Posted on 03/07/2012 10:14:16 AM PST by NYer
Cardinal Timothy Dolan sent a letter to his brother bishops earlier this week where he revealed a shocking conversation that recently took place at a meeting between White House and USCCB staff:
At a recent meeting between staff of the bishops’ conference and the White House staff, our staff members asked directly whether the broader concerns of religious freedom—that is, revisiting the straight-jacketing mandates, or broadening the maligned exemption—are all off the table. They were informed that they are. So much for “working out the wrinkles.” Instead, they advised the bishops’ conference that we should listen to the “enlightened” voices of accommodation, such as the recent, hardly surprising yet terribly unfortunate editorial in America. The White House seems to think we bishops simply do not know or understand Catholic teaching and so, taking a cue from its own definition of religious freedom, now has nominated its own handpicked official Catholic teachers
Let’s break this down so we don’t miss anything about the context or gravity of the situation:
1. This meeting was prompted because the White House decided to curtail and violate the religious freedom of the Catholic Church and individual Catholics.
2. The White House refused to consult with Catholic bishops while originally formulating and issuing this mandate. President Obama misled Cardinal Dolan when he promised the Cardinal he would be happy with the White House’s final decision.
3. The White House has continually lied about and misrepresented the opinion and position of the U.S. Bishops in this process (claiming, for instance, that they were always against Obamacare and that Catholic Charities USA supported their false accomodation). They have continued to act in bad faith.
4. The White House has also chosen to ally itself with liberal, left-wing Catholic dissenters like Sr. Carol Keehan throughout this process, thereby snubbing the U.S. Bishops and all faithful Catholics.
(Are you still there? Because now it gets really good….)
5. After all of this, when the White House finally gets around to inviting staff authorized by the USCCB to negotiate on behalf of them, the White House says what to them?! First, they issue an ultimatum saying all compromise is off the table. So what on earth are they supposed to talk about if the White House refuses from the outset to compromise in any way, shape, or form? The cynical answer is the White House, once again, simply wanted to establish the appearance of dialogue while offering zero substance.
6. Then, the White House proceeds to lecture the USCCB staff about how to interpret Catholic teaching! Can you imagine anything more offensive? Telling Catholics how to be Catholic? They show them a copy of the America editorial as if a) the staff has not already read it and b) the U.S. Bishops give a fig what the editors of America think.
7. Let’s read Cardinal Dolan’s line again:
The White House seems to think we bishops simply do not know or understand Catholic teaching and so, taking a cue from its own definition of religious freedom, now has nominated its own handpicked official Catholic teachers.
In other words, what we have here is NOT a failure to communicate. What we have here is an Administration and White House officials who believe they know Catholic teaching better than us. And who have the hubris to lecture us about what our faith teaches.
The editors of the Wall Street Journal comment:
As a study in ideology and power, the anecdote [of the White House meeting described above] is chilling, compounded by all the recent claims by Democrats and liberals that Catholics who actually abide by their faith are opposed to modernity. Such prejudice is supposedly defunct in contemporary America, except when it’s practiced against religion.
And not just any religion – Catholic religion.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t take kindly to my elected leaders lecturing me about what my faith teaches. Talk about the height of hypocrisy. Talk about an offense that cries out to the ballot box to be answered definitely.
Yup, Satan doesn’t think much of borders...
I agree with all, especially your fifth point.
I pray this happens. I think the bishops are beginning to realize that they’re dealing with a committed Marxist devil.
—— This is exactly what the Chinese Communist govt does with their `state-run catholic church`.- ——
Will we see a “Patriotic Catholic Church,” led by Notre Dame and the Jesuits? Stay tuned....
bump for later
This quote from an August 2011 National Review article aptly describes Obama's view of those who disagree with him:
There’s one major reason to doubt this explanation, namely that the president is one of the smartest people in the world, and whenever something goes wrong, it’s generally not because he made a mistake, but because he didn’t explain himself well enough, and that’s obviously his listeners’ fault, because he’s the greatest orator since Lincoln, so he’s obviously able to explain himself, but you have to be smart enough to follow him, you see.Clearly, Catholic leaders are not as smart as Obama. /s
The government’s recent intrusion into religion is terrifying. If this is what’s happening now, imagine what will be going on with four more years of Hussein minus a re-election in his future. We WILL be destroyed.
Bump!
Cardinal Dolan should not have been surprised—that was exactly how Obama pretended to cooperate with the Republicans in Congress—set up meetings where no give-and-take takes place but Obama or his minions just restate their position and try to make the other side look like it is being unreasonable and is to blame for the failure to reach an agreement.
Good! bttt
Gee, for the past few years I have been expecting REV 2...now it is beginning to look more like the 4th Crusade is coming first.
You got that right!
Get used to it, kaffirs. The Caliphate does not tolerate differing views.
And you are right.
Quite remarkable when you think about it. Here are a group of people (unfortunately leaders of our Country) who care only about appearances and the facade. As you said, they staged a similar game with the Republican Congressmen, as they did with the Bishop's people. Childish and deceitful. They may consider themselves to be 'masters of politics', but in the end their actions are just lies.
A word search of 'abomination', seems to talk a lot about this gang. Here are a couple examples:
Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.
Proverbs 11:20 They that are of a froward [distorted; hence, false:--crooked, froward, perverse] heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.
I cannot help but wonder if this will finally open the eyes of the Black church to the leftist liberals they've so long been allied with. Once upon a time I would have held out some hope, but I've long come to believe that if that time were ever to come it would have come long ago. The Black churches don't seem to care how far to the Left or anti-religious Obama is; he's "one of them" (while conservative Blacks are treated as lepers). And yet they go right on worshiping like gap-toothed West Virginia snake-handlers.
How can "religious people" be so blind, deaf, dumb, and/or stubborn?
——The bishops need to realize and accept that they’ve got political subversives in their midst and they’re using the Church in an inappropriate manner to achieve nefarious ends——
Fortunately, a lot of the sixties generation is retiring. The new, younger bishops seem to be fairly reliable. They’re all pretty weak when it comes to welfare programs. They’re receiving poor seminary training in that regard.
Subsidiarity and natural law. Repeat as necessary.
bump
Cardinal Dolan, there’s nothing to discuss.
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