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What a Kerry presidency would mean for Catholics
Catholic World News ^ | Apr. 08 | Phil Lawler

Posted on 04/12/2004 11:20:02 AM PDT by Straight Vermonter

Many CWN readers are worried that having John Kerry in the White House would be disastrous for the United States. I share their concerns. But right now I want to offer a few thoughts on what a Kerry presidency could do to the Catholic Church.

What would it mean for the Catholic Church if John Kerry is elected?

We all know where Kerry stands on crucial moral issues such as abortion, stem-cell research, assisted suicide, same-sex unions, and parental choice in education: he stands against the teachings of the Church.

Last week, the Massachusetts senator gave us a vivid reminder of his commitment to the "culture of death." He has rarely cast a vote in the Senate during the past six months; he's been too busy on the campaign trail to fulfill his legislative duties. (As one of his constituents, I'm perfectly happy with that arrangement, since he always votes the wrong way. But that's a different story.) This past week, however, he flew across the country to be in Washington just so that he could vote against a bill that established penalties for harming unborn children in the course of a federal crime. The bill passed, and President Bush has signed it into law. But Kerry wanted to take a stand with the abortion lobby.

As the presidential campaign shifts into high gear, first Time magazine and then the New York Times have carried stories depicting Kerry as a serious practicing Catholic. That's not an accurate picture. The truth is that he doesn't even pretend to take his faith seriously-- at least outside of election years.

When Kerry marched into a Catholic church for Mass-- late-- wearing his designer ski clothes, a campaign aide told reporters frankly that the event was a "photo-op." That's a horribly cynical attitude toward the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. But there may be worse in store. According to the American Spectator, the Kerry campaign may be plotting to arrange a much more sinister much more serious "photo-op" in a ploy designed to sharpen divisions with the Catholic Church.

For more than 40 years-- ever since the regrettably famous "Houston speech" in which John F. Kennedy that he would never let his Catholic beliefs influence his public policies-- there have been tensions between loyal Catholics who support the Church and politicians who wrap themselves in the mantle of the faith while flouting key moral teachings. That conflict has been sharpened during 30 years of debate over legal abortion-- with euthanasia and homosexuality added to the mix in the past decade. Year after year, loyal Catholics have asked why the US bishops do not take effective disciplinary action against pro-abortion "Catholic" politicians.

Last year, in a doctrinal note on the moral responsibilities of Catholic political leaders, the Vatican asked the same question. And now at last, a few bishops have shown an inclination to take some action. By far the most forthright is Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, who has said that he would deny the Eucharist to a pro-abortion Catholic politician, and specifically included Senator Kerry in that category.

The result? According to the American Spectator, Kerry's campaign staff is considering a plan to set up a situation in which the Senator would be denied Communion-- with plenty of reporters and cameras on hand to record the event. Evidently, some Kerry strategists feel that the incident would increase their man's popularity-- at the expense of the Catholic Church.

If Kerry goes through with this stunt, of course, we'll know exactly how seriously he takes his faith, since he would be risking his soul for the sake of a few votes.

But the gesture could have grave significance for other Catholics in America, too. If Candidate Kerry is willing even to consider such a direct slap at a Catholic bishop, can there be any doubt that President Kerry would pursue policies directly hostile to the Church? If he is ready to make a faithful bishop the object of contempt, isn't he likely to encourage contempt for Catholics in general? Anti-Catholicism has a long and lurid history in America, but with the election of a President who had gone out of his way to offend against the Church, we would have reached a new low.

And that's not all.

In our nation's continuing culture wars, there is more and more pressure to force Christians into compliance with policies that are at odds with their faith. We've already seen Canada pass legislation that makes it a "hate crime" to preach against homosexuality. We've seen young students barred from prayer in school, but required to attend sex-education classes at which they are instructed in the use of condoms. We've seen landlords forced to accept homosexual tenants, and employers required to hire gay activists, under the guise of civil-rights law. We've seen medical students denied degrees because they refused to participate in abortions. We've seen judicial candidates rejected because they professed beliefs that the vast majority of American Christians would share. The pressure is mounting.

If Massachusetts recognizes same-sex "marriage"-- which now seems virtually inevitable-- new challenges to Christian morality are inevitable. How long will it be before someone suggests that the Catholic Church is discriminatory in refusing to solemnize these unions? For that matter, how long will it be before feminists ask for government action against a Church that does not ordain women?

In any such battles, Americans can count on their First Amendment rights to religious freedom. But those rights can be eroded, when there is no common agreement on what the religion teaches and requires.

Now imagine that, two or three years from now, some anti-Catholic group inaugurates a campaign to outlaw all public protest against abortion. Catholics would protest, naturally, and point out that their faith requires them to oppose the slaughter of the innocent. But the pro-abortion activists might then say: "But look, the President is a Catholic, and he doesn't see anything wrong with this new plan, so it can't be an anti-Catholic policy!"

In 1960, John F. Kennedy promised that if elected as President, he wouldn't act on his Catholic faith; that promise assured his election. But we've come a long way in 44 years, and if John Kerry is elected, we know that he won't act on his faith. The relevant question, with Kerry in the White House, will be how long any American Catholic will be allowed to act in accordance with the moral teachings of the Church.




TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; catholic; catholicchurch; catholicpoliticians; cultureofdeath; kerry
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1 posted on 04/12/2004 11:20:03 AM PDT by Straight Vermonter
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To: rrstar96; NYer
ping
2 posted on 04/12/2004 11:24:04 AM PDT by lsucat
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To: Straight Vermonter
I hope he tries this stunt.

It will keep practicing Catholics from voting for him. And maybe it'll open the eyes of pro-union labor type Catholics (like my parents) that they've been abandoned by the democrats.
3 posted on 04/12/2004 11:32:34 AM PDT by kidd
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To: Coleus
Ping
4 posted on 04/12/2004 11:33:13 AM PDT by Straight Vermonter (06/07/04 - 1000 days since 09/11/01)
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To: lsucat
No way would Kerry actively seek out such a confrontation. He will continue to straddle the fence as long as possible. It would be nice if someone would confront HIM.
5 posted on 04/12/2004 11:35:01 AM PDT by johnb838 (Allah hates jihadists and delights in sending them to hell)
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To: lsucat
I know that I am not the sharpest "tack in box" but, I have been wracking my brain trying to come up with something about John Kerry that I just could not put my finger on. His actions kept reminding me of something/someone deep in the inner recesses of my brain. His speech, thought processes and mechanical functions, et. al.
Now, just reading Ann Coulter's latest editorial it hit me! Kerry talks to HARVEY (the pooka.) Watch him he is the essence of Jimmy Stewart's character, Elwood P. Doud!
If anyone agrees with this, has noticed the same things please send me a reply to my site.
6 posted on 04/12/2004 11:35:56 AM PDT by jackd (prezideent)
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To: kidd
That's why he and his camp chose the CINO Paulist Center to attend on Easter.
7 posted on 04/12/2004 11:46:19 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham
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To: johnb838
It would be nice if someone would confront HIM.

I don't know how it would all play out, but I would LOVE it if that happened. I want to see someone stand up and do what's right. It's bad enough to have the CINO Mary Landrieu as my senator...to have Kerry as president would make me absolutely sick.

8 posted on 04/12/2004 11:49:34 AM PDT by lsucat
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To: Straight Vermonter
Giving Aid & Comfort.
9 posted on 04/12/2004 11:55:10 AM PDT by PsyOp (The commonwealth is theirs who hold the arms.... - Aristotle.)
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To: Straight Vermonter
We live in the Archdiocese of St. Louis--Archbishop Burke. I love it that he has the backbone to defend the faith, but worry that Kerry will come here to challenge him on it. Not that I would mind seeing him face to face with our Archbishop-- but knowing he's basically a coward, I think he will instead go to a parish within the Archdiocese that has a sympathetic pastor and take Communion there. Acting like a child, "nyah nyah, you can't stop me."
10 posted on 04/12/2004 12:03:02 PM PDT by BizzeeMom ("We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Bl. Teresa of Calcutta)
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To: kidd
Don't hold your breath. This "stunt" is the invention of the Spectator, not the JF'inK camp. It is kind of like "Hillary will annoint herself at the convention" crap. You never, ever hear a Dem talking about it - it is always the Dick Morrises of the world.
11 posted on 04/12/2004 12:07:38 PM PDT by lugsoul (Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin on the mountainside.)
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To: Straight Vermonter
If Kerry (God forbid) is elected president, no bishop would ever dare to deny a "Catholic" president communion. Just imagine the damage to the faith, and yes to the obedience, by faithful Catholics who would be scandalized on a regular basis whenever the "Catholic" Kerry would pose for a photo-op at a Catholic mass. If the bishops think that their hold on the laity is weak and vulnerable at present, just wait until Kerry is president.
12 posted on 04/12/2004 12:15:53 PM PDT by conservativehistorian
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To: lugsoul
Well, you're right.

The Kerry strategy from here on out is to be as non-confrontational as possible.

However, the fraudcast newstoadies will be as confrontational as possible - and lying if they think they can get away with it.

Nevertheless, the main point of the article is a real concern. A Kerry Presidency would be a disaster for American Catholics.
13 posted on 04/12/2004 12:18:39 PM PDT by kidd
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To: kidd
Unfortunately most Catholics, around here at least, don't really care what their faith teaches and reliably vote Democratic year in and year out.
14 posted on 04/12/2004 12:20:19 PM PDT by Unam Sanctam
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To: conservativehistorian
There SS an earlier thread on Easter Sunday with an e-mail address for the Boston Archdiocese with a suggestion to send them messages, but I don't know if many did send e-mails to Archbishop O'Malley, but I hope they flow in from the masses (no pun intended on the Mass).

On Good Friday, I called the Paulist Center and it was not a pleasant conversation. The director was extremely arrogant and acted as if he was taking a political poll. His e-mail address is listed on the Paulist Center Webpage.
15 posted on 04/12/2004 12:23:07 PM PDT by Seniram US
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To: Straight Vermonter
Could be his strategy to give his base a boost. But, Kerry was the first one to trade on his Catholicism. The media took it from there.

If the Bishops and Cardinals in the US are smart, they will stick to the Canons of the Church against the popular culture and this politician who is gamely using the Church as a credential.

If they refuse to heed what the Church teaches, and they themselves are the teachers of the Church, then they will be enthralled to not only Kerry, but every single politician and the strictures, and structure of the Catholic Church in America could be undermined. They had better remember that while Caesar has the coin, they answer to Another ultimately. That "Other" is very real.

Of course, that could be the game.

16 posted on 04/12/2004 12:51:08 PM PDT by OpusatFR (John Kerry - Cheezewhiz for the mind - marshmallow sludge for the masses)
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To: Straight Vermonter
According to the American Spectator, Kerry's campaign staff is considering a plan to set up a situation in which the Senator would be denied Communion-- with plenty of reporters and cameras on hand to record the event. Evidently, some Kerry strategists feel that the incident would increase their man's popularity-- at the expense of the Catholic Church.

This would be interesting at the Church I go to, because they don't allow "kodak moments" during the actual service (including baptism and first communion). Our Priests stance, correctly, is that photography (including without a flash) is a distraction.

17 posted on 04/12/2004 1:34:14 PM PDT by OrioleFan (Republicans believe every day is July 4th, DemocRATs believe every day is April 15th. - Reagan)
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To: kidd
And maybe it'll open the eyes of pro-union labor type Catholics (like my parents) that they've been abandoned by the democrats.

The democrat party was systematically taken over by the socialists. The big push came in the mid 60s, and continues to this day, where they have taken over almost completely.

But old ideas are hard to kill and a lot of democrats still think the party is democratic, when it is in fact a socialist party.

That's why a democrat like Zell Miler sticks out like a sore thumb. He's a democrat dinosaur still kicking around in the socialist (dem) party.

18 posted on 04/12/2004 4:59:03 PM PDT by Capt. Tom (Don't confuse the Bushies with the dumb republicans. - Capt. Tom)
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To: Straight Vermonter
kerry will throw out the Ten Commandments and rewrite the Bible.
19 posted on 04/12/2004 5:01:33 PM PDT by Defender2 (Defending Our Bill of Rights, Our Constitution, Our Country and Our Freedom!!!!)
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To: Straight Vermonter
This past Easter Sunday, kerry(not capitolised on purpose),
even though he fully supports abortion on demand, attended Easter Church Mass Services, recieving an okay to recieve communion from the Boston Archdiocese. I guess the Boston Archdiocese did not here what the Pope said on such matters several weeks ago. Shame on the Boston Archdiocese.
20 posted on 04/12/2004 5:38:24 PM PDT by Defender2 (Defending Our Bill of Rights, Our Constitution, Our Country and Our Freedom!!!!)
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