Him. There is no other way to come to God than through Jesus Christ His only begotten Son.
Father help us in our day, in Jesus name, amen.
I was disgusted when Cardinals, CARDINALS participated in Ted Kennedy’s funeral Mass. That man campaigned for abortion...hello? Excommunication maybe?
And I know his fate is only known to God, but those high officials in the Church should not have been there. One could see it as tacit approval of that man’s life who never publicly renounced elective abortions.
I joined the “Catholic Ping” group some months ago, but found that I needed to pull myself off of it because the tone just pi$$ed me off! Any time some Bishop would write a little letter, everyone would swoon and tout this wonderful action that the Church was taking against the baby murderers. My response is “Talk is not Action!”, and I'm not tolerant of a bunch of a$$-covering blah-blah!
Our so-called Church leaders, from the Pope on down, have done nothing but posture on this issue. This makes them no better than the scum that currently occupy the congress and the White House. I believe this is also one of the primary reasons that 53% of the “faithful” felt free to vote for this low-life POS in the WH.....there are no consequences!
Although Cannon Law prohibits public excommunications, I say “CHANGE IT!!”. Catholics (and catholics) need to see that there are punishments for enabling this travesty though both action and inaction, up to and including excommunication. Do you think some things might turn around then? I believe they will.
Militant
Which Canon would that be? Are you referring to the tribunal or the verdict? The results of ferendae sententiae excommunications are indeed public.
Regardless, that would make my argument even more critical, IMO. The public excommunication of a few high-level congress-pukes would indeed get some heads (and hearts) turning!
Militant
I don't just think, but I know, that if the Church was more vocal, and people were chastised in public, the pew sitters would find some other activity to fill their time on Sunday. I submit that by being more subtle and gentile toward these posers, they endanger many more souls from never seeing the danger involved in what they are doing.
I'm not recommending the Church resort to the "Rack", but the Church needs to be consistent that this is what we believe, and if you don't accept that, then I hear the Muslims love death more than life. Maybe they would be more suited to throat slitting than pretending to be Catholic.
“I’m not recommending the Church resort to the “Rack”,”
Interesting statement. Metaphorically, I think that the Church itself is on the rack, being pulled in every which direction, close to the point of dismemberment. This will continue until it either comes apart althogether, or until it gets back on the right path. Much the same as the GOP....
Amen!
Militant
I've found many Catholics seem to be more intrested in covering for the Church actions than in saving souls. They bristle at the least criticism, even when they don't believe it themselves. I see no advantage in "covering" for Kennedy and others so we can seem more "diverse" in the world's eyes. They need the same message that I and all others get. I couldn't watch the Ted Kennedy ........( I can't even think of an accurate adjective),... funeral pretending there was anywhere but the pit destined for this guy, and there was the church in all it's splendor gushing over the guy. How many people have told me not to judge, and it's not my choice that matters, blahh, blahh, blahh. I know all that, but I also believe Jesus when He said we would know them by their fruit. When he was instrumental in a mountain of murdered babies, some of which he may have even fathered, marriage shams, ... well, let's not talk ill of the dead. You know what I mean. The point isn't Ted Kennedy, it's the church's involvement in all of it. There are millions of Ted Kennedy's out there, but what is the church doing about it.
I am waiting for Pelosi to pay some price for wanting as many dead babies as possible and still remain in the church. She openly confronts the church when she says that abortion isn't settled and she gets a tounge lashing from one op ed piece from the Church. You know and I know the Church could make Pelosi's statements and belief's the center of attention and even take the Health Care bill off the front page. I'm sorta like you, I am weary of talking about it and nothing changes. For me, it's probably time for me to move on to another subject.
I'm still stubborn enough to think that rationality should win the day, but I should know better since humans really act and react emotively about 85% of the time. Such is the human condition, I guess.
Thanks for the conversation!
Militant
Oh you just took the words right out of my mouth.
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