Posted on 05/20/2004 6:19:23 AM PDT by NYer
Edited on 05/20/2004 8:46:00 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Forty-eight Roman Catholic members of Congress have warned in a letter to Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington that U.S. bishops will revive anti-Catholic bigotry and severely harm the church if they deny Communion to politicians who support abortion rights.The letter's signers, all Democrats, include at least three House members with strong antiabortion voting records.
"For many years Catholics were denied public office by voters who feared that they would take direction from the Pope," they wrote. ". . . While that type of paranoid anti-Catholicism seems to be a thing of the past, attempts by Church leaders today to influence votes by the threat of withholding a sacrament will revive latent anti-Catholic prejudice, which so many of us have worked so hard to overcome."
The three-page letter, dated May 10, was sent to McCarrick because he heads a task force of U.S. bishops that is considering whether, and how, the church should take action against Catholic politicians whose public positions are at odds with Catholic doctrine.
McCarrick's spokesman, Susan Gibbs, said he would not comment on the letter. She said the seven-member task force is "listening to many different voices" and will grant the 48 House members' request for a meeting. "They will be heard. It just hasn't been arranged yet," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Eventually the Catholic Church, or some other evangelical/Protestant church, is going to get sued by a pro-abortion politician or a homosexual couple for refusing to allow them to "practice their religion."
WHHOOOOPS! I know better than that mistake, I've met with the guy!... Thanks for the correction
Actually, people might respect a religion that stands up for its principles, instead of caving in. I say excommunicate Teddy, Kerry, and Nancy "the mask" Pelosi. Let's see what these "Catholics" say about that.
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Is a Democrat pro-life politician sinning by belonging to a party that clearly supports abortion?
Is this a politician who has voiced his opposition to abortion? Has he supported life? Note that the pol doesn't refute the premise of his treatment - he simply asserts he is identified as "a good guy".
Unless this individual has demonstrated his support of life for the unborn, he is not in agreement with the teachings and requirements of the Roman Catholic church.
No, Romulus. No one will.
I'm asking hard questions here because they're the very questions Catholics will be bringing up to their own bishops, priests, and yes, deacons.
Mere "survival" of the Church is not much of a goal, Romulus. I would prefer that She grow, and bring as many men as possible to Christ. We should use all the human persuasiveness at our disposal, without compromising the Teachings.
The question that even some bishops are asking is "Just how far do we go in denying the Eucharist?"
He votes pro-life.
Hey, whatever happend to keeping the state out of religion!
I'm not a bishop.
My opinion - Yes. Democrats actively fund and support Planned Parenthood, perhaps one of the most Satanic organizations on earth. Your question is sort of like asking if a 'pro-Jew' Nazi was sinning by supporting the Nazi Party.
Any 'social justice' issue the pro-life Democrat thinks that he is supporting by belonging to the Democratic party is undermined by his party's clear intent to destroy life. His fund raising is directly funding abortion support. He should "Come out from among them..."
Here is a snippet from a glowing report on the recent pro-death march in Washington along with their clear connection to Democratic politicians:
Gloria Feldt, president of Planned Parenthood, told the marchers: "There is a war on choice. We didn't start it, but we are going to win it! They're not just after abortion rights. This is a full-throttle war on your very health—on your access to real sex education, birth control, medical privacy, and life-saving research." Feminist icon Gloria Steinem took it further by stating, ‘‘We are here to take back our country.''Link HERE.Dr. Lorraine Cole, president of the Black Women’s Health Imperative, stressed to the crowd that "the reproductive health of Black women is in a state of crisis. Black women are suffering and dying too often, too soon and needlessly."
A major point made by speakers at this rally was that members of the pro-choice movement must take their message to the polls. With many leaders of the Democratic Party in attendance, the rally had a very pro-Democratic Party platform. Large numbers in the crowd carried signs for John Kerry.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) noted that the last time abortion-rights supporters rallied in Washington, the nation elected her husband to the presidency just six months later. ''We didn't have to march for 12 long years because we had a government that respected the rights of women,'' Clinton said. ''The only way we're going to be able to avoid having to march again and again and again is to elect John Kerry president.''
Clinton’s statement that massive numbers did not march for reproductive rights in Washington during her husband’s administration is correct; however, this fact can hardly be attributed to a government that respected the rights of women.
One can see that almost every one of the major pro-choice organizations in the country is a major contributor to the Democratic Party.
You're "Exhibit B" of why we cannot win hearts and minds with a hammer.
I like your posts, Sinkspur, but I think you are wrong here. There is no 'hammerless' approach to this issue. Jesus didn't shrink from the hammer and, indeed, the brutality of the Roman hammer won many hearts and minds and brought about our salvation.
Respectfully,
A_R
Then Lynch must have been corrupted even faster than most of them (remember when Ted Kennedy was against abortion?). He ran as pro-life, and that's always been his reputation around here. I'll have to write or at least e-mail (since I don't have a printer). Thanks for the heads-up!
Weill, I disagree. This is a democratic republic, and one must persuade in order to win hearts and minds.
Voters do not react well to threats, even Catholic voters. The fact that most Catholic bishops have not joined the chorus ought to give pause to those who have.
Absolutely nothing has changed! These (Catholic in Name Only) politicians are being told by their bishops that they should not present themselves for communion, until they repent of their 'pro-death' position. The pols have responded by saying that they want it both ways.
My, my, my. This sounds like government interfering in church business to me. But I'm sure that can't be since the dims mantra is that government and church matters should remain separate.
What are they going to do? Keep voting Democrat? They're already doing that.
The fact that most Catholic bishops have not joined the chorus ought to give pause to those who have.
C'mon...you know what's going on. Cdl. McCarrick is gonna keep this bottled up until after the election, and his brother bishops know it. Many bishops are too intimidated to speak out, although some give tacit approval to the USCCB Democrat Caucus. Abp. Burke and others are saying "not so fast," and are refusing to keep this issue hidden.
Excommunicate them all -- let God sort them out!
I bet they like it both ways! LOL
Thanks for the correction.
I sit corrected.
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