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Bishops back away from showdown with Catholic politicians
St. Louis Post-Dispatch L.L.C ^ | 06.17.06 | Tim Townsend

Posted on 08/11/2006 9:56:58 PM PDT by Coleus

LOS ANGELES

It is one of the most sensitive questions American Catholic bishops have wrestled with the past few years: When Catholic public officials do not follow church teachings, should they be denied Holy Communion?   So it was no surprise when the question was posed to Washington's cardinal, Theodore E. McCarrick, after he addressed his brother bishops last week on the topic of Catholic politicians.    Many bishops have talked to Catholic lawmakers whose views clash with the church, said Archbishop Elden F. Curtiss, of Omaha, Neb. "After we've made the effort, what do we do if the conclusion is not positive?"


The answer: It's a bishop's judgment call.

Still, it was clear where McCarrick and his Task Force on Catholic Bishops and Catholic Politicians stood. Bishops, they believe, should not try to force the hands of politicians by withholding Communion.  "We are in this together," said McCarrick, reading to the national gathering of bishops from his final report. "This is a time for respect for our common duties and different pastoral judgments as bishops, but most of all for building our unity as a body of bishops, recognizing how our individual actions affect other bishops and our entire community of faith."

- snip-

Interpreting Vatican document

McCarrick's task force was set up to study how a 2003 Vatican document, called "Doctrinal Note on Some Questions Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life," would be put into practice in the U.S.  Specifically, the task force was to address how bishops should handle American Catholic lawmakers who legislate contrary to church teaching.

(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: catholicpoliticians
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1 posted on 08/11/2006 9:56:59 PM PDT by Coleus
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To: Coleus

What we have here is... a failure to excommunicate.


2 posted on 08/11/2006 9:59:06 PM PDT by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
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To: Incorrigible

LOL


3 posted on 08/11/2006 10:00:50 PM PDT by gcruse (http://gcruse.typepad.com)
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To: Incorrigible

What we have here is ... a failure to bite the hand that feeds the coffers.


4 posted on 08/11/2006 10:05:46 PM PDT by hardworking
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To: Incorrigible
"What we have here is... a failure to excommunicate."
--Incorrigible
That is a great line! I am going to use that!
5 posted on 08/11/2006 10:08:00 PM PDT by ofwaihhbtn
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To: Coleus

I think McCarrick is wise to avoid this can of worms. Roman Catholic teaching opposes birth control and abortion and there is a difference between one's personal belief and what decisions one makes for a secular, pluralistic social population.

Practically speaking, the issue has already been decided. It came up when Kerry was running and we see the result, or non-result.


6 posted on 08/11/2006 10:21:58 PM PDT by T.L.Sink (stopew)
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To: 2ndMostConservativeBrdMember; afraidfortherepublic; Alas; al_c; american colleen; annalex; ...


7 posted on 08/11/2006 10:23:49 PM PDT by Coleus (Roe v. Wade and Endangered Species Act both passed in 1973, Murder Babies/save trees, birds, algae)
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To: Coleus

This is silly. If Burke's style was followed we would be back to the era of JFK where Catholics often unfairly lost elections because electing one was considered tantamount to electing a puppet of the Pope. I am sure once they start threatening politicians who support birth control it will go very well.

Fortunately Bishop Wuerl is an intelligent fellow and excellent at his job while not being needlessly inflammatory.


8 posted on 08/11/2006 11:27:13 PM PDT by rebelyell7
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To: Kermit the Frog Does theWatusi; Coleus
"We are in this together," said McCarrick, reading to the national gathering of bishops from his final report.

In what, abortion and embryonic stem cell genocide? He views himself as "in this together" with Ted Kennedy, Joe Biden, John Kerry, and Nancy Pelosi. Revealing. We now have the USCCB on record endorsing moral relativism on the culture of death. Sad. It appears he owes George Weigel an apology.

"Isn't that....special?"

9 posted on 08/12/2006 12:17:00 AM PDT by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: rebelyell7

so you believe there is no room for church discipline?
If a chuch cannot enforce it's rules or doctrine then WHY
pray tell even have a church?--es verdad we live in an age
post Sunday Morning social club-where going to church means
less than getting season tickets for the Denver Bronco's,or
mowing the grass,and washing the SUV.


10 posted on 08/12/2006 4:14:12 AM PDT by StonyBurk
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To: T.L.Sink

Catholics who actually care about this issue, and there are plenty, carry it into the ballot box. In 2004 frenchie paid the price for being an open and active abortion supporter. "Catholic" politicians will pay again in the future. This is a separate issue from the bishops turning their backs on their responsibilities to properly lead Catholics. They are failing to do so when they fail to keep in mind the the Church is NOT a club. It is a religion with rules and doors that swing both ways.


11 posted on 08/12/2006 4:35:55 AM PDT by jmaroneps37 (John Spencer: Fighting to save America from Hillary Clinton..)
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To: Coleus

If the RCC can bury Mafia bosses, I'm sure they can keep Kerry, Kenedy, and Pelosi on their rolls, even though they are advocates for the murder of babies. They'd rather not have the bad publicity, no matter what the Pope says.


12 posted on 08/12/2006 4:38:51 AM PDT by kittymyrib
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To: rebelyell7
Fortunately Bishop Wuerl is an intelligent fellow and excellent at his job while not being needlessly inflammatory

And Christ, as we know, was very popular, took "exit polls" on his sermons, and rarely made people uncomfortable (least of all, those in authority or who were rich).

"Woe to you Scribes and Hypocrites..."
"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle..."
"If your eye offends you, pluck it out! It is better..."

I rest my case, My Lord..

13 posted on 08/12/2006 6:27:58 AM PDT by Frank Sheed (Tá brón orainn. Níl Spáinnis againn anseo.)
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To: Coleus

Enjoy your retirement, McCarrick.


14 posted on 08/12/2006 6:32:12 AM PDT by Nihil Obstat
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To: T.L.Sink
. . . there is a difference between one's personal belief and what decisions one makes for a secular, pluralistic social population.

You've got the Talking Points down. Sure hope you are not Catholic.

15 posted on 08/12/2006 10:09:08 AM PDT by madprof98
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To: T.L.Sink; sittnick; xzins; ninenot; Convert from ECUSA; bornacatholic; Tax-chick; ...
T. L. Sink: We do see the result and the result is NOT President Kerry. Excommunicate the SOB and every other quisling who has the gall to call him/herself Catholic while publicly cooperating with, funding, protecting the death by dismemberment of 50 million+ innocent babies and counting in our country alone and carefully seeing to it that the slaughter continues. Any bishop who resists excommunicating his leftwing babykilling political pals or their lavender fruitcake allies should be removed and cloistered by the Vatican. Actually, they should be burned at the stake but we don't get to do that anymore (as yet) and we ought not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

You are right that there is a distinction between private belief and public action. Our slimeball pro-abort politicos can privately believe in abortion as they please and await God's judgment for it so long as they do not tolerate abortion as public policy in which case they can face the preliminary consequences from us.

It is also time for the now retired (thank God!) Theodore Cardinal McCarrick to sit down and shut up. Let Bishop Yanta of Amarillo take McPhony's place in Los Angeles as well.

16 posted on 08/12/2006 1:47:28 PM PDT by BlackElk (Dean of Discipline of the Tomas de Torquemada Gentlemen's Club)
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To: Incorrigible

The Gospel According to Cool Hand Luke.


17 posted on 08/12/2006 1:51:38 PM PDT by dighton
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To: kittymyrib; sittnick; ninenot; bornacatholic; Frank Sheed; Convert from ECUSA; Tax-chick
KMR: Mob bosses are pillars of virtue by comparison with feminazi babykillers. The mobsters themselves machine-gunned Mad Dog Coll for accidentally shooting a baby while killing Dutch Schultz's primary bodyguard. Unlike pro-aborts, mob guys have standards and judgment and rules of engagement.

Abortionists have murdered 50 million innocent babies by dismemberment and worse. How many folks (usually not innocent) have all members of organized crime killed in the USA? They are upstanding guys by comparison to Ma Sanger (she should pardon the expression) and her feminazi ageist homicide gang.

Your post does remind us that it would be a very good symbolic gesture to make a point to bury each and every Don Bacciagaluppe while showily and publicly refusing a Catholic funeral and burial in sacred ground to the likes of Ted the Swimmer, John F'n Traitor, Nancygirl, and every public pro-abort "Catholic" as a not so subtle message and a well-justified Church discipline. A dirty dozen of splashy public excommunications per year would also be a nice gesture. Our own Illinois Governor Blagojovich and Senator Dickie Durbin would be my first two nominees. Add Governor Doyle of Wisconsin and that nancyboy ex-governor Bottomsup of New Jersey, Senator Harkin of Iowa, Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, Senator Patty Murray of Washington, both Taxachusetts slimeball Senators, Senator Joseph (Neal Kinnock) Biden of Delaware, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Michigan Governor, the pro-abort Canadian showgirl.

AND, last but not least, what makes me suspect that kittymyrib is not Catholic but rather an antiCatholic bigot as to whom the funeral practices of the Roman Catholic Church are none of KMR's bidness???? Maybe it is the fact that she claims that cutting off the pro-abort phonies from the opportunity for sacrilege might be "bad publicity" when precisely the opposite is true.

18 posted on 08/12/2006 3:38:29 PM PDT by BlackElk (Dean of Discipline of the Tomas de Torquemada Gentlemen's Club)
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To: BlackElk

McCarrick tells the truth when he states that 'we're all in this together.'

Unfortunately, he's in it together with all the wrong people. First Commandment, and all that...

But thus it has been for a LONG time...


19 posted on 08/12/2006 4:48:05 PM PDT by ninenot (Minister of Membership, Tomas Torquemada Gentlemen's Club)
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To: BlackElk
Let Bishop Yanta of Amarillo take McPhony's place in Los Angeles as well.

From your keyboard to God's ear, honey!

20 posted on 08/12/2006 4:55:36 PM PDT by Tax-chick (I've always wanted to be 40 ... and it's as good as I anticipated!)
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