U.S. Priests urged to Make Abortion and Election Center of Sermons Until November

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | Tuesday August 17, 2004

[cpforlife.org]

Priests for Life Leader on Tour in South Dakota to Promote a Truly Catholic Vote

SIOUX FALLS, S.D., August 17, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) -

Fr. Frank Pavone, director of the international pro-life organization, Priests for Life, will be coming into the Sioux Falls area to give several powerful talks to the clergy and the general public on August 18th and 19th. In what is being hailed as a "whistle-stop" tour of Sioux Falls, Fr. Pavone will be speaking to thousands of area residents about the November election.

Fr. Pavone will also be leading a demonstration and prayer vigil in front of the Sioux Falls Planned Parenthood clinic, and will be meeting privately with Bishop Robert Carlson at the Catholic Pastoral Center.

The focus of Fr. Pavone's message will be that it is impossible to be a Catholic in good standing with the Church and yet vote for pro-abortion candidates. Fr. Pavone will be aggressively targeting Catholic and Christian voters, and urging them to "bring their Christian convictions into the voting booth on November 2nd." He will also be issuing the following challenge to all the priests of the diocese: "Make the abortion issue and the election the central focus of all your homilies between now and November. Urge the tens of thousands in your flock to vote pro-life candidates into office!"

Dismissing charges that he and Priests for Life are trying to unfairly influence the presidential election, Fr. Pavone stated: "All we are saying is that this year's elections are pivotal for the pro-life movement, and that it is therefore imperative that we elect more public officials who are willing to do something to restore full protection to the lives of unborn children."

[american colleen]

Fr. Frank Pavone/Priests for Life not allowed in the Archdiocese of Boston. Too divisive.

[Tuco Ramirez]

But what about social justice, and shade-grown coffe beans (to be honest, I'm not sure what the second one means exactly, but that's what the freaks talk about in my church).

As long as these freaks are allowed to elevate their "concerns" to the same level as those you've mentioned, the Catholic vote will always favor baby-killing Democrats (ala 2000).

[NYer]

Fr. Clifford Stevens has done an immense amount of Constitutional research into how Roe v. Wade can be overturned. In his correspondence with one of the Justices currently on the Court, he was told that it was not the arguments that would change the decision, but rather having the right people on the bench.

Faith in Jesus Christ, who is «the way, the truth, and the life»(Jn 14:6), calls Christians to exert a greater effort in building a culture which, inspired by the Gospel, will reclaim the values and contents of the Catholic Tradition. 
The Participation of Catholics in Political Life

In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue; participation in the political process is a moral obligation.

Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility

Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list

[cpforlife.org]

Tell me more. Even WITH Archbishop O'Malley? Was this his order?

[Porterville]

I'm glad the church is finally doing what they believe is right. Now if they'd only preach about what is scripture all the time- and tell,and exclaim- what it is to practice doctrine.

[He Rides A White Horse]

While not a Catholic, Mr Pavone is an impressive figure.

[cpforlife.org]

Yes indeed Tuco.

See http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1193026/posts?page=8#8

[He Rides A White Horse]

....too cynical, Askel5...............

[Dumb_Ox]

I wonder if these efforts would be better directed at getting more pro-lifers to their party's caucuses. One has greater influence there than in the general election.

[cpforlife.org]

Good point.

Sadly that is so far ahead of where they are. I forget the number, but a majority of people on Priests For Life's mailing list are not even registered.

The situation is a mess to say the least.

Also, please visit http://www.KnightsForLife.org and tell me what you think. We are trying to get the Order more active in the cause.

Vivat Jesu!

[ex-snook]

Why end in this November?

This should not be a political special sales promotion run for Presidential elections only. Does Pataki, Giuliani, Ridge and Schwartzenegger get indulgences because they are Republican?

[old and tired]

The PFL are really trying to pick up the Catholic Vote. Before the PA primary, we received a call from a lay man (whose name escapes me - I'd recognize it if I heard it) from PFL. He wanted to make sure we were getting the PA Catholic Conference Voters guides in our bulletin. We've given money to PFL and we did have them come to speak at our parish years ago, but this call was really out of the blue. We assured him we were using effective voters guides, i.e. not the idiocy that spews forth from the Philly Archdiocesan public affairs office.

Then he asked me if I knew any pro-life contacts for the surrounding parishes. The first two people/parishes I named were names he already had. I guess that must have been some kind of a test to see if I really did know any fellow pro-lifers, because then he named four nearby parishes that he still needed contacts for. I was able to give him names and numbers for two of the parishes, including the largest one. I told him he had a good chance of getting names for the other two from those two folks.

I was very impressed by this effort. I don't think it was any accident that Toomey did so well in the primary.

[old and tired]

I don't think this effort is aimed just at presidential races. I think it's just a new effort they're undertaking. Also, I don't think Arnold would necessarily call himself a Catholic, despite being baptized and married to a CINO.

[Askel5]

=== ...too cynical, Askel5...............

I don't think so. Not for a moment.

Particularly given the black and white evidence of the GOP's having served as ARCHITECT of this nation's legal abortion as linchpin of population control and the FACT that abortion has been successfully used as a wedge issue to more perfectly predict elections and explain the inexplicable (save where actions like the affirming of the Schumer Amendment by the "Republican" Congress or ratifying of Roe v. Wade by the "Republican" Senate SCREAM the actual reality at us)... I don't think I'm the least bit wrong to be dubious about this whole Rock the Catholic vote phenom.

Genuinely pro-life hierarchy will naturally turn out. And those who are of the McHugh ilk have the perfect opportunity to score some "pro-lifer" points while themselves co-opting the pro-life Catholic vote for the party who -- using deathist Exceptions, never pro-life Litmus Tests -- actually ensures legal abortion is here to stay.

[Rocket1968]

Last Sunday's homily included a call to the parish to remember the unborn when we vote in November. Interestingly, the priest looked directly at one of the democratic heavies in my area when he made the statement. I should mention that Senator Susan Collins (one of the pro-choice catholics in the Senate) is a member of my parish, although she was not present that day. I am anxiously awaiting the day that our priest confronts this issue when she is present.

Pro-life catholic voter!

[hilaryrhymeswithrich]

At CCD training last weekend, the RE director and his co-teacher told a room full of CCD teachers that we should not vote against Kerry for his pro-abortion stand because "we don't really know what is in his heart."

I've already called priests for life and am hoping for some help.

[Lady In Blue]

franky, will PA have the marriage amendment bill on the ballot this November? Thanks.

[cpforlife.org]

Rocket1968: "Last Sunday's homily included a call to the parish to remember the unborn when we vote in November. Interestingly, the priest looked directly at one of the democratic heavies in my area when he made the statement. I should mention that Senator Susan Collins (one of the pro-choice catholics in the Senate) is a member of my parish, although she was not present that day. I am anxiously awaiting the day that our priest confronts this issue when she is present."

"Pro-life catholic voter! "

AMEN. If only our Priests and Pastors would do like Christ did to the money changers!

With how MUCH more wrath would He drive out these demons!

[Coleus]

With how MUCH more wrath would He drive out these demons!>>


Amen!

[TOUGH STOUGH]

Thank you. Very interesting post!