Apologia for Church in Vatican Radio gun rights attack rings hollow

Eaminer.com ^ | January 22, 2013 | David Codrea

[haffast]

Catholic Culture has weighed in on Vatican Radio's editorial endorsing President Obama's "gun control" agenda.

Inevitably [the] editorial will be portrayed by careless reporters as an official statement of the Vatican’s position," Catholic World News editor Phil Lawler writes. "It is not; Father Lombardi does not set policy for the Vatican, or make authoritative statements for the Catholic Church."

Oh [papal] bull, and "careless" my eye -- how insulting. The buck stops at the top. The captain is responsible for what the crew does under his command. Especially if it involves his senior officers acting in his and its name.

Snip

Lombardi is not some rogue nobody priest. He's the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, which, with full hierarchical approval, bills itself as “The voice of the Pope and the Church in dialog with the world,” thus providing benefits the Church enjoys and costs it must bear. As such, he, and by default, they, are advocating imposing edicts with the force of law in the secular arena, meaning anyone who defies them will be sought out for punishment by the state, and he's doing so under the "brand name" of the Church.

So when freedom activists in the secular world appropriately respond to such unprovoked attacks, Catholic apologists start pulling out the Magisterium and the Catechism and all kinds of inner-working NON-SECULAR technicalities, like we're supposed to know or care about anything other than the effects of frocked monopoly of violence enthusiasts throwing rocks at us, and then slamming the cathedral door shut and claiming sanctuary. Meanwhile, devil's advocates act like they're the injured parties for objectors thinking the Church bears any responsibility in the matter whatsoever.

Snip

[haffast]

Codrea's closing points:

"Anyone who would simply get angry and dismiss this as "Catholic bashing" is not being honest with you and is not being honest with himself. The truth is, the Church's highest-profile global media representative engaged in rights-bashing, and setting that straight and discouraging further attacks is a moral duty those who believe in unalienable rights endowed by their Creator share, and should perform loudly and proudly, with heads held high."

"After all, we who are defending the human rights of Catholic and other gun owners aren't their enemies."

End

So White House Press Secretary Jay Carney sez..........

[MeganC]

Interesting. Catholics across sub-Saharan Africa are being slaughtered by armed muslimes and this half-wit would have them be unarmed?

(eye roll)

[livius]

Oh please. Lawler is right. Lombardi is your basic Italian leftist who for some reason is so heavily protected by the Italians in the Curia he can’t be fired. His statements come off the top of his head or some other part of his body and he has gotten the Pope in trouble many times before by making it appear as if he was stating policy when he was just telling you what Italian liberals thought.

[RitaOK]

Lombardi is the Barney Fife of priests, but without the affection.

Absolutely, Lombardi is a loose cannon on occasion. The frustration is that his mutterings confuse everyone. The media jumps at any opportunity to divide Catholics and to please her critics. Lombardi guarantees opportunity, and needs to be replaced.

[freeangel]

Might I suggest the dismissal of the papal guard?

[haffast]

Lombardi is your basic Italian leftist who for some reason is so heavily protected by the Italians in the Curia he can’t be fired.

Vicarius Christi is powerless against the Italians. Imagine that. But then, God's "Chosen People" are the Italians.

Lately the Angel of Peace has given His Blessing to the Palestinians.

Maybe the Italians will stop him? Or the gun totin' Catholics on FR? Probably not. It must be for the greater good: "peace and safety".

http://bible.cc/2_john/1-10.htm
http://bible.cc/2_john/1-11.htm

[haffast]

America Undecided: Catholic, Independent and Social Justice Perspectives on Election 2012

"Before he was a devoted husband and father, or a U.S. Senator, or a presidential candidate of historic accomplishments, Barack Obama took a job working as a community organizer for a group of eight Catholic parishes in one of the nation’s largest cities. With funding from the U.S. Bishops and working for three years out of an office in a Catholic church rectory, he embarked on a campaign to empower the lives of thousands of people who were suffering through economic circumstances not unlike what has befallen our country today. "
http://www.catholicdemocrats.org/cfo/the_catholic_case_for_obama.php

54% of all Catholics voted for Obama in 2008 (45% for McCain)
50% of all Catholics voted for Obama in 2012 (48% for Romney)

62% of all Catholics are for gun control according to a recent poll
source

There is a lot of division.

The Pope's on Twitter and there's a new app out today. Ask him to also clean up this mess on aisle schism.

Note on that "app" article that Carol Glatz is a VAMP for all things Catholic.

[haffast]

Might I suggest the dismissal of the papal guard?

The Left must have their bodyguards armed. It is OK for government institutions such as the Vatican State and members of the UN to be armed to maintain order. You and I, mmmmh...not so much so if it's for the greater good. We get all the muskets, sticks, pitchforks and rocks we want. Unless we are deemed hoarders. /sarc

[haffast]

Interesting. Catholics across sub-Saharan Africa are being slaughtered by armed muslimes and this half-wit would have them be unarmed?

Don't forget those "Christians" in name only who are outside the Church.....poor devils are going to Hell, on top of being "slimed".

[livius]

Well, if you know any Italians, they clearly believe they’re the “Chosen People.”

But they live in a dysfunctional country where there hasn’t been a spark of glory since the fall of the Roman Empire (with a brief artistic resurgence during the Renaissance) and they are mostly on government relief, unless, of course, they’re Muslims living on the government dole while planning on going off to attack the Great Satan.

Chosen by whom?

[livius]

I was surprised that he wasn’t replaced a couple of years ago when he made it sound as if the Pope was in favor of population control in Africa. I think it almost happened (the Pope was very upset) but Lombardi must have a lot of powerful friends who protected him.

His aficionados may actually not be at the upper levels but at the lower levels, because like any good Dem (in our terms) he has bought himself support by hiring all the people who are now working under him. Life at the Vatican would continue if they all left to support him, but it would be difficult and I don’t think anybody really wants to go through this.