Paul Thissen
Posted on 02/02/2009 10:31:09 AM PST by NYer
.- A Catholic high school in Minnesota has denied honors for a state legislator who is a candidate for governor, citing his active support for “pro-choice issues.”
Holy Angels Academy in Richfield, Minnesota had considered alumnus State Rep. Paul Thissen as a nominee for its Activities Hall of Fame, which recognizes those who “through their citizenship and achievements, have brought honor to themselves, their school and the community.”
Thissen, a 1985 graduate of the school, was to accept the honor at a January ceremony, the Star Tribune reports.
However, the school’s president called Thissen days before the ceremony and asked him to withdraw his name from consideration. He refused and was told the day before the ceremony he would be stripped of the award because of his support for abortion as a state legislator of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
According to the school, an alumnus’ record at the academy constitutes the primary criteria for the award but the nominating committee also considers activities and professional life afterward. Thissen’s legislative actions contradicted Catholic teaching.
"Mr. Thissen had an outstanding activities career at Holy Angels and has had much success beyond," the school's president, Jill Reilly said in a statement.
However, she reported that the nominating committee was not aware of his voting record regarding “right-to-life issues.”
“As a result of Mr. Thissen's public and professional position to actively support pro-choice issues, with regret, AHA has chosen not to include Mr. Thissen among this year's inductees,” Reilly said, according to the Star Tribune.
Thissen reportedly wrote a letter to Reilly citing his record as a proponent of health care coverage for children and as an advocate for the poor. He cited his participation in football, basketball and track while at the academy and also noted his position as president of the student council.
“It's not the biggest thing in the world, but the school was and is important to me," Thissen told the Star Tribune. “Many of my closest friends, even today, were my friends back then. The recognition meant a lot.
“When I heard about this, I really was disappointed, not so much because of the award, but because the award was for something that had nothing to with my position on giving women the choice of what to do during a pregnancy.”
Thissen is reportedly a regular Mass attendee and has been a frequent contributor to the school.
Explaining its decision, Holy Angels Academy referred to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ document “Catholics in Political Life.” The 2004 document states that those in public life who do not work to correct abortion laws are “guilty of cooperating in evil and sinning against the common good.”
Dennis McGrath, spokesman for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, told the Star Tribune that the archdiocese did not intervene in the matter, calling it “purely a decision by the school.”
Good for them. It’s about time that cafeteria Catholics get called on their stands. Now I’m wondering since it said he attends Mass regularly, does he also receive Holy Communion regularly too??????
Our Pastor/priest is quiet out spoken on staying in “communion with the Catholic church” and the consequences if you don’t.
Ping!
This guy is my state legislator.
He’s incredibly liberal. But then again, he represents an incredibly liberal district.
He likes to go about bragging that he works with Republicans in a bi-partisan manner but from what I’ve heard from his GOP colleagues in the House, it’s more like this...
He’s absolutely willing to work with any GOP member in a bi-partisan manner - as long he he gets HIS way.
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That pretty well sums up the situation. The quick and sure way to end the scandal of such "regular Mass attendee" types would also cost the Church a good deal of revenue in the short run. The alternative is to let it all drag out the same way the sex scandal did. Sooner or later, the Church will then lose not only these "regular Mass attendee" individuals but also loads of faithful Catholics who cannot stomach the situation any more . . . and, of course, all the money that both groups would have contributed.
This kind of weak equivocation may show he's not really that proud of abortion. (That, or he hasn't really thought about it.)
I mean, if a woman's choices of "what to do do during a pregnancy" meant choosing between jet and ocean liner travel, banjo and slide guitar, seafood and tofu-based protein, smocked gingham and slinky sexy-mama style clothes, fine and dandy. Choose on.
But when the choice is between "live birth" or "smash the baby to a bloody pulp," somebody has to step in and make an elementary moral distinction.
I hope somebody in the church (his pastor, perhaps?) will seize on this as a teachable moment.
Slowly but surely, the ship is turning.
Outstanding! Is there any contact information for the school administrator that made the decision? I’d love to send a congratulations and statement of support.
Militant
I read about " Holy Angels dropping you from consideration for honors because of, in your words, your "position on giving women the choice of what to do during a pregnancy.”
I noticed the equivocal wording, Have you not thought about what the various choices actually entail?
I mean, if a woman's choices of "what to do do during a pregnancy" meant choosing between jet and ocean liner travel, banjo and slide guitar, seafood and tofu-based protein, smocked gingham and slinky sexy-mama style clothes, fine and dandy. Choose on.
But when the choice is between "live birth" or "smash the baby to a bloody pulp," somebody has to step in and make an elementary moral distinction.
I hope somebody in the Catholic Church (your pastor, perhaps?) will seize on this as a teachable moment.
When the choices are life and death, as a civilized and decent man you must throw all your influence behind the protection of those who are at risk. That would include the pregnant mother AND the unborn child.
Stand up for them both.
[signed]
This was my high school !!! Good for old AHA !!!
Holy Angels is much more proud of Larry Fitzgerald Jr......
Darn right, Good for them. Stand your ground and don’t back down!
Well said, and then well done!
Excellent!
Great job!
I’ve been trying to go to their website to send an email commending them for their courage.
Apparently the Archdiocese of Saint Paul is NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH CANON LAW (cf. Canon 915) because Canon Law mandates that those who are living in a situation of manifest grave sin MUST be denied Communion. Thissen, according to the U.S. Bishops' own document, is "SINNING" publicly by supporting abortion, euthanasia, etc. And yet, the Archbishop of St. Paul is REFUSING TO OBEY Canon 915. How can this continue?
“When I heard about this, I really was disappointed, not so much because of the award, but because the award was for something that had nothing to with my position on giving women the choice of what to do during a pregnancy.”
The Catholic Church dosen’t give much leeway to women regarding how they choose to handle their pregnancy. That’s just the way they are. He should know better by now — really.
“Thissen is reportedly a regular Mass attendee and has been a frequent contributor to the school.”
Wasting his time going to Mass. Could use that time painting his house, fooling around, playing soccer, golfing perhaps, even planning to become a master of the universe through public office, whatever. The school probably won’t want his money now, either. Perhaps they’ll give it back to him. I hope so.
And I’m not even a Catholic and I can see the hypocracy! Typical smooth-faced psychopolitico.
Take that...
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