Will The Real Catholics Please Stand Up!

Cardinal Ratzinger, acting with the expressed approval of Pope John Paul II, is to be commended for clarifying a troubling aspect in American politics that may turn out to be decisive in next year's presidential campaign.

Last week, he issued a document stating unequivocally that "The Catholic lawmaker has a moral duty to express his opposition [to homosexual marriage] clearly and publicly and to vote against it." The statement made clear that "There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plans for marriage and family."

As defined by the good cardinal earlier this year in a similar statement, moral principles that cannot permit exceptions include abortion, euthanasia and slavery. Furthermore, the cardinal's recent document stated in regard to the issue of having the government recognize homosexual unions: "To vote in favor of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral."

Clearly, there should be no ambiguity in reporting about a self-proclaimed Catholic politician's stand. That is, if the news media were truly honest and unbiased in their reporting, they would be compelled to provide truth-in-labeling in their news stories. They would make clear which politicians have taken stands in accordance with their faith and are therefore "observant," true Catholics and which ones are non-observant, only claiming to be Catholic.

But the leading politicians, who must be considered "fallen away" – they still claim affinity to the Church, if not its most important teachings – will protest. No one's words were heard more on a national level last week than those of Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., a leading contender for his party's presidential nomination.

Like many Catholic politicians, Kerry has been having it both ways for too long a time and reaping the benefits at the polls, even in his heavily Catholic home state.

"I believe in the Church and I care about it enormously," he said last week, before making clear he cares nothing about the Church or the positions that it holds. "But I think that it's important to not have the Church instructing politicians. That is an inappropriate crossing of the line in America."

There are many things to say about John Kerry, but this one is clearly true: He is willing to put his popularity ahead of the faith in which he professes to believe. If John Kerry were really an honest Catholic politician, he would say that voters should understand that he believes the defense of innocent life is so important that he must follow his conscience and his faith when it comes to abortion.

Instead, he talks to the National Abortion Rights Action League's 30th Anniversary Dinner and equates preserving the right to legalized abortion with civil rights. Certainly, the unborn child's civil right to life does not appear to even enter into Sen. Kerry's thinking.

Kerry also said in April that he could only nominate committed abortion rights supporters to the Supreme Court, while denying that he would be applying a litmus test to receive such an appointment in his administration.

His party's colleagues who sit on the Judiciary Committee have in effect been applying a litmus test against President Bush's qualified nominees for federal judgeships based on their own religious beliefs by holding up their nominations.

For too long, Kerry and other Catholic politicians have been hypocrites, trying to take advantage of their Catholic faith when it suits their purposes on the campaign trail, but shirking the obligations that really come with that faith.

The fact is that in America no one is compelling Kerry and his colleagues to be Catholics. After all, we are a country that believes in freedom of religion, which means allowing one's own conscience, rather than the government, to dictate one's faith.

Unfortunately, the perception of faith has been turned around in recent decades by the secular left's pressure groups. It used to be that voters, in choosing their candidates, would trust those with open religious convictions because it indicated a framework consistent with the Judeo-Christian principles. A politician who was a supporter of the pro-life position, which in earlier decades was widely held by both conservatives and liberals, was deemed trustworthy because he would be considered one who would not gamble with innocent human life needlessly. He believed in marriage and the traditional family as an important institution essential to the functioning of society.

But under the new operating principles in American politics, the secular left holds that people of religious principles are simply not to be trusted.

The decision of Sen. Kerry and other politicians such as Sens. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., to apparently place popularity ahead of the tenets of their professed faith in determining their stands on issues such as abortion and homosexual unions while claiming that they are good Catholics shows that they are nothing but hypocrites.

Furthermore, it is time that members of the news media learn to distinguish between observant Catholic politicians and non-observant Catholic politicians, as noted in Cardinal Ratzinger's guidelines. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., has made clear, by his voting record and recent statements in regard to homosexual marriage, that he is very much an observant Catholic politician. Kerry has time and time again proved that he is a non-observant Catholic politician.

Bishops SHOULD (they can, but are not commanded to) stand up, even denying dissenting politicians such as Kerry the right to receive Communion or to speak at Church events. If they do that, they will send a needed message that marriage and the defense of innocent life are important moral principles, not just to the Church but for the good of American society. They are not simply "choices" to be made.

Can this be a pivotal issue in next year's election, particularly in regard to John Kerry's hopes?

Given the current makeup of the Democrat Party, I must report with sadness that he knows exactly what he is doing. His stand will play well, even with many self-professed Catholic Democrats.

But in a general election, particularly if the economy is doing well, his stand in favor of granting legal rights to homosexual couples (essentially giving them civil unions) and legalized abortion will not play well with many committed Catholics. Many of these Catholics are more likely to turn out. They have children and homes, and they attend church regularly.

Many might be tempted to vote for a Democrat on economic issues, but particularly in a good economy, they will vote their conscience in dictates with their Church. In states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, committed Catholics vote and their votes can be pivotal.

If that's the case, then the day after the election its very possible that defeated presidential candidate John Kerry might go to confession with a great deal to say.

Folks, I tell you America is in her last days.I see where Barney Frank, Ted Kennedy and those other liberals like Kerry are coming out against the Catholic Church and in effect all religions and morals and in effect threatening them in my opinion.
Americas government through the Liberal establishment is being overthrown. We have turned from a God fearing country toward a Communist inspired country and are headed toward a dictatorship.
The liberals have taken over most of the systems of communication in this country and the educational system. Once they get their control of the US Supreme Court America is doomed.
America needs to awaken or we are in the last days before our government is overthrown.

In a way, I'm almost glad.

Look, Catholics weren't slaves, but we do have a history in this country (No Irish, Catholics Need Not Apply, etc.). Yet somehow, like the black family, we seemed stronger while oppressed, y'know?

I mean, no RC in good conscience says they're sinless, but we at least tried, it seems to me, prior to being 'accepted' in the sixties (of course, we were accepted on the grounds that we stop being Catholic).

Now, there are what, a dozen or so 'catholic' politicians in the Senate (most, but not all, democrats) who call themselves Roman Catholic, but fervently support abortion, gay marriage, etc.

Maybe it's time the Bishops got the message that, no, your friends in a certain political party are NOT REALLY your friends, nor do they support your church's teachings. Maybe they'll get the message that 'monkey see, monkey do,' still applies to many of their flock, and when the church says adultery and divorce are bad, but the shepherds of the flock (the bishops) support and give special treatment to Clintons and Kennedys... well, some confusion might occur.

Of course, this is simply, MHO.

The Vatican tried to hold politicians accountable over the abortion issue - when it was fledgling. Going so far as to threaten excommunication. Obviously, that endeavor was not successful, if the current pro-choice dogma of the democrats and liberals in this country is taken into account.

The Catholic church should cut to the chase and excommunicate any Catholics that hold opinions contrary to Catholic doctrine: when they have been told those opinions are not Catholic doctrine on the subject, and the offenders persist in their heresy.

Also if you are a so-called Catholic and don't agree with the Church on its doctrine of faith and morals you should get out -you hypocrite. -tom

I say AMEN to all this. I only wish this redneck cajun was up in D.C.. I would make sure that every living one of those so-called Catholics was exposed to the world every time they opened their bmouths. I consider myself a good Catholic, I can accept the faults of others and understand that homosexuality is something that each one of those persons will have to answer to in their own time.

I have friends that are homosexuals, and I work with others. I have no problem with this. But as I have explained to them in our discussions I will not have them throw it in my face or condemn my religion for not accepting their practice of it. They mostly agree that some of their people are to active and in your face types.

Now on the Homosexuals remarks that the Catholic Church should clean-up its own house before it condemns others. The dirt in the church is theirs. Let me make a statement here: All homosexuals are not Pedophiles but all pedophile priests are homosexuals, they just like little boys instead of grown men. they are afraid and hide themselves in the cloth of religion.

I say it is time to bring all this to a head, no pun intended, and get those extremists out of office before it is to late.

God bless the USA.

That's because they didn't carry out the threat. An empty threat is not a real threat. A good vigorous round of excommunications that would pare off about 20% or more of the Catholic Church would be an excellent exercise.

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