Posted on 06/11/2004 11:03:26 AM PDT by sinkspur
During his June 4 visit, Bush asked the Vatican to push the American Catholic bishops to be more aggressive politically on family and life issues, especially a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
A Vatican official told NCR June 9 that in his meeting with Cardinal Angelo Sodano and other Vatican officials, Bush said, “Not all the American bishops are with me” on the cultural issues. The implication was that he hoped the Vatican would nudge them toward more explicit activism.
Other sources in the meeting said that while they could not recall the president’s exact words, he did pledge aggressive efforts on the cultural front, especially the battle against gay marriage, and asked for the Vatican’s help in encouraging the U.S. bishops to be more outspoken.
According to sources, Sodano did not respond to the request.
Sources say Bush made the remark after Sodano thanked him for his stand on the issues of family and life. They also said that while Bush was focusing primarily on the marriage question, he also had in mind other concerns such as abortion and stem cell research.
Bush supports a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and has urged Congress to take swift action. Since polls show that in several battleground states in the fall election a majority of voters is opposed to gay marriage, some Bush analysts think an aggressive push on the issue will help the president’s prospects.
Sad day when a Methodist from Texas has to urge US Catholic Bishops to preach the teachings of the Catholic Church.
For your ping lists. Interesting.
POTUS is a GOOD man.
He is steadfast.
Isn't it? When it comes to being cynical politicians, Catholic churchmen have everybody else beat all hollow.
The Vatican should stay as far away from the U.S. political scene as possible, for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the risk of destroying their credibility when they push the U.S. bishops toward one candidate on "life issues," only to have that candidate later nominate some dopey sh!t like Sandra O'Connor or David Souter to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sad that what President Bush says is true. Sigh.....
Oh, wow! Bush bump needed here!
Give credit where credit is due.
Ping. Rome hears from the President.
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The democratic party hired detectives to unearth all the homosexual skeletons lurking in the closets of the hierarchy of the American Catholic Church.
Blackmail is the main reason that only a tiny handfull of AmChurch officials have challenged pro-abortion democrat politicians.
Sounds like President Bush is trying to clue in the Vatican on this not-very-well-kept-DC-secret, but the Pope is too far gone to understand.
Karen, you're still just as paranoid as ever.
From the President's lips to God's ears. No wonder so many of conservative Catholics are voting for him!
"We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life — the unborn — without diminishing the value of all human life," Reagan wrote.
Is Allen absolutely SURE that Bush said this to JPII?
Or was it the reverse?
And, this is the recollection of a "Vatican source." Most of Allen's sources have been very good.
Besides, it sounds like something Bush would say.
There are a couple of cardinals that come to mind, though...
LOL.
>>>Besides, it sounds like something Bush would say.
Or perhaps the Pope could say. ;-)
patent
Sorry, meant to bump you to my last post.
patent
It seems to be right either way!
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