Family Research Council Misrepresents Catholic Faith; Catholic Alliance Calls for Explanation

Yahoo News ^ | March 1, 2006

[NYer]

WASHINGTON, March 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Catholic Alliance for the Common Good is questioning the Family Research Council's (FRC) understanding of Catholic principles following an FRC spokesperson's comments in direct contradiction to essential Church teaching. The Catholic Alliance for the Common Good is calling on FRC Vice President Tom McClusky to explain his statement that issues "such as helping the poor, the death penalty, views on war... aren't tenets of the Catholic Church." The comments appeared in today's Washington Post in an article titled "The House's Catholic Democrats Detail Role Religion Plays." ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/28/AR2006022801666.html )

"Helping the poor has remained a basic principle of Catholic social ethics since the earliest days of our Church," said Father Jim Hug, SJ, director of the Center of Concern and a Catholic Alliance participant. "Moreover, the Church's present leadership has been unequivocal in its condemnation of the death penalty in the U.S., and has repeatedly expressed grave moral concerns over the Iraq War. It is disappointing that Mr. McClusky would use his position to suggest otherwise."

Mr. McClusky's comments came as Pope Benedict XVI issued his message for Lent 2006, reflecting on "today's rapidly changing world, in which our responsibility towards the poor emerges with ever greater clarity and urgency." ( http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/lent/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20050929_lent-2006_en.html )

"We believe that Mr. McClusky is wrong. He's behind on 115 years of Catholic Social Teaching and 2000 years of gospel values." said Sr. Simone Campbell SSS, National Coordinator for the Catholic social justice lobby organization NETWORK and a Catholic Alliance participant. "Obscuring the hopeful social message of the Catholic faith only serves to diminish the positive contributions our Church can make to a suffering world."

The Catholic Alliance for the Common Good calls our nation to the values at the heart of the Catholic social teaching and American civic traditions: the dignity of the human person, justice, concern for the poor, and the common good. The Alliance promotes these values through media outreach and collaboration in order to forge a new faith voice in the public arena.

MEDIA NOTE: Father Jim Hug and Sister Simone Campbell are available for responsible, accurate and reliable information and comment on Catholic doctrine and issues of social policy from a Catholic perspective. For information contact: Eric McFadden at (614) 551-8907 at The Catholic Alliance for Common Good.

Father Jim Hug

Father Jim Hug has served as President of the Center of Concern for more than twenty years. Founded in 1971 by Jesuit Fathers at the request of United States Catholic Conference, Center of Concern is an independent, interdisciplinary organization rooted in Judeo-Christian values and Catholic Social Teaching. Father Hug focuses on research and education on issues of faith and economic justice and has lectured and directed workshops throughout the U.S. and in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Sister Simone Campbell, SSS

Simone Campbell, a Sister of Social Service, is the National Coordinator of NETWORK, a national Catholic social justice lobby in Washington, D.C. She is also a leader, a facilitator, a lawyer and a poet. Before coming to Washington, Simone was the executive director of JERICHO, an interfaith public policy and advocacy organization in California. Simone has eighteen years of experience as an attorney for the working poor in California, and five years as the leader of her international community.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

[newgeezer]

the Church's present leadership has been unequivocal in its condemnation of the death penalty in the U.S., and has repeatedly expressed grave moral concerns over the Iraq War.

Bummer times two.

[Alex Murphy]

The Catholic Alliance for the Common Good is questioning the Family Research Council's (FRC) understanding of Catholic principles following an FRC spokesperson's comments in direct contradiction to essential Church teaching.

Translation: The CACG wants the FRC to become an official arm of the CACG, because the FRC gets more press than the CACG does.

[Revenge of Sith]

I haven't heard one liberal political statement from Benedict XVI since he became pope.

[siunevada]

the Church's present leadership has been unequivocal in its condemnation of the death penalty in the U.S.

Back to Catechism class for Fr. Jim:

2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

IMO, the contention that non-lethal means are "sufficient" is an assertion lacking evidence.

I loved JP II but I think he was overestimating our abilities to make non-lethal means actually work.

[JohnnyZ]

Father Hug? Is that a joke?

[Nihil Obstat]

....said Father Jim Hug, SJ

Title says:

Family Research Council Misrepresents Catholic Faith; Catholic Alliance Calls for Explanation

Should be:

Catholic Alliance Misrepresents Catholic Faith; Family Research Council calls for Heresy Trials

[A.A. Cunningham]

"Helping the poor has remained a basic principle of Catholic social ethics since the earliest days of our Church," said Father Jim Hug, SJ, director of the Center of Concern and a Catholic Alliance participant. "Moreover, the Church's present leadership has been unequivocal in its condemnation of the death penalty in the U.S., and has repeatedly expressed grave moral concerns over the Iraq War. It is disappointing that Mr. McClusky would use his position to suggest otherwise."

Disingenuous Jebbie alert. The Catechism teaches that the state has the right to implement the death penalty and there are many members of the episcopacy who believe that OIF is a just war. Hug knows full well that prudential statements aren't tenets of faith.

[annalex]

"Helping the poor has remained a basic principle of Catholic social ethics since the earliest days of our Church," said Father Jim Hug

Necessity of private, faith-inspired works of charity has remained a tenet of the Church. The taxpayer-supported welfare system is not. McClusky indeed should have been more careful in his wording, or perhaps Washington Post misquoted him. At any rate, he should have no difficulty clarifying his statement.

[muawiyah]

The only possible reason anyone could be against the overthrow of Saddam Hussein is that they have an appreciation for the finer points of torture, mayhem and genocide.

I know none of those items are in Catholic doctrine ~ so where do those guys get off supporting Saddam Hussein?

[muawiyah]

There's your answer ~ the words are those of the Washington Post, not those of its victim.

[sanormal]

Father Jim Hug of the Center for Communist Concern and Sister Simone Campbell, Sister of Stalinist Service both belong to a socialist front organization that sounds so much like the Catholic Alliance. But it isn't.

They sure do love Teddy Kennedy, though. I wonder why?

[right-wingin_It]

Lot of lib cockroaches out and about this week trying to define what Catholicism teaches, eh?...Dissenters in Austrailia, US House Reps, and now these groups...all united and co-ordinated in the press.

What a shame, with Lent here already...

[JohnRoss]

It seems the Left-wing, so-called Catholic groups wish to reinterpret the Church's social teaching in a Marxist way.

[right-wingin_It]

Yes, but what we have here is a NEW united campaign to do so...A spike in the noise, if you will...It's organized, and not co-incidental

I predict more of these stories to come out in the next few days and weeks, with a debate on the "Primacy of Conscience" validity to possibly continue thru the November elections.