Posted on 04/26/2012 7:26:13 AM PDT by cleghornboy
The Worcester Telegram & Gazette is reporting that:
"Two national religious organizations today will formally ask Bishop Robert J. McManus to reinstate Victoria Reggie Kennedy as the commencement speaker at Anna Maria College.
The small Catholic liberal arts school in Paxton withdrew its invitation last month after the bishop raised concerns with college officials about positions taken by the widow of former U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on abortion, gay marriage, contraception and other social issues of interest to the church.
The school has yet to announce a new speaker.
Representatives of Catholic Democrats are expected to deliver a petition to the chancery on Elm Street requesting the bishop to reverse his decision. The petition has about 20,000 online signatures.
The petition drive was organized by Faithful America, an online interfaith organization concerned with moral and social justice issues.
'Were glad to receive the petition, but I cant comment on it since I havent seen it,' said Raymond L. Delisle, the diocesan spokesman.
Those scheduled to deliver the petition include Steven D. Krueger, the national director of Catholic Democrats; Maureen McCullough, an Anna Maria alumnus, and George Shea of Uxbridge, who worked for Mr. Kennedy in his 1994 re-election bid.
Petition organizers charge that the bishop has associated Mrs. Kennedy with political and social organizations that promote points of view that are contrary to fundamental church teachings, but they said he has not substantiated those claims.
They said the bishop through two intermediaries has declined to speak to Mrs. Kennedy to explain his opposition.
Mr. Krueger said Bishop McManus action is just another example of a political tilt to the right by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
'This issue affects the public square beyond the Diocese of Worcester,' said Mr. Krueger. 'Basically, shes not being allowed to speak because her last name is Kennedy.'"
Got that? Supporters of Victoria Kennedy, angry that Bishop Robert McManus will not permit her to speak at a Catholic college, are demanding that he explain himself to Ms. Kennedy. Now popes and bishops serve God's revealed word, which they are commissioned to hand on (see Lumen Gentium, No. 25 and Dei Verbum, No. 10). Their teaching is not their own. Rather it is a teaching which has been received from the Lord and which they must guard as inviolable and expound with fidelity. A bishop answers to the Holy Father. He answers to God. He does not answer to politicians or certain individuals who happen to have a famous (or infamous) last name.
As the Telegram & Gazette article notes, the petition drive to reinstate Victoria Kennedy as the commencement speaker at Anna Maria College was organized by "Faithful America." This organization, is anything but faithful. It is rather, a liberal ultra-leftist organization which supports the radical homosexual agenda. The organization has referred to the Family Research Council as a "hate group" because of its opposition to the homosexual agenda. It has also worked with homosexual Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, a rabid anti-Catholic bigot, in an effort to get MSNBC to take Family Research Council President Tony Perkins off the air.
A domain registrant search shows that the website for "Faithful America" is maintained by Rev. Jennifer Butler, the Executive Director of Faith in Public Life who has served as the Presbyterian Church (USA) Representative to the United Nations. Rev. Butler, referring to Catholic Rick Santorum, has said that, "few politicians exhibit greater hostility toward gay and lesbian Americans." This because he opposes same-sex "marriage."
Should the Bishop pay any attention to a petition organized by Catholophobic individuals who are bent on promoting the radical homosexual agenda and progressive policies which are not consistent with Catholic moral teaching?
Bishop: “Ms. Kennedy’s positions are heretical. Catholic colleges in my diocese will not actively promote heresy. Ms. Kennedy will be welcome at the Sacrament of Reconciliation when she is ready to repent and rejoin the Catholic Church.”
(He could add “Bless her heart!” or “Have a nice day!” if he cared to, as well.)
To reiterate what posters on the Boston Herald web-site are saying. What are her qualifications to speak there in the first place? That she’s a f-ing Kennedy?
Isn’t she a divorced woman who hooked up with and married Ted Kennedy while he was still married to Joan?
Or did the church annul Ted’s marriage to Joan?
I am confused.
So many Kennedy Catholic marriages, so little time
And if she is another fine upstanding CINO, how much of Teddy’s money has she given to the church?
” (He could add Bless her heart! or Have a nice day! if he cared to, as well.) “
If this sets off the “social justice” crowd, just wait until the laity rise up, finally, and push back after lo’ these many years of the apostates having the run of the field for decades, unchallenged by laity and the sleepy USCCB alike.
Times are changing.
Where are we going to be on the FORTNIGHT protest? We are going to be, hopefully, off our knees and on the field!
Last time I checked, the school is not publicly owned. .... And then there's that whole thing about the Libs trying to force Christians "out of the public square"....
I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you're talking about at all.
I haven’t checked this out myself yet. Here’s what is getting out as of yesterday.
The USCCB have have called for priests, religious and laity to rise up over the course of four days, (FORTNIGHT) between like the last fourdays of June into July. Caught it myself on the radio yesterday and Bill Mad Dog Donahue is speaking about it also—how at long last the Bishops are in a fine lather and willing to push back and calling in the troops to assist in doing so.
Arrests are actually HOPED for, if it reverses the Obama assault on religious liberty, AND hurts badly his chances to be re-elected, especially in certain swing states. The radio discussion centered around the optics of priests and nuns being led away in cuffs for something the Church has always believed and practiced EXCEPT for in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
The USCCB website is said to be full of tactical efforts in place and they are NOT waiting on the Supreme Court. YEA!
Okay, thanks. I’ll have to check the USCCB website and see if there’s any way I can participate.
A “fortnight” is two weeks, but four days is far more workable as a demonstration “window,” for people who have jobs and lives ;-).
I did not see anything on the USCCB website relating to the news of yesterday’s radio report I heard while traveling between Austin and Amarillo.
I lobbed over to the Catholic League website, and there is a link to a Newsmax article, announcing “the Bishops” plan for the protest:
An exerpt—
” Roman Catholic leaders are calling for two weeks of public protests against President Barack Obama’s policies as they intensify their argument that the administration is engaged in a war on religion.
The days between June 21 and July 4 have been set aside by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops which has sought to end the administration’s contraception mandate, among other policies.
The protests against the Obama administrations policies could be the game-changer in the presidential election, one leading lay churchman told Newsmax on Tuesday.
The protests, dubbed A Fortnight for Freedom will be an unprecedented, aggressive attack against policies that church leaders see as an assault on religious freedom, said Catholic Advocate chairman Deal Hudson. “
Hey,Vicky...you’re a Unitarian/Universalist masquerading as a Catholic.That’s what the Bishop was really saying.
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