Posted on 10/27/2004 12:02:25 PM PDT by nypokerface
ST. LOUIS - A Catholic abortion-rights group has asked the Internal Revenue Service to revoke the tax-exempt status of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and to stop the archdiocese's attempts to influence the Nov. 2 election.
The complaint says the Roman Catholic archdiocese violated its status as a public charity because such groups are prohibited from acting for or against a certain candidate. The complaint was filed Tuesday by the Washington-based Catholics for a Free Choice.
The complaint cites an Oct. 1 pastoral letter by Archbishop Raymond Burke, who forbade Catholics to vote for candidates who support abortion rights, euthanasia, reproductive cloning, gay marriage and embryonic stem cell research — what Burke called the five "intrinsic evils."
The archdiocese declined to comment.
The IRS reviews all complaints and conducts an investigation if needed, spokesman John Lipold said. He could not say whether the IRS would act before next week's election.
Catholics for a Free Choice has filed a similar complaint against the Archdiocese of Denver.
"Public money should be used for charitable purposes, not for telling people who to vote for implicitly or explicitly," group president Frances Kissling said.
Perhaps someone needs to look into this groups records.
This assumes the church had good lawyers and they stopped just short of naming names.
I vaguely recall that there's a candidate for president who has spent quite a few Sundays in black churches talking politics. Apparently, that's completely ok, although I'm not sure why.
Sounds like the Bishop needs to get out that red sxcommunicating pen.
As a Catholic, let me just say, these guys are total losers. I know, I know ad hominem attack--but come on...
(1) You can't be Catholic and pro-abortion.
(2) Nothing is Free. Especially a choice that costs an innocent their life.
(3) Their acronym is alarmingly close to that stuff that destroys the ozone (CFCs).
What a bunch of ashholes - Catholics for a free choice. Why don't these so-called Catholics just join a different religion which has given into the secular notion that the "5 intrinsic sins" aren't sins afterall?
I vaguely remember a few years back there was a movement to have the members of this group excommunicated - will have to do a search.......
Who is the Church supposedly endorsing? There are elections for President and VicePresident, House of Representatives, the Senate, and a myriad of local and state elections including judges.
pardon me, "intrinsic evils"
Good thing they're not politically active. </sarcasm>
They just reminded diocese parishioners that they should not vote for candidates who are pro-choice or advocate federal subsidies of fetal stem-cell research.
What about all those churches that Kerry and Edwards speak in?
Someone needs to remind Catholics for a Free Choice that the Church has the same right to freedom of speech on the moral issues of the day as they do. But apparently Catholics for a Free Choice are just another liberal group which only cares about their own freedom of speech and to hell with anyone else's rights--especially the rights of the unborn.
I've seen the brochure and it was passed out in my local parish. The question was a rhetorical one since I don't believe this group can make a claim that the Church is endorsing any particular candidate.
Evidently they believe that McCain-Feingold has a clause precluding the Catholic Church from espousing Church dogma during the 90 days preceding a federal election.
well...
It will be shocking when the pro abort 'Catholics' realize thier self proclaimed sin exempt status is revoked by a higher authority...
Did you ever see the leader of this group: Frances Kissling?
Trust me, there is absolutely NO chance that this creature could ever have to worry about her body NOT being her own!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Why is it wrong for a church to speak out on a moral issue like abortion as they have, but ok for John Kerry to state that he will not apoint any judges unless they are pro-abortion? Something smells, and it's not my tuna fish sandwich.
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