Posted on 10/12/2004 12:16:09 PM PDT by ex-snook
| 12-October-2004 -- Catholic World News Brief |
Brussels, Oct. 12 (CWNews.com) - A committee of the European parliament has voted against the nomination of an Italian Catholic political scientist, Rocco Buttiglione, to serve as justice minister for the European Commission.
Buttiglione had enraged gay-rights activists during a nomination hearing, when he said plainly that he believed homosexual acts were sinful. A devout Catholic who is a personal friend of Pope John Paul II, Buttiglione became a lightning-rod for opposition by leftists in the European parliament.
The future of Buttiglione's nomination is now in question. The parliamentary civil-rights committee, which voted narrowly (27-26) against him, does not have the final say. The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, could still choose to give Buttiglione the justice ministry, or some other spot on the European Commission, and Barroso told reporters that he still has confidence in Buttiglione. However, the vote prompted several influential European leaders to recommend that Buttiglione's nomination should be dropped entirely.
Italian President Silvio Berlusconi, who had put forward Buttiglione's name, said that the parliamentary vote "reeked of fundamentalism." And a prominent Vatican prelate said that the rejection of an active Catholic was a "discriminatory act." Cardinal Francesco Pompedda, the retired prefect of the tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, told the Italian daily La Stampa that the rejection of Buttiglione's nomination is "not the only worrisome sign coming from Europe," and suggested that the political climate showed an "excess of secularism." "I don’t see why someone who professes the Catholic faith, and holds to his own ideas, cannot be considered" for a spot on the European Commission, the cardinal said. He complained that "affirming the principles in which you believe should not be a reason for rejection."
If the decision by the parliamentary committee stands, Cardinal Pompedda said, "then people with opposing ideas cannot be nominated." Any opposition to secularism, he suggested, could become a disqualifying factor for any European politician.
If a Catholic is not Catholic enough he is rejected by Catholics. If he is too Catholic, he is controlled by the Pope and rejected by others.
bump to read later
Tough sh!t, Silvio. When a nation cedes it sovereignty to a foreign interest like the European Union, it pretty much loses the right to complain about this kind of crap.
The battle lines are becoming more visible.
No it doesn't.
Its like saying Montana has lost the right to complain to the Feds about grazing leases.
This is a Euro-wide position. Berlusconi is within his rights.
The difference here is that Italy could secede from the EU tomorrow if it wanted to -- but they won't. The country that comes out of this looking the smartest of them all is Great Britain, who never abdicated their sovereignty to the EU in the first place.
Sort of like telling State's rights folks to shove it or start a civil war. Makes Washington DC a 'foreign interest'.
Wouldn't any devout Christian or Muslim believe the same and thus be disqualified?
I've got news for you. That's exactly what most states outside the Northeast think of Washington D.C. Heck, if you were to see or hear Senate campaign ads for Democratic incumbents in places like Nevada or South Dakota, you'd get the impression these guys never ventured east of the Mississippi River.
Maybe true in Europe however that does not seem to be a disqualifier in the USA or maybe we don't have any 'devouts' running.
Ping
A couple of Republican nominees have had a Catholic parent: James G. Blaine (1884) and Ronald Reagan (1980, 1984). Ironically, Blaine probably lost the election because of an anti-Catholic comment by a supporter (calling the other party the party of "rum, Romanism, and rebellion").
Thanks for remembering, maybe that's why Goldwater got swamped! Not likely again real soon.
Hey the 'rum, Romanism, and rebellion' has been updated to 'abortion, Romanism, and anti-American'. No matter, Catholic candidates are wedged out.
The Democrats almost put a Catholic in the VP slot in 1956, John F. Kennedy. They finally did put a Catholic in the VP slot in 1984 with Geraldine Ferraro, and naturally lost.
All these slam-dunk candidates who ruined their chances by picking a Catholic running mate! Probably Bush checked with Cheney to make sure he wasn't a Catholic before offering him the job in 2000.
I wouldn't care if the GOP nominated a Catholic for President in the least! It isn't about his religion you know, it is about ABORTION. That is all the world cares about, killing babies!
The Euro-pee-ons are such wimps, they have throw out thier own faith and invited millions of hard core muslims into their countries, this is beyond brain dead.
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