So, as early voting began this month, Catholic publications, dioceses and individual parishes began distributing millions of pieces of literature advising members, in the words of Philadelphia's Archbishop Charles Chaput, "to make sure that they're Catholic prior to being Democrat or Republican."
In an interview with EWTN the Global Catholic Network, the archbishop said, "We do believe in the separation of church and state. But we don't believe in the separation of faith from political life. It's very important for Catholics to make distinctions when voting that they never support intrinsic evils like abortion, which is evil in all circumstances."
You can distribute 'em, but you can't make people read them. There's more:
One piece of widely-distributed literature given to church members on recent Sundays carries the photograph of Pope Benedict XVI and the title: "Voting and the Non-Negotiable Moral Principles."Archbishop John Nienstedt has become a highly controversial figure in the Twin Cities because he's actually on board with this sort of thing and he's been highly visible on the Marriage Amendment as well. The Church is betting that Catholics will be Catholics first. I'm not entirely confident that will happen.
Faithful parishioners are given lengthy excerpts from the Republican and Democrat party platforms and left to choose, using their Catholic values:
"Life. The protection and dignity of every human life from conception to natural death. The framework within and against which every other issue must be measured."
2012 Democratic Platform:
'The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right. (p. 18)'
'President Obama and Democrats will continue to stand up to Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood health centers. The Affordable Care Act ensures that women have access to contraception in their health insurance plans. (p. 18)'
2012 Republican Platform:
'Faithful to the 'self-evident' truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment's protections apply to unborn children.' (p. 13-14)
'We oppose using public revenues to promote or perform abortion or fund organizations which perform or advocate it and will not fund or subsidize health care which includes abortion coverage. (p. 13-14)'
By the way, remember the name Charles Chaput. You'll be hearing more about him some day.
4 comments:
Mark,
I fear that many Catholics just won't pay attention. They will continue to ignore the lessons of the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus' calls for compassion and social justice. It befuddles me. Especially those that focus on just one aspect of the sanctity of life, while supporting others.
And many of these people are a real threat to religious freedom too, as they seem hell bent on tearing down the wall between church and state that our Founding Fathers so presciently erected.
Regards,
Dick
The church is on the wrong side of a avalanche of losing bets to be sure. All you have to do is look at the trend lines to see the writing on the wall: Fastest growing segment of the population, nonreligious; a dwindling and rapidly aging priesthood; an almost complete separation between the pulpit and the pews on core doctrines of the faith; and science's relentless closing of the gaps and illumination of reason's success (think ipad just for starters). The church has reverted to fear tactics straight outta the dark ages. I recently spotted this gem of Medeaval persuasion from some bishop in Wisconsin: "To vote for someone in favor of these positions [I'm sure you don't have to guess what 'these' are] means
that you could be morally 'complicit' with these choices which are intrinsically evil. This could put your own soul in jeopardy." I about fell over when I read this bit of presumptive threatening bullcrap. This guy sure has some way of making friends, I thought at first, but then I realized that it's the last pitiful stand of a growingly irrelevant religious institution playing it's last weak losing card before it has to get up from the table and just walk away.
Anon,
I don't think you understand the Church very well at all. You certainly don't understand where it's headed, either. But that's another post.
Headed toward oblivion just like the Hittites, Canaanites, Eneadites and every other dead religion. Catholicism will live in the darkest corners of the world inhabited by ignorent superstitious tribal savages for a brief flicker before it evaporates like alcohol exposed to reason and the heat of evidence. My thirteen years of parochial school taught me well enough to figure out the church's eventual fate. Good job all you sisters, brothers and buggar pedo-priests!
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