Posted on 05/13/2008 8:59:43 AM PDT by JRochelle
The Texas megachurch pastor whose past comments about the Catholic Church have caused headaches for John McCain for over two months will issue an apology to Catholics later today, according a top Christian conservative.
John Hagee, pastor of San Antonio's Cornerstone Church, will send a letter to Catholic League President William Donahue expressing "deep regret for any comments that Catholics have found hurtful."
"After engaging in constructive dialouge with Catholic friends and leaders, I now have an improved understanding of the Catholic Church, its relation to the Jewish faith, and the history of anti-Catholicism," Hagee wrote in a letter running just over two pages.
In a carefully-coordinated plan, Donahue is to accept the apology with a statement of his own.
The conservative leader who shared the letter said McCain's campaign was not involved at all in encouraging Hagee to apologize.
Donahue has been among Hagee's most outspoken critics and called on McCain to repudiate the pastor soon after Hagee endorsed the Republican in March.
Hagee has drawn fire for describing Catholicism as "a Godless theology of Hate" and, what some have interpreted as, "the Great Whore."
Hoping to knock Mike Huckabee out of the race, McCain secured Hagee's public endorsement in the days before the March 4th Texas primary. But since then, the GOP candidate has been dogged by questions over why he would accept support from somebody who not only has criticized Catholics but also asserted that Hurricane Katrina was part of God's punishment for the decadence of New Orleanians.
McCain has not disavowed Hagee's endorsement, but has said that it was probably a mistake to pursue. A spokesperson for the candidate declined to comment on Hagee's apology
I imagine he does. If you go back fifty or sixty years, protestants and catholics were each pretty sure the other was in league with the devil.
Most of that has gone over the years as we've found ourselves increasingly on the same side in the battles that matter. Not all protestants, not all catholics, but the ones who take God and principle seriously find themselves with more in common with one another than they do with their more liberal brethren.
Or, to put a finer point on it, a believing catholic and a believing evangelical have begun to realize that they are brothers in the faith; while their left-oriented nominal co-religionists really are not.
This change in attitude, which has come on both sides, did not come over night. But its about time. We're never going to agree on everything. But its important we recognize one another as the brothers we are.
I hope he means it, and have to give him some slack, for crying out loud it’s a huge thing to do. If he doesn’t really mean it, in time I think he will. At least a deep feeling enough of a man to admit he was wrong, and has Catholic “friends” who obviously, if they do indeed exsist, have been lovingly patient in pointing out that he knows not what he speaks.
Listening. Wow. What a concept. How many do? It’s something I have to work on every day, every minute. I love to talk, and that doesn’t take any skill. Listening? That’s not only a virtue, it’s an aquired skill.
This is such a non-issue, except to the looney left and the MSM, who are trying to cover for Buraq Hussein
Seriously, has this been an issue past the day it came out?
Exactly, I’m not a RCC, but I do share their principles, Hagee does as well, and that is where the line between Religion and Politics should be drawn.
This is sad ...
This truly displays the Chesed (lovingkindness) of Yah'shua (Jesus) /sarc
Who cares?
I’m Catholic and could care less what he says or does. It doesn’t affect who I am, what my religious belief is or how I live my life. He doesn’t have to apologize to me. He is irrelevant in the every day happenings of mine and the lives of my family. Plain and Simple.
Thank you for avoiding ad hominem attacks and stereotypes while discussing this issue. Your comment has added greatly to the discussion.
who? Oh, you mean that very small, istsy, bitsy excuse for a comedian??? Don’t know. Perhaps he is finished. Could care less about him too. I’m confident in my faith. Must be HIM who is not.
That’s OK. I didn’t mean to dis fat little rodents.
The question I have is :Why don't you display the attributes of a follower of the Christ?
It makes sense....it’s exactly what McCain would do.
Because it is water off a duck to me. Catholics have been subjected to such malignancy since long before my time, and it will continue long after I’m gone. I don’t want or expect such apologies. The apology game is not my cup of tea.
And he looks like a fat little rodent to boot.
Donning Flame retardant under wear !.................
Weasel words. Just like "I'm sorry IF I hurt your feelings".
It sounds like a real apology to me. I’ll take it, unless and until he later proves he didn’t mean it.
As I’ve often said before, there are matters on which Catholics and Evangelicals can agree to disagree. But there are many things on which we can agree, and it’s important to work together where we can. We can agree on family, the right to life, and basic Christian values, and those are all things that need support against the tidal wave of the Countercultural Revolution that the Dems have been eagerly pushing.
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