PrintOctober 1, 2008
The Catholic Church continues to Respond Theologian Nancy Pelosi
Since Nancy Pelosi injected religion into Abortion politics by making erroneous remarks about Catholic teaching, the Church continues to respond -- sharply. Straight from the Vatican, U.S. Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, prefect of the Vatican's highest court, said, "The Democratic Party in the United States "risks transforming itself definitively into a 'party of death.'"
That's a serious indictment, moving from the general, the Culture of Death, to the specific, which points right at the Democrat Party.
Archbishop Burke also was asked about being one of a few U.S. bishops to publicly ban Catholic politicians who hold positions contrary to church teaching from receiving Communion.
"Mine was not an isolated position," the archbishop said. "It was shared by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver, by Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte (N.C.) and by others."
"But it is true that the bishops' conference has not taken this position, leaving each bishop free to act as he believes best. For my part, I always have maintained that there must be a united position in order to demonstrate the unity of the church in facing this serious question," he said.
"Recently, I have noticed that other bishops are coming to this position," he said, especially after Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., "while presenting themselves as good Catholics, have represented church teaching on abortion in a false and tendentious manner."
Due to the pick of Catholic Joe Biden as running mate, who has also made very public and erroneous comments, Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Biden was born, has been lifted from the fictitious world of The Office and dropped into the Moral Universe.
Scranton is a political as well as moral battle ground, and this coming weekend, Bishop Martino, head of the Scranton Dioceses has issued the Pastoral letter: Respect Life Sunday. From the letter to be read during the masses this coming weekend, here's one passage, which ups the ante:
It is the Church's role now to be a prophet in our own country, reminding all citizens of what our founders meant when they said that ". . . all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." The Church's teaching that all life from conception to natural death should be protected by law is founded on religious belief to be sure, but it is also a profoundly American principle founded on reason. Whenever a society asks its citizens to violate its own foundational principles - as well as their moral consciences - citizens have a right, indeed an obligation, to refuse.
The Catholic Church and the Christian religious in general have been harassed and abused for their moral stances. The approach that the church is taking, the firm statements being made, if they make it into the MSM, might upset many who will yell, "Foul!" on the grounds of ‘separation of church and state.'
If anything, it's the fault of ignorant statements made by unqualified politicians who should not be dabbling in religion.
