Abortion Issue Again Dividing Catholic Votes (see comment for bishops response)

NY Slimes ^ | 9/19/2008 | David Kilpatrick

[markomalley]

SCRANTON, Pa. — Until recently, Matthew Figured, a Sunday school teacher at the Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church here, could not decide which candidate to vote for in the presidential election.

He had watched progressive Catholics work with the Democratic Party over the last four years to remind the faithful of the party’s support for Catholic teaching on the Iraq war, immigration, health care and even reducing abortion rates.

But then his local bishop plunged into the fray, barring Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, from receiving communion in the area because of his support for abortion rights.

Finally, bishops around the country scolded another prominent Catholic Democrat, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, for publicly contradicting the church’s teachings on abortion, some discouraging parishioners from voting for politicians who hold such views.

Now Mr. Figured thinks he will vote for the Republican candidate, Senator John McCain of Arizona. “People should straighten out their religious beliefs before they start making political decisions,” Mr. Figured, 22, said on his way into Sunday Mass.

A struggle within the church over how Catholic voters should think about abortion is once again flaring up just as political partisans prepare an all-out battle for the votes of Mass-going Catholics in swing-state towns like Scranton.

The theological dispute is playing out in diocesan newspapers and weekly homilies, while the campaigns scramble to set up phone banks of nuns and private meetings with influential bishops.

[markomalley]

"Catholic Voters and Abortion: 2 Bishops’ View "

To the Editor:

“Abortion Issue Again Dividing Catholic Votes” (front page, Sept. 17) says the bishops’ statement “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” would “explicitly allow Catholics to vote for a candidate who supports abortion rights if they do so for other reasons.”

Actually, the bishops said candidates who promote fundamental moral evils such as abortion are cooperating in a grave evil, and Catholics may never vote for them to advance those evils.

A Catholic voter’s decision to support a candidate despite that gravely immoral position “would be permissible only for truly grave moral reasons, not to advance narrow interests or partisan preferences or to ignore a fundamental moral evil.”

This standard of “grave moral reasons” is a very high standard to meet. The bishops added that “a candidate’s position on a single issue that involves an intrinsic evil, such as support for legal abortion or the promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate from receiving support.” This is timely in light of offensive comments on race quoted in the article.

What the article calls the “running debate between Catholics” — with some saying “abortion is the only issue” and others saying “you have to look at the whole teaching of the church” — is not a dilemma for the bishops. One must look at the whole teaching of the church on justice and peace, serving the poor and advancing the common good — beginning with a fundamental priority on protecting innocent human life from direct attack as in abortion.

(Bishop) William Murphy

(Bishop) Nicholas DiMarzio

Brooklyn, Sept. 19, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/opinion/l24bishops.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

[markomalley]

ping for your lists

[TNCMAXQ]

AOL has pictures of all the candidates’ churches. They refer to Biden as being a “devout Catholic.” Give me a break.

[notdownwidems]

Until recently, Matthew Figured, a Sunday school teacher at the Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church here

Hate to break it to you slimes, but Catholics don't have Sunday School! Maybe a little basic research before you print your propaganda might be in order? Geesh!

[markomalley]

Sorry...should have pinged you above. I know you are maintaining the official FR “bishops with backbone” list.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Hate to break it to you slimes, but Catholics don't have Sunday School!"

Gee, I wonder what all those classes with the kiddies are after Mass at my Catholic church?? Looks like "Sunday School" to me. It may not be called precisely that, but the form and function are the same.

[Mad Dawg]

I wish I could remember who said it. The test for Catholics is simple: when you get to the gates of heaven you will have the chance to explain to millions of aborted babies what was the proportionate good that the politician who endorsed their murder offered.

Imagine having to say, "I thought that government subsidies for indolence, addiction, and bastardy were so important that it was worth killing millions of innocents to make sure that we could have them."

[A.A. Cunningham]

Gee, I wonder what all those classes with the kiddies are after Mass at my Catholic church??

CCD - Confraternity of Christian Doctrine

[Jeff Chandler]

Gee, I wonder what all those classes with the kiddies are after Mass at my Catholic church??

The actual term is catechism, often referred to as Religious Education, or RE for short. It is offered to Catholic children at different days and time in different parishes, but it is not referred to as "Sunday School", any more than classes offered on Tuesday are called "Tuesday School". If that particular parish calls it Sunday School, it is a rare aberration. It is more than likely ignorance on the part of an atheist journalist.

[Andyman]

We have religious education for kids at our church on Sunday. Lay teachers too.

[A.A. Cunningham]

He had watched progressive Catholics work with the Democratic Party over the last four years to remind the faithful of the party’s support for Catholic teaching on the Iraq war, immigration, health care and even reducing abortion rates.

I seriously doubt that either Figured or these liberal "Catholics" actually know what the teaching of the Church is on said topics.

[Jeff Chandler]

Imagine having to say, “I thought that government subsidies for indolence, addiction, and bastardy were so important that it was worth killing millions of innocents to make sure that we could have them.”

Well put.

[Mad Dawg]

Thank you.

There's nothing like having to give an account for myself to make me think things over.

[notdownwidems]

Gee, maybe it’s called Catechism!
I’m a lifelong Catholic and know that ‘Sunday School’ is for Protestants.

[Salvation]

Send them this!

Our Lady's Warriors.Dissent>Speakers and Authors

Abortion and Euthanasia
Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE)	Catholic politician who votes for abortion in contradiction to Church teachings. One of American Life League's "Deadly Dozen."

[notdownwidems]

Thank you! That was my point.

[Salvation]

Sorry, not so fast. Our Religious Education Classes are on Sunday mornings!

We are busting at the seams too. Much better than a weekday evening.

[sobieski]

I went to school w/ the pastor of Holy Rosary. Their grade school basketball team is the Bedes.

[Salvation]

Here's what some bishops said to Pelosi. It applies to Biden, Kerry, Kennedy, Daschle and other CINOs as well as us!

Updated: American Bishops who have spoken against Pelosi

Here is the complete list of American bishops who have responded to Nancy Pelosi's comments so far:

1. Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver was the first American bishop to respond
2. ... Bishop James Conley, his auxiliary, joined him
3. Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington DC responded twice, first in a press release and second in a statement to The Hill. He has also appeared on Fox News, I am told.
4. Cardinal Justin Regali of Philadelphia, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued this statement through the USCCB website...
5. ... Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, chairman of the Committee on Doctrine, joined him
6. Cardinal Edward Egan of New York publised a strongly worded statement of his own
7. Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo issued a letter correcting Pelosi's claims
8. Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh and...
9. ... Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs have chimed-in
10. Archbishop Jose Gomez of San Antonio, CNA reports has added his voice ...
11. ... Bishop Oscar Cantu, his auxiliary bishop, has joined him
12. Bishop William Murphy of Rockville has published an extensive letter
13. Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa has a detailed response
14. Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas has joined the USCCB's efforts
15. Bishop Gregory Aymond of Austin is on-board
16. Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston mentions the USCCB on his blog
17. Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando has written at length
18. Archbishop John Nienstedt of Saint Paul/Minneapolis challenges Pelosi's statement
19. Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, President of the US Bishops, has weighed-in
20. Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, OR publishes in the Catholic Sentinel
21. Bishop Jerome Listecki of La Crosse, WI responds in a word document
22. Bishop Richard Lennon of Cleveland, OH will comment in his September 5th column (PDF)
23. Bishop Ralph Nickless of Sioux City, IA has one of the very best responses I've read
24. Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco has invited Pelosi to a "conversation"
25. Bishop Glen Provost, LA: "Catholic Church clear on when human life begins"
26. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn: "Judging the Candidates"

{Last updated on September 10th.}

Notes:

• Previous #23 has been removed. Bishop Joseph Gossman of Raleigh, NC is actually the bishop emeritus, and the new bishop, Michael Burbidge has not, to my knowledge, made a personal statement.
• Previous #16 has also been removed, it was an erroneous duplication of current #13.
• #26 was added September 10th, although he published his column September 6th

[sobieski]

CCD, actually.

Communion, confirmation, done.