Posted on 11/17/2008 12:03:03 PM PST by pissant
Cardinal James Francis Stafford, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See, delivered a lecture on Thursday saying that the future under President-elect Obama will echo Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane. Criticizing Obama as “aggressive, disruptive and apocalyptic,” he went on to speak about a decline in respect for human life and the need for Catholics to return to the values of marriage and human dignity.
Delivered at the Catholic University of America, the cardinal’s lecture was titled “Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II: Being True in Body and Soul,” the student university paper The Tower reports. Hosted by the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, his words focused upon Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae, whose fortieth anniversary is marked this year.
Commenting on the results of the recent presidential election, Cardinal Stafford said on Election Day “America suffered a cultural earthquake.” The cardinal argued that President-elect Obama had campaigned on an “extremist anti-life platform” and predicted that the near future would be a time of trial.
“If 1968 was the year of America’s ‘suicide attempt,’ 2008 is the year of America’s exhaustion,” he said, contrasting the year of Humane Vitae’s promulgation with this election year.
“For the next few years, Gethsemane will not be marginal. We will know that garden,” Cardinal Stafford told his audience. Catholics who weep the “hot, angry tears of betrayal” should try to identify with Jesus, who during his agony in the garden was “sick because of love.”
The cardinal attributed America’s decline to the Supreme Court’s decisions such as the 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade, which imposed permissive abortion laws nationwide.
“Its scrupulous meanness has had catastrophic effects upon the unity and integrity of the American republic,” Cardinal Stafford commented, according to The Tower.
His theological remarks centered upon man’s relationship with God and man’s place in society.
“Man is a sacred element of secular life,” he said, arguing that therefore “man should not be held to a supreme power of state, and a person’s life cannot ultimately be controlled by government.”
Cardinal Stafford also touched on the state of the family, saying that the truest reflection of the relationship between the believer and God is the relationship between husband and wife, and that contraceptive use does not fit within that relationship.
Boy, can we get the good Cardinal to be head of the RNC?
what is an “Apostolic Penitentiary”?
is it like a private Papal jail?
He’d better watch his back now, he’ll presently be accused of molesting the altar boys.
Apostolic Penitentiary, a tribunal of mercy, responsible for issues relating to the forgiveness of sins in the Roman Catholic Church
That is exactly how I feel, what with all the special interests and malcontents clamoring for their "share." Satan is working overtime.
The good Cardinal is on to something.
A remarkable address. I googled him, and he is an American who was earlier bishop of Baltimore and Denver before going to Rome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Francis_Stafford
I confess I never heard of this good man before, but he clearly has his head screwed on right and is faithful to the teachings of the Church and unafraid to speak out in a coming time of persecution, as he guesses.
This speech deserves wide distribution, although I suppose few will hear of it.
Pardon me for my pessimsm, but where the hell was this guy’s comments BEFORE the election? A little late, Cardinal....dontcha think??? [shaking head in disgust]
I give much credit to the Catholic Bihsops in this country for urging people to not vote for any abortion advocates.
Barry *would* be pro-life but, his wife would kick his ass.
Maybe now that he has his minions in place, “Ol’ Scratch” might actually have less work to do.
The Cardinal isn't exactly beating around the bush here. This is getting interesting!
This basic premise was being publicly disseminated by the Church prior to the election.
Cicero,
We know Stafford quite well in Denver, and he is a very good man, and was a good leader here. (I'm not a practicing Catholic, BTW.)
Practice makes perfect.
:o)
I am a Catholic and am encouraged by statements like the Cardinal’s here, but I am also deeply disturbed by reports I’ve read that Obama got 55% of the “Catholic vote”.
I don’t think that he’ll ever appear on Oprah, Chrissy or Larry King.
“..I am also deeply disturbed by reports I’ve read that Obama got 55% of the “Catholic vote”.”
So am I. But what can you expect when American Catholics are basically liberals. I also understand that there were bishops who voted for Obama.
*ping*
I’ve heard the same thing. It seems weird to think that a bishop - any bishop - would disclose how he voted. Just based on the stats, he’s going to be on the wrong side of about half his “flock”. Yes, this “American Catholic” thing is a curious notion. I wonder if any of their poor misguided naieve minds might open a bit over the next few years? Foolish, foolish people.
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