Political trivia: Name the excommunicated Catholic running on the national ticket

star ledger ^ | 09.12.08 | paul mulshine

[Coleus]

In a prior post, I asked readers to guess the one Catholic ever named to a national Republican ticket. The answer was William Miller, running mate to the great Barry Goldwater in the 1964 race.   Here's another political trivia question with a religious link. Name the contender in this year's race who is technically excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

ANSWER: According to the website of the Global Catholic Network the answer seems to be Palin. The site states that "once a person willingly repudiates Christ, embraces a heresy, knowing it to be contrary to divine and Catholic faith, or refuses submission to the Roman Pontiff (or communion with the members of the Church subject to him), by virtue of the law itself they are automatically excommunicated. No ecclesiastical act is necessary and no public notice."

Palin was baptized Catholic according to the McCain campaign. Her abandonment of Catholicism and subsequent attendance at other churches that question Catholic orthodoxy seems to fit this definition of heresy:

"Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same ..."

As for Biden, he's close to the edge but seems not to have gone over it. He has been warned about his behavior in failing to endorse legislation to outlaw abortion, but he has not been formally excommunicated.

Another trivia question: What other reported finalist for the Republican vice-presidential nomination also meets the above definition for self-excommunication from the Catholic Church?

[ConservativeMind]

Infant baptism means nothing. The infant had no choice in the matter and did not willingly accept Christ through such a measure.

[ConservativeMind]

No where in the Bible does it state that one is to submit to a Pope or an Apostle.

We are to submit to Christ. The Catholic church believes the Pope, the sinful man he is, is equivalent to Christ.

Not so.

[Mad Dawg]

To understand our POV you have to stipulate, for the sake of argument, that we have some kind of divine revelation thing going on. That is, we think we can, within limits, authoritatively say what is true and what isn't. That's a pretty common claim among religions.

Then there's not a denial of freedom of intelligent thought. There's only a statement that that freedom can be misused. One is free to reach an incorrect conclusion, that is, one we deem incorrect. Any Catholic is free to disagree with the Catholic Church. And there are consequences for that disagreement. (Ninja nuns climbing the walls after midnight on stealth missions of mayhem ....)(Okay. Maybe not.)

And, speaking of intelligent thought, the word "excommunicate" is used in popular culture in such a way as to inhibit intelligent thought. Right now, if, arguendo, Gov. Palin is excommunicated, as I suppose she is, she is being deprived of something she doesn't want anyway. She has, for one reason or another, turned away from the sacraments of the Church. And the Church responds by denying them to her. How dreadful is it when I refuse to give you what you don't want? How vindictive and vengeful is that?

So, touching your first question, who exactly is requiring Gov. Palin to adhere to the "religion" in which she was baptized?

Also, one is blessed enough to be born, without one's consent, a US citizen, or a member of this or that family. One is free upon attaining one's majority, to renounce ties to either. But should someone deliberately renounce his U.S. Citizenship, shall we allow him to vote?

Gov. Palin's excommunication could be taken care of easily if she wanted. A few conferences with a priest, maybe some classes, sacramental confession, affirmation of the Catholic Church, and blammo, excommunication lifted. No stakes or firewood involved. Take your marshmallows back home, we won't be roasting them tonight.

[Mad Dawg]

The Catholic church believes the Pope, the sinful man he is, is equivalent to Christ.

This is a falsehood. Astonishing! No, we don't; never have, never will.

One of the things that encourages me to remain Catholic is to read falsehoods like this one. Evidently the father of Lies is against us. That makes for unpleasant disagreements, but it also makes it pretty clear where the truth is.

[Mad Dawg]

You can expect a nasty letter from our attorneys for misusng or using in a disparaging way our

ProddieBashers^®

registered trademark.

heh heh heh. Have a nice contention free day, bro!

[mosesdapoet]

YAWN.... The only part of this “thing” was a reminder about Congressman Miller. Biden comes closer to being “excomuicated” because his Archbishop has refused him communion of course that doesn’t fit the “silly spin” this lefty is making....http://www.theusmat.com

[Mad Dawg]

In the assault on either Conservatives or Catholics, silliness is no vice!

Wake me up when it's over, please.

[A.A. Cunningham]

that would be 32 years ago, coinciding with the effects of the Vatican Council 2

The effects of Vatican II, which ended in 1965, didn't take until 1976 to manifest themselves.

[A.A. Cunningham]

The Catholic church believes the Pope, the sinful man he is, is equivalent to Christ.

You need to quit reading Jack Chick, unless of course you enjoy coming across as a fool.

[cmj328]

Since her parents took her out of the Church at age 12

According to Wikipedia, her parents joined Wasilla Assembly of God when she was 4. Either way, she is incapable of being excommunicated for joining a non-Catholic church at that age, because:

Can. 1323 The following are not subject to a penalty when they have violated a law or precept:

1/ a person who has not yet completed the sixteenth year of age;

Further provisions exempt from sentence in case of ignorance, inadvertence or error.

Not only does Mulshine attack Palin, he slanders the Catholic Church as unjust and uncharitable.

[xzins]

I assume from this thread that you are anti-McCain/Palin and would not be chagrined at the victory of Obama/Biden.

Really sad. She is the one PROVEN pro-life candidate, and one of only three outspoken pro-life candidates....McCain/Palin & Baldwin.

Obama is willing to kill babies even after they are born.

[ConservativeMind]

Okay Mad, what does this mean:

“or refuses submission to the Roman Pontiff...”

We are to submit to Christ, not the “Roman Pontiff.”

It’s astonishing the falsehoods Catholics say!

[wagglebee]

Sarah’s family left the Catholic Church when she was young. She seems happy where she is and her views are in line with Catholic teaching on EVERY critical subject.

This article is nothing more than a ploy to diminish Sarah’s appeal to Catholics and it WILL NOT WORK.

[xzins]

Who knows what work the Lord has done in this baptized child. She certainly has aligned herself with Catholic teaching.

To be honest with you, Wagglebee, I don’t know if a Catholic church existed in Wasilla, Alaska, when the Palin’s moved there from Idaho, or, if it did whether it was staffed year round. I do know that she was a young child at the time, so I doubt she had much (if any) involvement in the change.

One thing I discovered in the Army Chaplaincy was that sometimes when in the field I was the only chaplain around and those of other denominations (including Catholic) came to my general protestant service. I know, too, that many protestants would go to the Catholic chaplain’s service when he was the only one around in his area.

[NeoCaveman]

What is the point of this article?

To start a Holy War.

Libs and their divide and conquer tactics...

[wagglebee]

Sarah Palin’s view are more “Catholic” than ANY national candidate since Reagan (and he wasn’t Catholic either, though I believe his brother was).

Here is a link to the Catholic parish in Wasilla, I can’t find anything about whether or not it was there thirty or so years ago, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t.
http://www.sacredheartwasilla.org/

[xzins]

Two things suggest the program is new:

1. The buildings pictured at the link you provided look new.

2. This newsletter item about schools, suggests that they are new:

Strong start for Valley school

Our Lady of the Valley is the system’s newest school. Located in a former strip mall in Wasilla, the preschool through 8th grade venture opened last year to an enthusiastic welcome by Valley Catholics, finishing its first year with 50 students. By the end of July more than 60 had enrolled, with principal Suzanne Cyr scheduling more parent interviews almost daily.

“Our inaugural year was a rousing success,” said Cyr, who added that anyone interested in the school is invited to a picnic Aug. 17 from 1-3 p.m.

A fundraiser auction last spring netted resources for brand new playground equipment. The Mat-Su school serves St. Michael Church in Palmer, Sacred Heart Church in Wasilla and Our Lady of the Lake Church in Big Lake.http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:ESvqGP6IYmEJ:www.catholicanchor.org/local.html+big+lake+alaska+catholic+church+fournier&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us

[Judith Anne]

Wake me up when it's over, please.

Remember Rip Van Winkle? Ever wonder why HE slept so long? :D

[wagglebee]

I know that until fairly recently, the main Catholic focus in Alaska (outside of Anchorage and a couple other larger cities) was Jesuit missionary work with the Eskimos (I think we can still call them that). My guess is that the smaller towns were served by some traveling priests who were in town once a month or so and said mass in a non-Catholic church.

I agree that the church in the picture looks very new and it is doubtful that a town of less than 10,000 would have outgrown their previous church (and that is the only reason I can think of, other than a fire or disaster, why they would need to either build a new church or make major renovations).

[tiki]

Sarah Palin’s view are more “Catholic” than ANY national candidate since Reagan

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Certainly. And much more than Biden’s view.