Kerry can do anything he wants as a Catholic (My Title)

New York Times ^ | 4/6/04 | KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

[Andyman]

(Excerpt)

He (Kerry) added: "I'm not a church spokesman. I'm a legislator running for president. My oath is to uphold the Constitution of the United States in my public life. My oath privately between me and God was defined in the Catholic church by Pius XXIII and Pope Paul VI in the Vatican II, which allows for freedom of conscience for Catholics with respect to these choices, and that is exactly where I am. And it is separate. Our constitution separates church and state, and they should be reminded of that."

Mr. Kerry apparently meant John XXIII, as there is no Pius XXIII.

[Andyman]

Apparently, Mr. Kerry thinks that he can do whatever he wants, vote how he likes, and suffer not the wrath of the Vatican because he has his own conscience. Just slightly arrogant?

[cynicom]

Kerry is right, he checks with his Rabbi before he says anything.

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[newgeezer]

Hard to imagine that there was a time in this country when a Roman Catholic had no hope of being elected President.

[Paul Atreides]

Kerry has only one deity, and, it has a picture of a dead president on it.

[biblewonk]

It must not mean the same thing that it used to.

[broadsword]

Johnhammed al Qerry is NOT Catholic.

I am Catholic, and I am voting for the good Protestant in this race. My priest says it is a sin to vote for a pro-abortion candidate. Even if it weren't, voting for Qerry would make me puke.

[paguch]

Does anyone know if Kerry joined Kennedy in trying to throw the Vatican out of the U.N.? Kerry and Kennedy join Daschle, Pelosi, Biden and others in defying the Catholic Church. Catholics need to stand up and vote for a religious and honest man, George Bush and leave the twice married Kerry and Kennedy to their unearned wealth that they feel so guilty about. I am tired of liberals who think the middle class should be taxed to salve their conscience for being so wealthy.

Voters need to tell the gigolo and drunken murderer to join a cult and leave Catholics alone. Unfortunately, in Boston money seems to trump God.

[Notwithstanding]

John Faux- Kerry

(pick anything he claims to be, or stand for, to fill in after the hyphen)

[GoLightly]

I think someone in the Church should explain that "freedom of conscience" deal better to him. Isn't it the responsibilty of the body to prod him back in the right direction if they see him falling off the path? Like a willful child, he strikes out at those who try to help back to the teachings of his faith.

[sr4402]

Our constitution separates church and state, and they should be reminded of that

Kerry thinks he can tell the church and his Pope whats what. They should clean his clock.

[D-fendr]

Obviously Kerry thinks Christianity is a political handicap.

[arkady_renko]

freedom of conscience...

Must be a fully, properly formed conscience, not a deformed one. This is the same argument used by all the leftists in the Church.

A_R

[GOPrincess]

Kerry doesn't follow Catholic teachings in more ways than one. National Review's "The Corner" ran a photo yesterday of Kerry receiving Communion in a Protestant church last weekend... I'm still curious whether Kerry received an annulment from his first marriage after his civil marriage to Teresa and was married to Teresa in a Church wedding. If these actions did not take place, he should not be receiving Communion as he has been. A CNSnews.com article by Paul Weyrich today says that Kerry, like Ted Kennedy, received an annulment, but other recent articles only say Kerry "sought" the annulment, not that he received it. I'd like to know the facts, not because I'm Catholic (I'm Protestant) but I think it's an important character issue --is Kerry living by the tenets of his chosen faith, or is he a double-talking flip-flopper here too?

I have forwarded this query to a couple of conservative columnists but suspect that some may be reluctant to touch the questions for fear of being called judgmental of another's religious faith...but I think these are valid questions to ask to assess Kerry's character.

[TrueBeliever9]

Our constitution separates church and stateDoesn't know the Constitution either! Wish he would publish how he arrived at this view; true Constitutional scholars differ with Mr. Kerry on this issue.

[TrueBeliever9]

Our constitution separates church and state

Doesn't know the Constitution either! Wish he would publish how he arrived at this view; true Constitutional scholars differ with Mr. Kerry on this issue.

[broadsword]

A man who cannot be faithful to his wife, religion, country, oaths or anything other than his own personal appetites is a danger to everyone around him. We saw that very clearly for the eight ugly years of B. J. Clintoilet.

I don't see Kerry as any different from Clintoilet, perhaps worse even.

[bobo1]

Kerry is not a Catholic. He is a hypocrite claiming to be a Catholic. Churches are full of hypocrites that go for show, or participating in Paschal's Wager. Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites for good reason.

Catholics are Catholics because of what they believe. If you do not adhere to the foundational teachings of Catholicism, you have no right to claim fellowship in that particular body.

The premise that the "Pope" cannot tell me what to do and I must separate my personal from my public life is outright blatant hypocrisy. Kerry is only a Catholic in "privacy".

Despite some thinking that Jesus was meek and mild, he called hypocrites, HYPOCRITES, along with alot of other things. The Catholic Church should boot Kerry out, in the least refuse communion.

If you are not following the church and the teachings, then it can only be surmised that you are using the church for gain. A money changer.

I am not Catholic, I am Pentecostal. A Christian does not believe that it is okey dokey to kill the unborn, to practice homosexuality, let alone have them marry or have a civil union. That is an abomination to God, and contrary to Catholic and Protestant teaching.

Blessings, Bobo

[MEGoody]

"Just slightly arrogant?"

Arrogant? Perhaps. But I've yet to see the Vatican (or local RC authorities) take any action against any political leader. He's not running much of a risk.

[GOPrincess]

Well, apparently he's not supposed to be offered Communion in Boston or St. Louis (which is why he went to a Protestant church in St. Louis last Sunday)...it was made very clear he would be refused in St. Louis. Whether that would actually happen in Boston remains to be seen, but there are a handful of articles available via Google News today saying that Kerry is facing a quandary over where to attend Easter services. His staff fears a photo of him being refused. There was also a story he was seeking out a hostile priest to refuse him so he could be a "martyr"!