Ten days before the May 17 Notre Dame University commencement at which President Barack Obama was to speak and receive an honorary degree, I told an archbishop who's a friend that I thought this was a watershed. One reason for that, I explained, lay in the remarkably large number of individual bishops — approaching 80 as this is written — who took the initiative to speak up in protest against Notre Dame's bestowal of honors upon our aggressively pro-abortion chief executive.
The archbishop smiled sadly and shook his head. "Six months from now it will all be forgotten, and everything will be business as usual," he said. It was clear that by "business as usual" he wasn't suggesting that the state of American Catholicism had been all that good before the Notre Dame-Obama flap.
Maybe he's right, although for once I hope he isn't. Obama's feel-good remarks at the Notre Dame graduation changed nothing of substance. But I agree with White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel: You shouldn't waste a good crisis. In that spirit, here are three important lessons that can — and must — be learned from this extremely painful episode.
The first lesson, familiar by now, is that American Catholics are deeply divided. The Obama invitation was yet another occasion for two very different groups of Catholics to split over something serious.
The poll numbers were somewhat contradictory, but the overall picture is clear. Generally speaking, Catholics who go to Mass weekly tended to think that Notre Dame was badly off base in paying tribute to our pro-abortion president, while Catholics who don't go to Mass weekly tended to see it as okay. We've been seeing this split in Catholic ranks—those who go to Mass weekly vs. those who don't—for many years and on many different issues, both political and religious.
I have no solution to offer, except that the split must henceforth be taken far more seriously into account than it has been up to now in pastoral planning and action. It's just not meaningful to say, "American Catholics think this or that." The question is: Which Catholics do you mean—the ones who practice their religion or the ones who don't?
The second lesson is that Catholic colleges and universities face a choice. A couple of weeks before the Notre Dame event, I was discussing that with a notably well-informed Catholic editor. The bottom line, we agreed, is that these days many Catholic schools — Notre Dame being a prime example — claim Catholic identity without practicing accountability to the Church.
It doesn't work. Identity and accountability — it's a case of both or neither. Notre Dame, Georgetown, Boston College and the rest have to choose.
The third lesson is that the bishops also face a choice. Will they fight to uphold the Catholic identity of Catholic institutions or let them go without protest? Many already are gone, and more currently are being forced into secularization — or extinction — by economic factors and/or ideology.
Where Catholic identity remains a viable option, however, the bishops still have a little time to exert themselves in its defense. Otherwise they'd best resign themselves to its all-but-universal loss. Merely hoping for the best won't work.
If these lessons are learned, the Notre Dame controversy may do some good. But if my friend the archbishop is right in predicting business as usual within six months, the future of Catholic identity in higher education and other areas of the Church's infrastructure isn't bright. How very sad if it turns out like that.
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50 comments:
It's really no surprise that this most recent kerfluffle was precipitated by Notre Dame. It was Fr. Ted Hesburgh CSC, then president of ND, who called the 1967 Land O' Lakes Conference. That was the watershed event where the split between Church and Academia was codified, and schools chose to worship at the altar of academic freedom rather than Truth.
Make no mistake about what happened yesterday: Obama and the Left won, and the Catholic Church ended up with egg-on-face. It makes me truly sad.
Unfortunately, I know many who go to Daily Mass, and weekly Mass who voted for Obama....I'm simply at a loss of words and understanding at how this can be.....I suppose the issues of life are simply not a priority for these voting Catholics...how can they truly be Catholic then???
Well said!
That plane is still flying over Notre Dame Monday after commencement (there's no escaping the drone of its motor). A FOX News TV truck still sits at the corner of Angela and Notre Dame.
All these past weeks there has been a security guards everywhere at Notre Dame - one constantly standing at the bottom of the steps leading to the Administration building...
Bishop John M. D'Arcy showed up at Sunday's demonstration Mass on the grass of the South Quad. From the podium he said he hadn't planned on coming....but then realized the place of the Bishop was to be standing with the faithful. "John D'Arcy isn't important," he said. "But the office of Bishop is important!" It may well be that Notre Dame will never be the same.
Issues of life are THE priority for me as a voting Roman Catholic that voted for President Barack Obama. I care about how many children go hungry in this country every night; am saddened and sickened by how woeful our public education system is; bear witness to that homeless men, women, and families can be found in every pocket of America; offended that my tax dollars are spent on the death penalty; and support Catholic Charities' work to relieve human suffering, regardless of religious affiliation. In my experience, it has been the Democrats, not the Republicans, that have cared about those 'other' life issues. Yes, I continue to pray for and dialogue with those that support abortion, as I will never condone it as a legal option. It is in that spirit that academic freedom can still be balanced with a Roman Catholic identity. How can I claim humility of the spirit if I do not engage my enemy respectfully?
I am a Catholic who not only voted for Obama, but worked very hard on his campaign. I am also unequivocally pro-life, from conception until life's natural end.
Why, you might wonder, would I have supported Obama? Well, first of all, given that six out of the last nine administrations were Republican, it seems to me that if the Republicans really intended to undo Roe v. Wade, they could have done so.
Secondly, I don't believe we can support the unborn without supporting their mothers. Strong, healthy, well-fed mothers produce strong, healthy babies. So for me, healthcare is a priority, as is the same sort of support for young mothers as you find in European countries.
Thirdly, one of my heroes is David Alton, former Member of Parliament in the UK, now Lord Alton. I worked on his first campaign. A pro-lifer to the core, he did not go into Parliament with all guns blazing, demanding an immediate end to abortion, but instead sought common ground in order to introduce Bills that would limit the evil. He is lauded by the Catholic Church as one of the best pro-life advocates. I believe we can take a leaf out of his book and present Bills that stand a chance of being passed.
Working on the Obama campaign and speaking openly about my pro-life convictions was an education. First of all, at least half who worked out of that office were pro-life Catholics. The other half were varying degrees of pro-choice. What I discovered was that the vast majority of these pro-choicers are in favor of strict limits on the term up to which abortions can be performed and/or the reasons for them. In six months, I met only one who was in favor of abortion on demand, and she was booed and heckled by other pro-choicers. So we do have some common ground by which we can limit this evil while we still work to make it unthinkable and then illegal.
So please folks, don't make assumptions about those who didn't vote Republican. We have examined our consciences and the facts, and have simply chosen a different way to reach the same end. After all, thirty years on and other means have not worked!
"(H)ow can they truly be Catholic then???"
Clearly our Catholicism is defined by something more broad and deep than partisan politics.
As for the identity of Catholic schools, have you considered looking in the parish and at your town's high/prep school? If you're looking for a split, what about the divide between faith and the suburban family life of sports, elitism, 9PM fast food meals, and all. People, even Catholics, have long used the Church's academic infrastructure to get a leg up on life, as it were. The cynic in me asks where y'all have been and why ND snuck up on you and bit you on the butt. Loss of Catholic identity? Look in your own neighborhood first.
Your friend is right: business as usual is likely. We're dealing with highly educated adults (bishops and university presidents) who each see thermselves at the top of their respective heaps. You trot out a fuzzily written 2004 document, one of a kind that some bishops, like Joseph "The USCCB doesn't speak for me" Martino, dismiss or ignore out of hand. Suddenly, a university with a national stature sets aside something the bishops themselves routinely ignore, and what do we expect? Fr Jenkins to read Bishop D'Arcy's mind? If the bishops are responsible for buck-stopping, as I seem to read here, they need to roll up their sleeves and get to work repairing the damage (by their own definition) to these relationships and take some personal initiative.
It's fine enough for a prelate to muse about martyrdom--almost anybody can tolerate being killed quickly. It's when these guys (and I include university presidents) have to do some actual work--that's when it gets difficult.
The ND furor is largely about some pro-lifers needing a pep rally, a symbolic something to cheer about. This was no watershed. A lost opportunity, perhaps. The moment the momentum swung to disinviting the president, the cause was lost.
The Vatican should move quietly to force Father Jenkins from the scene, perhaps at the end of the year. The liberal media will cover it poorly, but the message will be sent out through the Catholic channels that foremost, the universities are a teaching branch of the Catholic Church, and are charged with imparting the faith to their students. In my case until I see otherwise I plan to send my children to state universities for science degrees. I will not pay to scandalize my own.
Hey Anonymous who voted for Obama. You say you are a "Catholic who voted for Obama". Your arguments are missing the fundamental point. The reason why a Catholic cannot vote for a pro-abortion politician is because abortion is INTRINSICALLY EVIL. Whether the republicans failed to oiverturn it, whether mother's get social aid, whether David Alton took is particular tact, is missing the point. We must call it what it is - State sanctioned murder of the unborn. This fundamentally has to stop, no matter what.
Voting for Obama knowingly is a mortal sin and must be confessed. A vote for Obama is directly or indirectly supporting child killing.
"Other" life issues are not on the same level as abortion. "Social justice" is not on the same level either. Stop rationalizing your support of Obama. Many of our bishops are to blame for him getting elected with their vague document on how Catholics should decide to vote. Obama 3 times voted AGAINST legislation that would protect babies who live through an abortion. Just leave them to die horribly. How could any christian, let alone catholic, vote for that.
If anything the past forty years have proven that the methods that President Obama and his liberal supports wish to employ to alleviate hunger, poor education, poverty and other social programs do not work. They have no new ideas. They want to throw more money, money the nation does not have, and is being stolen from our children and grandchildren into programs that we already know do not work.
It is not contingent on Catholics, when following Catholic Social teaching, to support methods to solve social problems which have been proven to be ineffective. Rather we should be supporting methods that work.
Want to reduce abortion? Teach and support abstinence. Want to improve our schools? Hold parents and students accountable. Teach morals, logic and truth, not politically and ideologically driven history and wishful thinking social entitlement.
As for healthcare. As long as healthcare is driven by monetary considerations, and make no mistake State supported Universal Healthcare is nothing if not cost driven, it will result in uneven care models based on class and income. The Church started the healthcare system. It was based on charity. Trying to base it on anything else is doomed to failure.
In 2005 27% of women who aborted their unborn child considered themselves Catholic. It is time for the Church to teach to ALL Catholics, what the Catholic Church teaches on abstinence to marriage, why the church is against b.c., condoms and what natural family planning is. When I went to RE in high school we werent taught this. All I knew was that the Church was against sex before marriage and bc not much more than that.
I think teenagers should be taught the Theology of the Body for Teens in Catholic High Schools and Religious Education classes for at least grades 9th-12th. Her's some links to The Theology of the Body for Teens
Parent's Segment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daxy2P7_HUk
Coed Segment:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJEhxj8dXVc
Guys Segment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld13fvtU7bo
Girls Segment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoL_i0Qizlg
anomynous wrote:
offended that my tax dollars are spent on the death penalty; and support Catholic Charities' work to relieve human suffering
Over 1 million unborn children is killed in the U.S. alone & Obama wants taxpayers to pay for them ALL, Im offended about that.Not only that he overturned the Mexico Policy so we will help push abortion on to other countries. Did you know that EVERYYEAR worldwide 46 million preborn babies die through abortion how many will we be end up paying for.Not only that he is for forcing doctors to participate in abortions?Wants to make abortions more of a right no matter the gestational age of preborn baby then Roe Vs Wade did? And hiring radical abortion supporters to office? How many people who die each year through the death penalty? I support Catholic Charities, St. DePaul Society and Crisis Pregnancy Centers which HELP women who are pregnant so they dont feel like they need to abort. Obama is against CPCs.
In my experience, it has been the Democrats, not the Republicans, that have cared about those 'other' life issues.
Yeah right that a bunch of bunk~!!!
As a revert to the Catholic and previous evangelical pastor, I must call all of our attention to the Catechism of the Catholic Church which speaks of the conversion of the Baptised (articles 1425-1433)This is the true split among Catholics and the defining experience which will put us all on the same page with respect to the issue of life or other doctrines for that matter. President Obama needs to settle in his heart and mind when conception begins. Until he does, his policies reflect his current understanding.
I agree with the article's author. There is a breech amongst the faithful, & the Obama administration has cleverly used the ND event as a wedge to deepen the divide.
The bishops must respond, even forcefully, to correct errors & re-establish Catholic identity. But so must parish priests & - as Todd aluded to - so must all the faithful, especially parents around the dinner table.
Well said, Rob! We take a moral stance because it IS a necessity in fact and truth, as well as for the health of our moral well-being--ie., we avoid serious sin and the abetting of serious sin. All this rationalization of an evil act and the abetting of an evil act is the cowardly obfuscation of TRUTH and the avoidance of our moral responsibility.
I have an honest question: How would we view the situation differently if Obama had not received an honorary degree, but just spoke at the graduation? Similarly, what if he simply spoke at another even at ND, but not at graduation? What are your thoughts?
We lament the loss of real Catholics; those who would fight to the death for the teachings of Jesus Christ. Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. (1914-2000) said: "Unless we recover the zeal and the spirit of the first century Christians--unless we are willing to do what they did and to pay the price that they paid, the future of our country, the day of America are numbered."
Many, many Catholics practice watered down faith because they have not been catecized as adults. Many continue with life after the basics required for First Holy Communion and receive no other instruction.
Pope John Paul 11 called for a new evangelication of America (ad Lumina Addresses 1998). It is never too late to do the right thing. Let us, together with our Bishops, start to re-evangelize America. But let us for go to the lost children of our own Catholic Church. Maria Santa Fe, New Mexico
I have read all comments, I like what
Rob, said. In all the comments, no one
took in to account, what Our Lord said
Thou shall not kill! Now, we all believe Our Lord love all of us, so
how can "JESUS" love the mother and not the child of 'GOD' growing in its
mother womb, IT only shows how little
faith and trust all of us have in our
LORDS love for us all including that
baby. Talk is cheap! We all must get back to what 'JESUS' taught, most of all, TRUST IN JESUS CARE FOR ALL OF US. Remember one day we all will have to stand in front of him and make an account of what we have done or not done!
To all those supposed "other life issues" Catholic Obama voters point to in rationalizing their votes - Captital Punishment (while I don't support it due to my libertarian streak and the danger of giving government that power) is not intrinsically evil and there are instances where it can be justified. As far as feeding mothers and babies and the poor - you know the socialist stuff - Conservatives feel the free market is the best way to address these issues not the inefficient and godless bureaucracy. What do you think, conservatives like poor and homeless? We drive around in our SUVs in glory watching other people in pain? No it has been the socialistic policies of the left that have created a permanent underclass and ony free markets and individual empowerment will free those folks from their addiction to government aid and it's false promises. And might I add how interesting it is that conservatives actually give more money to charity than liberals - because liberals would rather give OTHER peoples' monies away.
I vote for the person, not the party, although, I left the Democratic Party because of the way they treated Cardinal O'Connor and Governor Casey, not the son the father. I did not vote for Obama, and cannot understand how anyone could vote for him because of his lack of experience and total, radical pro-abortion policies. I believe most of those who cheered him at Notre Dame have had abortions themselves, or helped others to get them. I see Catholics doing this all the time, although there has always been help for them. Some people, including supposedly intelligent Catholic politicians, can not even read her own cathecism, which says abortion is murder. Some people say they are against waterboarding of terrorists, yet are totally for abortion when one method of abortion is the ultimate "waterboarding" of innocent children in the womb. Saline is injected into the water sac of the unborn child, his/her skin is usually burned, and they eventually drown when the saline gets into their mouths. All this is done without anesthetic. I have seen the pictures of this type of abortion, and they are
BABLIES and the sight is horrible. How would you like to die that way? And by the way, pro-lifers have been helping the poor women all along, many times out of their own pockets. But sometimes women and the males who have inpregnated them refuse help and abort anyway. Also, Obama never once mentioned the wonderful gains and results in NON-EMBRONIC stem cell, cord blood and skin cell and other research. There have been far more seccesses in that area than in embronic ste-cell research, which the body usually rejects and the person ends up worse off. Why aren't our tax dollars going into that kind of research. Wake up America before it is too, too late and you have to answer before the Judgement seat of God for all this. Some have had to answer already, and I tremble at the fate of those who knew better.
After listening to Jenkins speech praising Obama at Notre Dame yesterday, I clearly understand how Eve must have felt when the snake lured her into disobeying God. What Jenkins said sounded so rational yet my Catholic training makes me realize that the devil has the power to make wrong seem right. I know in my heart social justice must begin in your mother's womb because justice doesn't matter if you're never born. A 9/11 happens everyday in America because of abortion and Obama approves and so do all Catholics who voted for him.
By the way, abortion by saline injection (burning and drowning the unborn child) sometimes takes as much as a hour before the child dies. what an unbelievable horror.
Don't tell me my 90-year-old practicing Catholic mother, who bore more than 10 children and had several miscarriages as well, is wrong when she says that the decision to have a child is always a woman's, when you get right down to it. She remembers women in her parish who tried to self-abort, at great physical damage to themselves and at great risk of loss for their living children. If that was the case in the 40s and 50s when she was the center of her parish's coffee klatch (not approving of these decisions, but observing sadly that they were being made), I was surprised in 1973 when I started a pro-life pregnancy hotline that she would say, "Remember to be humble about this--and remember that whether this is legal or illegal it is the woman's decision, ultimately. Women make this decision sometimes in desperation--even without their husbands knowing they are pregnant." That was, and still is, a sobering thought to me. Can we allow that the woman is the moral agent--just as the soldier in a battlefield is a moral agent, and we don't berate him if he makes a bad decision under stress?
I cannot understand how those who claim to be pro-life but voted for Obama anyway are not weeping tears of anguished contrition.
His speech at ND yesterday was a perfect illustration of the choice those voters made.
The man spoke of respecting the two irreconcilable positions & seeking common ground. Pretty words! Empty words!
How is giving over a billion dollars of the so-called "stimulus" money to Planned Barrenhood and funding the killing of embryos to cannibalize their stem cells EVEN THOUGH WE CAN GET STEM CELLS WITHOUT KILLING SO WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO DO THIS seeking common ground?
How is it respecting the "choice" of Americans on this issue to use our tax dollars for abortions both here AND overseas and to force health professionals to participate in abortions or lose their jobs?
The man is 'a murderer & a liar like his father' - an accomplished politician in the most cynical sense of the word with a very consistent record of saying one thing & doing something entirely other - how on earth can anyone who calls themselves pro-life OR Catholic (which should be synonymous as being Catholic is supposed to stand for being a Catholic) believe anything he says at this point? It's beyond sick...
To Anonymous with the 90-year-old practicing Catholic mother - in the sense that we all have free will (the ability to choose to do good or evil) your mother was right.
However, it is just as true that we ALL have the free will to choose to murder or not murder ANY human being.
While there are extenuating circumstances in many cases, such as when Susan Smith drowned her 2 beautiful babies, that still does not make their choice any less evil.
We actually need to have compassion for ALL who choose to do evil, but sure as God is in heaven, we must NEVER enable them - and we are particularly obligated to protect the vulnerable innocents from them as best we can.
It is hard to take you seriously when you don't even know the proper name of the school you are criticizing. It is the University OF Notre Dame
The American Catholic Church just elected their new pope. It's time for them to come out and and state who they are. They want contraception, sterilization, fornication, adultery, practicing homosexuality and abortion to be removed from the list of mortal sins and replaced with only the sin of intolerance.
Hopefully this episode will wake people up to the reality that already exists - two separate churches. Why do we have to be forced to pretend like were all in the same Church?
One more thing. It looks like he didn't mention Jesus Christ or Mary the Mother of God once in his speech. As if it was a surprise.
Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ, son of the Living God!
There is no need for debate. Abortion is intrinsically evil. What part of this don't nominal Roman Catholics understand. It is what it is.
There is so much confusion on
"tolerance".
Fr Corapi explains it well.
We only tolerate the good.
We do not tolerate evil.
I'm anti abortion, but some of this hasn't cleared things for me. Bush was anti abortion but apparently the abortion frequency didn't change during his eight years. Obama is pro abortion but wants to cut the number of abortions to nearly nothing. Should I oppose them both, one for doing nothing and the other for saying the wrong thing?
We must stop claiming that there are two Catholic Churches in America. We have Catholics who follow the teachings of the Magistium, and we have people claiming catholics for a variety of reasons, but it doesn't change the FACT they are PROTESTING the teachings of the Church, making themselves PROTESTants. I could say I am a man, but the fact is still that I am female. IT is time those not wanting the teachings of the Church to interfere with their llifestyles to at least have the guts and walk away as Martin Luther did.
To invite someone to speak is one thing; to confer an honorary degree is quite another. Allowing someone to speak can show respect for the office, and a willingness to exchange ideas. Conferring an honorary degree implies approval and support of the person's life work and values.
Soon GOD will show each and every one of us individually "ALL THAT WE HAVE DONE WRONG" and "ALL THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE RIGHT"!!! Think about that. Unless GOD sees us as Saint Francis' or Saint Clare's, it is pretty safe to say that each of us will probably in our soul painfully suffer when we see our sins. Hopefully GOD will allow each and every one of us to suffer for our sins to gain eternal life. None of us want to hear Our Blessed Lord say, "I would rather you be hot or cold, but since you are lukewarm, I WILL vomit you from my mouth", Because at that point it may be too late. We think it is easy access, "HEAVEN", but in order to be in a state of grace, one must by example follow the Catholic teachings of the Church. You cannot be wishy washy about, "Thou Shalt Not Kill". It doesn't say, "Thou Shalt Not Kill" except when...... This world is in serious sin, democrats and republicans alike, but abortion is the worst sin of all, so if you stand with those who believe in abortion, make no mistake about it, it is an anti-christ position. There are no exceptions to that commandment, "Thou Shalt Not Kill". GOD have mercy on us ALL
This writer feels the imbroglio proves much ado about nuthin'(to us).
As a Black Catholic (following African Saints. Augustine's, Athanasius's, Macarius's
dictates on Yeshua (Jesus to the Eurocentric), one's right formed conscious is paramount to a particular interest group's yelling a screaming about what is "Catholic" and what is not.
(Just some Teutonic-- Anglo Saxon Church branch members at it again).
By analogy. There's the story of representatives from Rome visiting an Ancient African Church Council (Africa being one of the pre-eminent areas of the Church Catholic in the first 200-300 years, along with Antioch, Jerusalem, and later Constantinople…).
The Romans attempted to dictate how the Africans should run their Council
The African bishops politely, but forcefully told the Romans to “sit down and shut up.” (words to that effect). That the Africans Bishops possessed Apostolic succession as well (and pre-dating that of the Romans).
Nothing's changed. And further, the Irish never did like us much!
(Reference the New York riots in the Civil War).
“But this, too, shall pass!”
Pax Christi.
James Wesly Smith
Whew - I think I'm falling asleep with all this "preaching to the choir".
Until we put our Faith first, nothing will change. These arguments by those who voted for Obama are obviously rationalizations. The GOP should have made abortion illegal. Yeah, right. As if the Dems weren't fighting them at every turn on that. If the GOP had supermajorities everywhere and still didn't do anything, then you'd have a point.
We can't vote for a candidate that proudly stands for legal abortion, unless the other candidate is even worse on abortion.
By last count, I believe there are 65 million Catholics in the U.S.
If all Catholics would have voted pro-life, i.e. anti-abortion, in all elections since Roe v Wade, the right-to-abortion would have been overturned by now! So it seems to me that Catholics in voting for candidates like Clinton, Obama, Pelosi, Kerry, Kennedy, Reid, etc. have with their votes helped perpeuate the slaughter of millions of innocent children for the last 35 years.
To Catholics who voted for Obama and Bill Clinton: Did you know that the Amen that Catholics respond right before receiving the Eucharist at Mass means that you are in "communion" with all the teachings of the Church. That's why it's called Communion. Face the truth, especially in front of Jesus or Face the TRUTH.
I am awaiting the "...went out and wept bitterly..." after denying he knew Him part of this drama.
"By last count, I believe there are 65 million Catholics in the U.S. If all Catholics would have voted pro-life, i.e. anti-abortion, in all elections since Roe v Wade ..."
If every one of those 65 million were able, once in the past forty years, to persuade one woman to bring a child to term, both politics and the law would be irrelevant.
ABORTION IS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY, JUST AS SLAVERY AND THE HOLOCAUST. Through prayer and fasting, abortion WILL fall just as slavery and the holocaust fell. WAS SLAVERY RIGHT? Of course not, the slave was his own individual with God given rights and should not be under the control of the slave master. WAS THE HOLOCAUST RIGHT? No since no one should be murdered for their ethnicity, not being "perfect" etc. If you are "for" abortion, then you must be "for" slavery and the holocaust, since there is NO difference. We will all be judged one day. "Thou shall not kill". God be merciful for the pro-abortion politicans. I pray for their conversions. REFLECTION especially for the Signs of the Times we are in. "This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live". Deuteronomy 30:18-20
The argument used by many "pro-life" catholics who vote for pro-choice candidates is that the pro-choice candidates are stronger on "social justice issues".
I would like to say that social justice is important to almost all americans; no question. Issues such as immigration, health care, poverty, hunger affect us all. I would add that each side to the debate conservative as well as liberal has solutions for the woes that affect all people.
Health care, no one wants to deny care to someone who needs it, however, the system is in crisis the liberal wants a single payer system managed by the government, the conservative would rather reform the system by getting to the root of the spiraling costs (two different approaches to the same problem) hunger, the liberal wants government programs funded by tax payer dollars to feed those in need the convservative, is far more likely to contribute to charities that are committed to feeding the hungry, providing shelter and relief services (two approaches to the same issue). Life saving research; liberals would like to use tax payer funds for fetal stem cell research that has yet to result in one new cure, conservatives would prefer to focus on Adult stem cell research which has produced many cures and does not cause ethical dilemas.
The point I am trying to make is that the "social justice" argument used to vote for pro-choice (aka pro abortion) candidates is disingenuous. I would suspect that most of the "pro-life" crowd who vote pro-choice either do not really value life or are so emotionally attached to a party that they can never do the brave thing and switch parties.
I would ask all of you 'pro-life" catholics who always vote democrat to stop thinking of your political party like a Pro-sports team that you have been cheering for all of your life. Voting like this will lead to tyranny and a dark future. Being a Democrat is not like being a Cubs, Paker, Lakers, Cowboys etc. fan it means you support a philosphy of governance. Unfortunately, for me and my children you "pro-life" pro-choice voting catholics have put mine and my childrens future at risk.
"Pro-choice" Catholic? Finish the sentence! What are you choosing? Choosing what? Go ahead, say it! The killing of an innocent baby. That is what you are choosing. The killing of an innocent baby. Abortion stops a beating, human heart. You can't escape that fact. Christ said, "Whatsoever you do to the least of My brothers, you do unto ME." So, you are not only choosing to kill a baby, you are, as it were, killing Christ.
this whole issue is so sad...which is why we see our Blessed Lady crying...if only the pro Obama Catholics would please stop calling themselves Catholics !!! Why do they do this when they do not believe in what the Catholic Church teaches ????..pray pray pray for our world.
My own personal understanding, and not in vanity, is this: Many of the Catholic Churches do not focus on, and emphasize, and expound on the Catholic doctrine and dogma and solid teaching, regarding abortion, euthanasia, sexual deviancy and Holy Matrimony. They seem to be more concerned about being popular and accepted by the children of God than they are concerned about leading the children unto God. This is why there is the division, as I see it - there is little shepherding regarding the truths of these most important and fundamental and rudimentary issues and the ramifications of violating His will on these issues. Many sheep are confused, lost, and left to their own self-serving and more popular ideologies and philosophies, regarding what exactly their Catholic Faith is and is not...in effect this segment of the Church have morphed into protestants. Thank God for Pope Benedict the XVI - he is healing the Church, but many have been lost.
I'm surprised that so many have missed the obvious, although it's been headlined right in front of us: Catholics Divided Over Obama At Notre Dame....that was the point, to divide. You can not control what is united, but you can conquer what is divided. We are strongest when we are one (in One). Perhaps we need to forgive (love) eachother first?
Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
It appears that the writing is truly on the wall (forgive the cliche); but only an act of God, i.e. an 'Illumination of Conscience' by the Holy Spirit on a global scale will save us now. Many are those who pray for this day to come soon. It is will be Saving Grace for many.
Mother of Sorrows, pray for us!
God the Father of All, have Mercy on us!
Keep Hope Alive America,
Johanna
The anti-white rant of James Wesly Smith, whoever he is, was rather entertaining. He seems to think Saint Augustine was black.
At the same time, it is sad to see "pro-choice Catholics" like Smith using racial politics to further their agenda. I guess their idea is that "white guilt" can be used to silence any whites who oppose Obama's pro-abortion policies.
How do they plan to silence those black and Latino Americans who are Catholic and pro-life and oppose Obama?
I have heard people say that voting for Obama is a mortal sin. How many levels of mortal sin do we have. How about voting for Mccaine who believes killing innocent babies is right if the poor child is a product of rape or incest.
Why do some of us (the pro-life advocates) give the impression that the pro-life battle is over just because Notra Dame gave an honorary ward to a pro-choice president. What have we done individually to educate our kids, our friends, brothers and sisters about pregnancy and abortion. How much do we contribute to crisis pregnancy centers. How many of us will be ready to adopt a child irrespective of race, gender or religion.
All human life is of equal value, born or unborn. Those who have supported the bush unjust war policies which have led to the death of pregnant women and children, who still claim to be pro-life, should re-examine their consciences.
Inviting the President as Commencement speaker is debateable, but conferring an honor is clearly against the USCCB teaching and specifically an insult to Bishop D'Arcy. Without any consequence, it begs the question of which teachings we should follow and which ones can we decide for ourselves. Fr. Jenkins decided for himself which teachings he wanted to follow and apparently got away with it.
President Obama's values were shaped by his agnostic, islamic, christian, liberal, socialist upbringing. Fr. Jenkins values were shaped by many of the same forces. Both are documented in their Bio's. These values have permeated our universities and yes, unfortunately, we now have the Catholic Church of the U.S. and the Catholic Church of Rome. Even the Pope has remained singularly silent about the insult to Jesus' name at Georgetrown and the insult to his bishops from Notre Dame.
Are we compressing into a church of Kum-by-ya, 'can't we all just get along'?
I think our faith is a lot more than that.
We have heard from about 80 bishops out of how many. The Vatican newspaper is neutral, or even positive, to the President.
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