Kmiec Comes Home: Ambassador Resigns Position in the Obama Administration

Catholic Online ^ | 4/17/2011 | Deacon Keith Fournier

[tcg]

Readers of Catholic Online recall the series of back and forth disagreements which flowed between now Ambassador Doug Kmiec and I during the last Presidential campaign. Doug is a friend, albeit one with whom I held a very serious disagreement. His quickly written book released during the last Presidential campaign was entitled "Can a Catholic Support Him?" and subtitled "Asking the Big Question about Barrack Obama". It made a serious impact on the last Presidential election.

In the forward to the book he was kind enough to acknowledge me with these words "Deacon Keith Fournier's writing and editing of Catholic Online is courageous and wise". However, when I reviewed the book, I made my absolute disagreement with his position unequivocally clear. He asked the wrong question.

The proper question was not "can" but "should". The word "can" addresses the issue of capacity and ability. Any Catholic can exercise their right to vote in any manner in which they choose. The question is should they vote for someone whose position will not promote the fundamental truth that every human person has a fundamental right to life?

The Church to which Doug and I both belong does not tell people how to vote, in the sense of which candidate to choose in an election. "Should" on the other hand examines the morality of that choice given our obligation to exercise our freedom with reference to the truth.

In short, what is our duty? Sadly, in his argumentation in this book, Doug confused and conflated the two. It is on that fundamental point that I completely disagreed with Doug Kmiec, and I made my disagreement widely known. Doug Kmiec was wrong. Sadly, he also led many astray.

[NTHockey]

How does one remain a friend with someone who actively supports abortion, a sin that cries to the heavens for vengance? Kmiec is as guilty as 0bambi and as guilty as the mass-murdering fiends who commit this grisly crime on a daily basis.

I seee nowhere that he has recanted, much less confessed his sin. If he belongs to the same church as the writer, then truly there is no room for me, as the bishop of Wilmington said to me.

[Ann Archy]

Didn’t Jesus say that if you lead believers away, you will have a millstone tied around your neck and thrown into the water?

[jmaroneps37]

Another useful idiot wakes up. The infuriating part was that Kjerk was smug enough to try to justify his cooperation with evil and make thirty pieces of silver with his book. His assignment to Malta was an insult to the people of Malta - they try mightily to practice their Catholic faith and were sent a phony like Kjerk who was just a mouth piece for evil. No wonder so many good people around the world hate America.

[xsmommy]

Is he admitting his error? if so, he owes it to Catholics far and wide to be as open about discussing his error in judgement, as he was in flogging Obama as a candidate that Catholics could in good conscience support [and he definitely must be forthright about opposing Obama for reelection, as well]