It may be that they have gotten so used to relying on the Ted Kennedy and John Kerry types to tow the liberal line and distort Catholic teachings that they just asssumed they had a right to authority over Catholic sacramental matters
as well. Talk about statist totalitarianism out of control! Where do they think they are, China? The Soviet Union? Albania?
"It may be that they have gotten so used to relying on the Ted Kennedy and John Kerry types to tow the liberal line and distort Catholic teachings that they just asssumed they had a right to authority over Catholic sacramental matters "
This is excellent analysis -- they are so used to going to dissidents to comment "authoritatively" on Church/moral matters, that to them, dissident = Church.
They can't afford to NOT have Catholic dissidents speaking out! It actually gives them some "Catholic cover" for non-Catholic, fundamentally immoral positions. If these Kennedy-Kerry "Catholics" are all discredited and no longer able to be called Catholics, the scales will fall from some people's eyes . . . NO ONE, including the media, will be able to then PRETEND that you can be a Catholic and support abortion.
It was a great scam, while it lasted! Hopefully, its days are numbered . . . ;)