Posted on 05/03/2009 10:13:24 AM PDT by Born Conservative
Bishop Joseph F. Martino said today that the decision by King’s College to have Sen. Robert Casey serve as commencement speaker on May 17 is, in view of his affirmative vote for Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services, an affront to all who value the sanctity of life. Previously, the Bishop had asked Sen. Casey to reflect on his oft-stated pro-life beliefs and oppose the nomination of Gov. Sebelius who as a Catholic has been a committed advocate of abortion while she served as governor of Kansas. It is the Bishop’s position that his vote on April 28 demonstrates that Sen. Casey is a reliable vote for President Barack Obama’s aggressive pro-abortion agenda, one which pro-life advocates claim is promoting the “culture of death” in the United States.
“Sen. Casey’s appearance at King’s graduation ceremony is sad and disappointing in view of his recent alignment with anti-life forces in the Senate and the highest offices of our government,” Bishop Martino said. “I do not believe he has the moral stature to stand before the graduates of a Catholic college to address them about their futures and the challenges they will face when on the most important issue of the day—the sanctity of human life—he cannot muster the courage to oppose the pro-abortion agenda which is currently being promoted in Washington.”
Bishop Martino acknowledges that the decision to invite Sen. Casey was made by King’s College prior to the vote on Gov. Sebelius and prior to his vote to rescind the Mexico City Policy which allows taxpayer funds to be used abroad by Planned Parenthood and other organizations to promote abortion and contraception. At the time of the Senator’s selection to deliver the commencement address, he had no objection to the invitation. “Now, however,” the Bishop said, “it is truly unfortunate that this Catholic institution will be seen as providing a forum for a politician who is steadily distancing himself from pro-life principles and, sadly, from his father’s legacy as a statesman who championed the rights of the unborn. As Bishop, I will continue to challenge Sen. Casey whenever he fails to cast a vote or advance a position that will protect the most vulnerable in our society.”
In the meantime, the students should turn their backs should he ends up speaking anyway.
Agree. These “Catholics” should stop whoring for the Democrat party. They’ve bought into the “seamless garment” BS for years now. Trying to convince themselves they can be loyal Democrats and Catholics and when push comes to shove, the “catholic” part of them loses to the demowhore part.
Most mainstream prolife groups do not “score” every appointment confirmation.
The point here is that Obama was going to pick a Pro Abortion HHS Secretary, no matter what.
God grand me the Serenity to accept the things I can not change.
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference!
YES Casey should feel some heat and friction for his vote.
However, Casey and Obama are NOT at all the same on the abortion issue.
Conservatives need to understand and accept that Catholic social teaching goes well beyond abortion. In America we have many urgent issues that beg for our attention, from immigration reform to health care, from poverty to homelessness, from prison reform to domestic violence, from the death penalty to poverty. Abortion is the dominant issue, but the others demand attention as well.
Their stances are not the different either.
Senator Bob Casey was the “first on the Obama bandwagon” major Dem here in PA. Every other elected Dem were almost in lock step unity behind Hillary Clinton (from Rendell on down). Clinton defeated Obama in the primary here by almost ten points.
Senator Casey alienated a lot by his strident support for his Illinois counterpart...and a lot of it was over Obama’s (surprise!!!) uber lib voting record on abortion. The contrast of Casey, Jr’s ObamaLove with his late namesake father’s strident defense of the unborn was quite the political statement here in PA. Casey, Jr., is pretty pleased with himself that HE picked the winning team. He and Obama are much more alike than you think.
The theory of cognitive dissonance suggests that if you want to change an attitude, first change a behavior. In this instance, Catholics like Casey have a pro-life attitude, but once they start making exceptions and voting for abortion policies and proponents, presto-chango, their pro-life attitude erodes enormously. It is difficult to have what you say and what you do at odds, and if you can win votes by failing to stand on a principle, soon you will abandon that principle.
“In the meantime, the students should turn their backs should he ends up speaking anyway.”
That would be very cool. I’m not familiar with King’s; it isn’t listed among schools in the Cardunal Newman Society’s guide? It shares an affiliation with the Congregation of the Holy Cross, part of Notre Dame.
If this were to happen at Christendom or Franciscan ~ and it wouldn’t ~ the kids would block the speaker from commencement themselves.
Hopefully, this can at least be an opportunity to put some heat on Casey, who ran as a pro-life Catholic in PA. I had not heard about his votes on Mexico City and Sibelius. Obviously, he will do whatever is asked of him to push the Democrats party forward, including voting for whatever candidate they want to put on the Supreme Court.
I’m afraid that pro-lifers will have pray for Senator Byrd to become the fly in the ointment of the pro-death party. Right now he seems to be the only potential dissident. Of course, I don’t even know if he is in control of his faculties or whether he is “Senator by proxy” of his staff.
What happened?
The bishop does not have the power to revoke the invitation.
I’m not aware of anything Byrd has said or done that is pro-life. At best, he may have shied away from BCBS (Birth-Canal Brain-Suctioning).
You need to stop whoring for the Democratic Party.
Abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic/fetal “research” are all completely disqualifying issues for policitians, because they are all homicide.
Catholics are not obligated to support federal involvement in ANY of the other issues you mentioned—i.e., providing things to people.
Catholics are obligated to oppose those who favor the legalization of homicide, and are not obligated to favor federal involvement in providing goodies to anyone. Thus, the obligation to oppose legal homicide is not mitigated by the fact that many pro-homicide politicians also promise the distribution of goodies.
ping for your lists!
I’ve read several pieces about Byrd’s concern for socially conservative issues. It’s probably just political cover for the voters in WV.
Among Dems I had hoped there might be one or two who would stand up for life when it was absolutely necessary; Landrieu and Pryor have to answer to a base where pro-life matters. This issue seems less divisive in PA and Casey is obviously not the man that his father was.
As I mentioned, I really don’t know how “cognitive” Senator Byrd even is. His votes may be run through his Legislative Office?
The last time I saw him he was not looking so good.
Bishop Martion is not afraid to speak out!
God bless him!
At least that is what he says when campaigning. But when push comes to shove, he always votes party line.
I doubt he gives a damn about abortion one way or another.
Bishop Martion is not afraid to speak out!
Should be:
Bishop Martino is not afraid to speak out!
Making sure his name is spelled right is worth the effort for one so willing to speak against pro-abortion politicians!!!
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