What do you make of the fact that you are a lightning rod of controversy among U.S. Catholics?
Obama: "There's no doubt that I think responses to my administration mirror tensions within the Church as a whole."
He again cited Cardinal Bernadin as both strongly pro-life but also concerned about poverty, how children were treated, the death penalty and foreign policy.
"And that part of the Catholic tradition is something that continues to inspire me. And I think that there have been times over the last decade or two where that more holistic tradition feels like it's gotten buried under the abortion debate.
"Now, as a non-Catholic, it's not up to me to try to resolve those tensions. As I said, all I can do is to affirm how that other tradition has made me, a non-Catholic, I think reflect on how I can be a better person and has had a powerful influence on my life. And that tells me that it might be a powerful way to move a broader set of values forward in American life generally."
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2 comments:
Catholics themselves are divided about many things. It will be interesting to see the support for the new encyclical that is due out.
"there have been times over the last decade or two where that more holistic tradition feels like it's gotten buried under the abortion debate." That's rubbish and a red herring. Catholics who care deeply about abortion are not pro-poverty or not holistic, but we see where the political battle needs to be joined.
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