[Bombshell: KERRY not validly married?] MEDIA INTEREST IN KERRY’S CATHOLICISM GROWS

Catholic League ^ | April 2, 2004 | William Donohue

[Notwithstanding]

Catholic League president William Donohue commented as follows:

“The Catholic League does not possess a theological micrometer that judges, with digital precision, how ‘good’ a Catholic is. Furthermore, it is not our business anyway. But it is also true that we will not pretend disinterest in subjects that touch on the issue of Catholics in public life.

“This week’s issue of Time magazine says Senator John Kerry ‘sought an annulment of his 18-year first marriage before marrying again.’ News reports indicate, however, that Kerry didn’t seek an annulment until after he married Teresa Heinz in a civil ceremony in 1995. Today’s New York Times says Kerry ‘sought an annulment from the church when he was divorced from his first wife.’ Notice that neither Time nor the New York Times says that an annulment was granted. They say it was ‘sought.’

“Kerry cannot claim that this is a private matter since he publicly joked about his quest for an annulment on the Don Imus show of May 8, 1997. ‘Seventy-five percent of all annulments in the world take place in the United States,’ Kerry said, ‘and I guess the figure drops to 50 percent if you take out all Massachusetts politicians.’ He continued saying, ‘It’s one of those special Catholic things. It’s like confession or feeling guilty about things you haven’t even thought of doing.’

“On February 16, 2004, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that ‘Kerry’s office didn’t respond to several e-mail and telephone requests’ regarding the question of whether an annulment was granted. On March 23, 2003, the Providence Journal-Bulletin said that Kerry ‘will not say whether he obtained an annulment of his first marriage….’ Why the reticence, especially since Kerry says his ‘current marriage is in good graces with the church?’

“Why does this matter? If Kerry did not receive an annulment, then he is not married in the Catholic Church and cannot receive the sacraments. But even if he was annulled, did he and Teresa Heinz get married in the Catholic Church following the annulment? If not, then Kerry is not married in the Church, thus raising all sorts of questions.”

[Cvengr]

Are all the orders of the Jesuits and annals of the Vatican of public knowledge?

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

The matter IS important to Catholics. And also guess what? The head of state of the United States is in a position to have meetings or audiences or whatever you want to call them with the Head of the Vatican - the Pope. This could get very interesting indeed.

[pbear8]

If I recall my Catholicism correctly, back in the day, children of an anulled marriage were not allowed to participate in the Church...as they were seen as illegitimate. I am sure this has all been changed.

Whoa, Karl, pull out your Code of Canon Law! The children of annulled marriages are seen as innocent victims of their parents and are considered legitimate. What the Church annuls is the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony not the civil marriage. In other words, the sacrament is declared invalid by those who first administered it.

[Conservative til I die]

remember talking to one of the priests who was sought out by Rep. Joe Kennedy's former wife after she was devastated by the "annulment" that good ole Joe sought. He told me the whole practice was as dirty and corrupt as the selling of indulgences.

Knew this wouldn't take long. Instead of criticising Kerry, you have to go after the Church and the practice itself, and try to do a little Reformation Protestant association with indulgences. This thread should be a blast. Can't wait to read the rest of it.

[Conservative til I die]

It's kinda important to us Catholics. Our religion and morals actually matter to us. And when some scumball like Kerry tries to represent himself as one of us, we take it to heart.

[TrueBeliever9]

I worked with a woman who was divorced and broke up another marriage, then marrying that man. She is forbidden to take Holy Communion in the Catholic Church. Will someone please explain to me why Kerry can waltz into a Catholic Church and take Holy Communion?

[nmh]

It's INSANE to even suggest that ANYONE can ANNUL a marriage after EIGHTEEN YEARS! I don't care what religion the person claims to be!

[Lucky2]

If John F'n Kerry is going to go around and tell the world he's a devote Catholic, then he needs to live within the guildelines of the church. Apparently he's not, thus proving again, he's a complete fraud.

[Conservative til I die]

I think it's because being a Democrat and pro-abortion is almost a given. A scandal so beaten to death that, unfortunately, everyone accepts it as the way things are, i.e., not worth talking about. But, to say you've gotten an annulment, and lie about it, and actually be married tp twp women at the same time, at least in the Church's view, that's newsworthy.

[nmh]

Past media reports did not indicate the grounds on which Kerry sought to annul his marriage of 18 years, after it produced two children, and the campaign also declined to provide any explanation.

Sheer insanity as well - TWO kids! Then he meets the ketchup lady and goes from near homelessness to extreme wealth. What a shameless gigolo! The entire idea of annulment is bizarre UNLESS it is done quickly like a few days or a month but NOT EIGHTEEN Years LATER - that's a DIVORCE.

[Conservative til I die]

Father McCloskey said, American bishops are "in a quandary" over just what to do about Catholic politicians who fail to uphold church doctrine on issues like abortion. Punitive measures like denying Mr. Kerry communion could backfire, he said.

A dissappointing quote. Our bishops are supposed to worry about upholding the faith, not political backlash.

[Conservative til I die]

This is a big deal to anyone in communion with the church. However, I'd say 3/4ths of the Catholics in America today are not.

And unfortunately, the other 25% of us (I'm not one to talk about practicing devoutly, but my beliefs are conservative Catholic and loyal to the magistrate) probably are already voting Republican already.

[chiefqc]

kerry is nothing but an empty suit.

[John Thornton]

But just last week he made a rare appearance on the Senate floor to vote against a bill that would make harming a fetus a separate offense during the commission of a crime. The vote put Kerry on the same side as abortion-rights advocates in opposing specific legal rights for the unborn—and against nearly two-thirds of his fellow Senators.

Funny how most of the newspaper articles on this bill didn't bother mentioning how Kerry voted. Still, I predict this vote will be huge down the road. It shows that he so fanatical about killing babies that he is willing to let thugs who kick in the belly of expectant mothers off the hook.

[Ann Archy]

On March 23, 2003, the Providence Journal-Bulletin said that Kerry 'will not say whether he obtained an annulment of his first marriage….' Why the reticence, especially since Kerry says his 'current marriage is in good graces with the church?'On March 23, 2003, the Providence Journal-Bulletin said that Kerry 'will not say whether he obtained an annulment of his first marriage….' Why the reticence, especially since Kerry says his 'current marriage is in good graces with the church?'

CHECKMATE.

[Mo1]

only about the votes he hopes it will garner him.

True .. but it usually help not to tell the pope to butt out and mine your own business

Kerry seems to be on a roll insulting catholic's and making a mockery of our religion

[Mo1]

Have you seen this one

[Conservative til I die]

Divorce is not an obstacle to receiving the Sacraments. Let's reason through it logically. a) There is no such thing as "divorce" to the Catholic Church. b) Hence, without an annulment, civilly divorced people are still considered married in the Church. c) Civil law on marriage doesn't mean anything to the Church. It's just that civil law usually coincides with Catholic law, i.e., when one gets married in a Catholic Church, they are getting civilly married as well as the priest has the power vested in him by the state of so and so to ordain a marriage.

So, a divorced man who is not living in sin with anyone else and is in a state of grace is still considered married to the Church, and eligible to receive the sacraments.

[Conservative til I die]

I'm going to guess it depends on the society. I know Catholics are prohibited from being members of the Freemasons. Mostly because the Freemasons do represent themselves as a quasi-religious society, and their oaths talk about a more Deist form of God, which of course, the Catholic Church doesn't believe in.

[homemom]

Hadn't seen it but did hear little bits of it. Thanks for pinging me to it.

This man just makes me sick. He is mocking the church. I'm not Catholic so I don't know all the details of annulments and such, but in our church Communion is taken seriously and it's perfectly clear that he is just mocking the Sacrement, the church, and ultimately God.

If he can take God's laws so lightly and flaunt them, what would he do to man's laws if he was president???