Catholic Church asks Tom Daschle to stop calling himself a Catholic

Weekly Standard (via Matt Drudge) ^ | April 17, 2003 | SB00

[SB00]

TOM DASCHLE may no longer call himself a Catholic. The Senate minority leader and the highest ranking Democrat in Washington has been sent a letter by his home diocese of Sioux Falls, sources in South Dakota have told The Weekly Standard, directing him to remove from his congressional biography and campaign documents all references to his standing as a member of the Catholic Church.

This isn't exactly excommunication--which is unnecessary, in any case, since Daschle made himself ineligible for communion almost 20 years ago with his divorce and remarriage to a Washington lobbyist. The directive from Sioux Falls' Bishop Robert Carlson is rather something less than excommunication--and, at the same time, something more: a declaration that Tom Daschle's religious identification constitutes, in technical Catholic vocabulary, a grave public scandal. He was brought up as a Catholic, and he may still be in some sort of genuine mental and spiritual relation to the Church. Who besides his confessor could say? But Daschle's consistent political opposition to Catholic teachings on moral issues--abortion, in particular--has made him such a problem for ordinary churchgoers that the Church must deny him the use of the word "Catholic."

[Romulus]

As a medievalist by trade, I can tell you in no uncertain terms that the Catholic church has "modified" quite a few elements of its creed over the past 2,000 years...

Please elaborate. Keep in mind that by "the Creed" Catholics refer chiefly to the "symbols" of faith as presented in the apostles Creed and the Nicene- Constantinopolitan Creed. Apart from the filioque controversy (which is more a matter of language and translation than anything else), what "modifications" do you mean?

[Paladin2b]

Speaking of "new" Catholics, I heard that Tony Blair is preparing to convert as soon as his term as PM has expired. I guess his wife and children are Catholic.

Actually the rumors have been circulating for several years now that he is already a "closeted" convert. Various observers have seen him from time to time at late night weekday Masses at Westminster Cathedral (the RC cathedral in London) *without* his family, just himself, trying to be inconspicuous.

[SoothingDave]

Pardon me for venting. I do not know of any church that is immune from influence by the rich and powerful, but I hope it is at least embarrassing.

No problem. It is quite transparent when things like that are done, and it is also emblamatic of the problems with our bishops -- they are enamored with the rich and famous they can hobnob with, instead of desiring to preach the Truth.

SD

[SuziQ]

It's about time! Now, how about 'Teddy the Swimmer'? Hmmm, Bishop Lennon?

[luvtheconstitution]

Boy, did you nail it right on the head.

[plain talk]

I feel like I'm stuck in a Do Loop. My study is the sin is still there but the Father sees Christ rather than our sin and treats us as if it had been removed. Adam lives on!

[legman]

Diane Feinstein's next!

Mary Landrieu may be the only one of the bunch who would actually care. Faith is important to folks on the bayou. Of course, she just won re-election.

[keithtoo]

He's a Frenchie. I've seen it referenced several times in profiles of him.

[Bigg Red]

Is it still the case that they should not receive communion?

When someone remarries in the Catholic Church, there must have been an annulment of the previous marriage if that first marriage was a religious ceremony. Otherwise, the marriage is not valid in the eyes of the Church and, therefore, the party is precluded from receiving the sacraments.

[Bigg Red]

Does Teddy K. get a pass?

Carlson is not Teddy's bishop. Let's hope that Teddy's bishop grows a backbone. (I won't hold my breath, however.)

[southernbychoice]

Well, Father Breen at St. Edwards in Nashville must not have gotten that memo.

[firewalk]

Thanks for the ping Nic

[capitan_refugio]

From the question, you may not have all the facts.

Was the first marriage in the church?
Was it a "mixed-faith" marriage?
Had each been baptised?
Did one or the other renounce their faith?
Is one a member of the Kennedy family? ;^)

[eastsider]

What I take issue with concerning "Christian denominations" is the premise that one can reach a divine truth about the Church by analyzing her as a strictly human institution. To me, the relationship between the human structure of the Church and the Spirit of Christ that animates her is analogous to the relationship between the man we call Jesus and the Divine Person we call the Logos who hypostatically united Jesus to his Person. That is, Christ Jesus and His eternal Bride both are unions of human and divine elements.

Can we speak of Jesus as a man or the Catholic Church as a denomination? Yes, but IMO, our analyses would be similarly incomplete.

[Bigg Red]

...even a better reason not to call herself Catholic! The nerve!

You truly made me LOL!

[southernbychoice]

Yes.
First was not. Second was, though she has converted.
Yes.
No.
In his dreams. :)

[wideawake]

There is no loop.

I think you are conflating sin itself with the capacity to commit sin.

When Christ forgives sin, it is forgiven, it is gone.

The forgiven individual still has the ability to commit sins. If the forgiven individual commits sin again after they've been forgiven, he must repent and ask for God's forgiveness.

[Protagoras]

Thanks for you thoughts on that issue.

[tiki]

WOW!

[CFIIIMEIATP737]

In matters of war, it is hypocritical to say to the troops "
Go get them! We support you!" and then to say that the commander was wrong to assign them to that mission. An honest person would simply say they do or do not support the entire enterprise. It is false to wish the troops well in their endeavor, and then to criticize the origniator of the endeavor.