Cardinal Ratzinger as presidential kingmaker [Did new Pope win election for Bush?]

National Catholic Reporter ^ | April 21, 2005 | Joe Feuerherd

[ninenot]

Frankly, whatever the NCR says must be examined very cynically.

First take on their editorial/article (whatever...): this is going to be a part of the assault on B-16 and will be blown into a "First Amendment" issue by the liars in the MSM. Wait about 6-18 months to see how it builds.

MSM (and NCR is definitely a part of it) will NOT stand for a moral or religious influence in voting, whether imagined (as in the case presented by NCR) or real--unless such influence delivers votes to those who would transvalue all values (see HRC.)

The thesis this writer propounds is pure BS; his conclusion is wrong; and his motives are not pure.

Likely he's on the DNC email list.

[victim soul]

Every church has the right to speak out about public policy affecting the common good especially when it involves the taking of innocent human life.

[Torie]

I'm not Catholic, but I have the impression that annulments are handed out like hotcakes.

[Accygirl]

I expect the Church to comment on moral issues; however, I disagree with the confrontational way in which this was handled. Catholic bishops should not be getting into a public feud with a U.S. presidential candidate during a very hotly contested campaign. To be perfectly fair, however, I don't think that Ratzinger realized how badly his letter would be received in the U.S. and how much it would have damaged the American church.

As for mixing politics and religion in general, I'll provide an example that'll better illuminate my feelings on the issue. When I was in college,one of the priests associated with the local Catholic church was very anti-war and anti-Israel and liked to incorporate both topics into his weekly sermons. I remember one in particular during the Iraq war in which he called U.S. soldiers assassins; it made me so upset that I walked out of Church. Since as a conservative I don't want to hear those types of sermons on a weekly basis, I can empathize with liberals who might not want to be lectured about abortion every time they go to Church.

[fatima]

Coleus,Bump.

[Coleus]

bttt