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."

[TheGeezer]

A minor consideration: while "pedophilic priests" has a nice alliterative ring to it, the term is not appropriate. In most cases, the priests who engaged in illicit sexual practices did so with same-sex TEENAGERS, not prepubescent children. Most of the illicit abuses, therefore, were merely homosexual abuses and NOT pedophilia. In Europe, where the age of consent in many nations is 16, most of these cases would be merely gross aberrations of homosexual men who also happen to be priests.

Also, the number of cases are relatively small in number. Less than 2% of all priests in the U.S. have been accused of this serious sin. That means that 98% of priests are innocent and doing a great job.

Finally, recall that it is a liberal press -the same press that repeatedly tries to spin things badly for our nation, the military, and the president - that coined the term "pedophilic priests" and that has misreported aspects of this scandal - even grossly exagerating matters. After all, if the liberal press can call into question the moral authority of the world's number one opponent to abortion (the Catholic Church), even if it has to distort facts to do so, don't you think it would? It is the press - most notably operations like the Boston Globe - that label as pedophilia things that are really simply immoral homosexual seductions.

[cpforlife.org]

Outstanding!

God bless you and all at http://www.CathFam.org

[!1776!]

Daschle made himself ineligible for communion almost 20 years ago with his divorce and remarriage to a Washington lobbyist.

Man, they are strict on the issue of Washington lobbyists...

[don-o]

That's a start.

Well done I say. Don't go wobbly.

Hit 'em again,
Hit 'em again,
Harder, harder!

[ninenot]

Actually, Torie, this is called "a shot across the bows."

For another example of same, see: Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The example has been set, and Daschle/Iraq were the chosen ones.

Many have chosen not to be next after Iraq. And many will choose not to be next after Daschle.

[Campion]

I agree that forgiveness results in our sin essentially being taken away and that we have a zero sin register with respect to the Lord. Our account with the Father has been cleared. The slate is cleaned. If this is the extent of your argument - I agree! I am pointing out a finer distinction which is probably way over all our heads anyway. My point is we will all be held to account for everything we do and think, good and bad, which is plainly stated in Revelations. This means works and the sins we commit are reviewed and judged and these never go away. You don't want to call these bad works and thoughts "sins" because you say they have all been removed. OK. Does this help?

Yep. In fact, that's a good statement of Catholic doctrine, except that what you are calling "sins" we call "the temporal punishment due to forgiven sin". It's not much more than a difference of terminology.

[ninenot]

We all live in a state of sin while on this earth. For purposes of salvation, He forgave the sin as if it were removed but for purposes of judgment the sin hasn't been removed and we will all be held to account.

That's a rather dismal view and is certainly not the informed view of a Catholic...

[arasina]

Pinging you on this topic of interest!

[madison10]

So is our governor, Jennifer Granholm.

[Fraulein]

BTTT

[ninenot]

Jews who lived in the zone of Muslim occupation were perceived to be collaborators by the liberated Spaniards and were treated as such.

Similarly the Jews who organized, led, and supported the Communist Revolution in Russia are regarded as collaborators.

[Salvation]

BTTT!

[cpforlife.org]

[Captain Peter Blood]

It's entirely possible that Ted Kennedy got a special Dispensation from the Pope so he could divorce Joan and marry his current wife. Daschle should just try and do the same and then he would be back in good standing with the Mother Church. LOL

[lawgirl]

I love it!

[Salvation]

Big news coming from the Weekly Standard!

[Liz]

This is a smarter move by the Chruch. The Chruch tried excommunication (an official rite) for pro-abortion candidates but it got them nothing but bad press and the ex'ed candidate ususally won.

[RyeWhiskeyJoe]

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

But if the church really starts cracking down, a lot of Catholics are going to be hit hard. Rome and the Pope have never OKed communion in hand and the Pope has issued several papers against it (against church doctrine for ANY un-annointed hands to touch the host). The US Council of Bishops have consistently ignored the Pontif and have encouraged US Catholics to receive communion in the hand. Also, lay people distributing communoin is against Church Doctrine for the the same reason cited above. Only Priests and Permanent Deacons have been through the training and annoiting process. Parish Priests have taken a vow of obedience to thier bishop, so their hands are tied (although many liberal priests agree with the practice). Something like this could start a real revolution in the Church instead of just the slow decline of the last several decades.

[Salvation]

Catholics and Politicians

Catholic Church asks Tom Daschle to stop calling himself a Catholic

On Catholic Politicians and Faith

Vatican Urges Catholic Politicians to Vote Along Church Lines

Senator Santorum on Being Catholic and a Politician

William E. Simon, Sr. and Jr. Devout Catholics, Philanthropists and Politicians

[Dutchgirl]

Initiation? The moon is waning, do I need to bring my chicken ?

Welcome to Free Republic. I have just read the 289th post. Back to the article...Catholics have a "duty to be morally coherent," the Doctrinal Note declares, and the Catholic fight on the life issues--abortion, euthanasia, and cloning--is not some merely prudential question, to be decided by political give and take. The Catholic Church doesn't take political positions--except when politics intrudes into something, like the right to life, that ought to be beyond the power of politicians.

I had been reading a separate post on how leaders in the Methodist Church have chastised Bush for the war in Iraq.

Here it is, Maundy Thursday, and the most active post is on a follower of Christ (the Bishop) demanding something of a "brother."

I was raised Catholic, married into the mMethodist Chrch and have run into a local Ultra Conservative Presbyterian Church to lick my wounds.

I think all Christians have a duty to be morally coherent. Christ said;"If you love me, you will keep my commandments"..."If you love me feed my sheep." So obedience is the outward sign of loving God. He also said, "We will know a good tree from a bad tree by the fruit it bears," and finally, He cautioned us against throwing out unproductive trees, adjuring us to trim them and "throw a little manure" on them to see what happens.

I think Tiny Tommy just got trimmed and fertilized.

My child, do not fear the dicipline of the Lord, for he chastises every child that he loves. Indeed if he did not chastise you you would be illegitimate..."