8mm
Posted on 11/14/2007 4:39:11 PM PST by wagglebee
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The nation's Catholic bishops on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted for a new document saying that the abortion issue should guide the voting decisions Catholics make. While the Catholic Church recognizes that a variety of political issues are important, the bishops said pro-life issues take precedence.
"The direct and intentional destruction of innocent human life is always wrong and is not just one issue among many," the bishops said in the new document.
Titled, "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," the document does not tell Catholics which candidates to support but encourages Catholic voters to decide which candidates best promote Catholic views and side with the Church on pro-life topics.
In addition to abortion, the bishops said euthanasia, assisted suicide, and embryonic stem cell research should form the panoply of pro-life issues that guide Catholic voters.
At the same time, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, who led the committee that drafted the document, said it is "a summary of Catholic teaching, not a voter's guide."
"It calls us as bishops to help form consciences for political life, not tell people how to vote or whom to vote for or against," he added.
The document also says that Catholics should put their pro-life values ahead of devotion to a particular political party and urges more Catholics to run for office. Instead, they should be focused on "the dignity of every human being and the protection of the weak and vulnerable."
"As Catholics, we should be guided more by our moral convictions than by our attachment to a political party or interest group," the 47-page draft document reads.
"When necessary, our participation should help transform the party to which we belong; we should not let the party transform us in such a way that we neglect or deny fundamental moral truths," it adds.
Because the document is aimed towards faithful, churchgoing Catholics it does not address the issue of pro-abortion Catholic politicians who want to receive communion.
That has been a contentious political issue and some leading bishops such as St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke have said they would not support giving the sacrament to pro-abortion politicians.
It has become a custom that U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops release political guidelines for Catholics every four years in advance of presidential elections.
Seven committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops crafted the new document and two-thirds of the bishops must support it for it to be ratified. They will also consider a shortened version that would be placed in church bulletins.
Who’s gonna break the news to Hannity?
ping...
It wasn’t a fair contest in 1980. Teddy Kennedy was sandbagged by Roger Mudd in an interview. Mudd asked him a trick question: “Why do you want to be President?” Naturally, Teddy couldn’t give a coherent answer, put on the spot like that.
BTTT!
Catholics have clout!
LOL!
What about John Kerry, Ted Kennedey etc?
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Catholic ‘Rats will continue to vote for them in Massachusetts, there is no hope for this having a positive effect in NY/MASS/NJ/PA..
and has also been upfront in saying that he would appoint Justices to the Supreme Court in the mold of Alito and Roberts.
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What do you think of him saying that he thought Ginsburg was just as good as Roberts and Alito ... the man doesn’t have a clue what the constitution means...how can you give him your trust?
Indeed ... capital punishment is conspicuously absent from that list of "life issues".
I'm not an advocate for Rudy, be any means. However, given the choice between voting for Rudy or handing the White House to an evil harridan fronting a criminal enterprise known as Clinton, Inc., I'll take the former. In a heartbeat.
Hillary can only win if the GOP vote is depressed or split. I want to see her lose, once and for all. Therefore, I intend to vote for the GOP candidate, regardless of which wins the primary. I can live with Rudy; I fear for the life of the Republic if Her Thighness wins.
This document will not be received very graciously here (eastern Iowa/western Illinois). My wife's parish has a quite a few Hillary bumper stickers (though my own has at least one!)
As to what will happen if Rudy gets the nod, well there will be alot of people writing in their dog in November 08.
Sounds like a good priest. Many more are needed like him.
I will ask my wife and my mother in law (who lives in South Dakota and is very active in the pro life circle) if they see or hear of this in the coming weeks.
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