[Maximilian]

Any Catholic politicians who advocate for abortion, for illicit stem cell research or for any form of euthanasia ipso facto place themselves outside full communion with the Church and so jeopardize their salvation.

Yes, this is true. The Church has had a specific teaching for a long time regarding the obligations of politicians.

Any Catholics who vote for candidates who stand for abortion, illicit stem cell research or euthanasia suffer the same fateful consequences.

I would like to see the canon law. I believe that this is clearly false. Catholic ARE allowed to vote for the lesser of 2 evils. Personally, I do not do so. I will not vote for anyone who is not 100% pro-life. But that does not mean that other Catholics are not allowed to make a different prudential decision.

Basically this bishop is saying that Catholics cannot vote for the re-election of President Bush. After all, Bush stands for abortion in various circumstances and he has permitted stem cell research to proceed. I admit that he is LESS pro-abortion than others including Kerry, and he is LESS supportive of stem cell research than others including Nancy Reagan just this week. But that is not what the pastoral letter says. It says that you have excommunicated yourself if you vote for anyone who "stands for abortion." Thre is nothing about exceptions.

[Barnacle]

Stem cells for research can be obtained from donors. The Church and Bush are opposed to collecting them from embryos.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1055227/posts

[Salvation]

**Personally, I do not do so. I will not vote for anyone who is not 100% pro-life.**

I think this is what is being advocated.

[ninenot]

Catholic ARE allowed to vote for the lesser of 2 evils. Personally, I do not do so. I will not vote for anyone who is not 100% pro-life. But that does not mean that other Catholics are not allowed to make a different prudential decision.

Agreed.

[marshmallow]

The bishop is not contradicting the "lesser of two evils doctrine". There are virtually no candidates who promote a platform which is 100% consistent with Catholic teaching. Even so called "pro-life" candidates get uneasy when the issue of rape is raised.

It is implicit in what the bishop is saying that he is referring to situations where Catholics vote for those very same candidates to whom he is referring in this letter.

Thus, not only Kerry, but all those who vote for him and thereby contribute to the implementation or continuation of a greater evil.

This is tanatmount to saying to Catholics "don't vote for Kerry." I don't have a problem with this. Quite the contrary. But you can bet your life that the secularists and ACLU-types in government will, particularly if this mesage is repeated on a grander scale. It will be spun as Church meddling in political matters and look for questions about tax-status etc., to be raised in order to shut up "the meddlesome priests".