Catholic Church asks Tom Daschle to stop calling himself a Catholic

Weekly Standard (via Matt Drudge) ^ | April 17, 2003 | SB00

[SB00]

TOM DASCHLE may no longer call himself a Catholic. The Senate minority leader and the highest ranking Democrat in Washington has been sent a letter by his home diocese of Sioux Falls, sources in South Dakota have told The Weekly Standard, directing him to remove from his congressional biography and campaign documents all references to his standing as a member of the Catholic Church.

This isn't exactly excommunication--which is unnecessary, in any case, since Daschle made himself ineligible for communion almost 20 years ago with his divorce and remarriage to a Washington lobbyist. The directive from Sioux Falls' Bishop Robert Carlson is rather something less than excommunication--and, at the same time, something more: a declaration that Tom Daschle's religious identification constitutes, in technical Catholic vocabulary, a grave public scandal. He was brought up as a Catholic, and he may still be in some sort of genuine mental and spiritual relation to the Church. Who besides his confessor could say? But Daschle's consistent political opposition to Catholic teachings on moral issues--abortion, in particular--has made him such a problem for ordinary churchgoers that the Church must deny him the use of the word "Catholic."

[goodnesswins]

PIGS are starting to FLY

[Mo1]

Diane Feinstein's next!

Diane is Jewish ... maybe you are thinking of Nancy Pelosi, she claims to be a catholic

[AdA$tra]

...suspect the bishop is getting beyond himself here, and that most Americans don't agree with his action, including Catholics.

With all due respect: WRONG!

[yonif]

Tommorow, he will say he is really jewish.

[Torie]

As I said, if the bishop had merely said he does not consider Daschle Catholic, and that his claim that he is, is false, that would be OK with me. What is not OK is demanding that Daschle retract the claim. That is beyond his pay grade.

[hobbes1]

No. If you're skin is white, you can't call yourself an African American, and when you trade
off of your religious ethnicity to curry favor with the voters, then act 180 degrees from the beliefs associated with said religious belief that's wrong.


If you want to Legislate Secular, Run Secular.

[Protagoras]

Refreshing to see a Church disavowing a member because of his name instead of a member of a church disavowing the church because of it's name.

[Digger]

He is in Sioux Falls today and the whole town is buzzing big time about this. Awesome!!!

Please give us more info.

[SoothingDave]

Taking communion in a state of sin is forbidden.

I guess you meant unrependent sin, didn't you? We are all in a state of sin.

I'm not sure where you are coming from.

Catholics conscious of unconfessed mortal sin are not to take communion. It was this "State of sin" that I refer to.

I would not, in general, say we are all in a state of sin. We are born that way, but we have the sacraments to alter this.

SD

[wideawake]

A bishop has no right to tell a public personality to stop telling lies about his affiliation with the bishop's Church?

If someone started a Communist website and called it "Free Republic" would JimRob have no right to call them on their deception?

[Torie]

Another matter is the "punishment" is selective. Thousands of Catholics who are public figures need to be instructed to cease calling themselves Catholic per this standard. That won't happen, because it would backfire.

[xsmommy]

Thousands of Catholics who are public figures need to be instructed to cease calling themselves Catholic per this standard.

THAT is correct.

[goodnesswins]

Well, I guess this Bishop has thrown down the gauntlet...

[wideawake]

Oh, I forgot.

You believe it's a good thing to murder small children.

You already knew that your objections to the bishop's statements are absurd, you're just protesting his statements because he objects to the coldblooded murder of babies.

I read you loud and clear.

[hobbes1]

It is starting to happen......and Rightfully so.

[Protagoras]

go find a religion he agrees with

Roman Catholicism is a denomination of a religion. Christianity is the religion.

[Notwithstanding]

I was referring to the principal involved, thank you.

The principal is the same - morally and legally.

And in any event, the bishop knows ha cannot actually stop Daschle from saying whatever he wants. For you to suggest the bishop is even pretending to hold any sway LEGAL sway over Daschle illustrates that you don't quite understand the significance of what the bishop is doing. He is forcing Daschle to come clean. Thats all. He can no onger claim he is in any way Catholic without appearing an utter fool - as well as disrespectful toward the bishop he claims as his own.

The bishop is just making it known that the Church considers his behavior as blatantly wrong - so much so that the Church will single him out by name as one who is not Catholic, in fact.

This is highly unusual and does not even come near any civil law or constitutional law - other than to reiterate that the government cannot tell a Church how to conduct its internal affairs - which means the bishop can demand whatever he wants of Daschle (even if he can't force him to comply).

[alnick]

I'm disappointed that Daschle has failed miserably at practicing his religion.

[goodnesswins]

LOL....actually, Daschle will probably say "I'm disappointed that the Bishop has failed miserably at my practicing of his religion."

[Mo1]

It is another for him to demand that Daschle comport his speech to the bishop's views. That strikes me as well, un-American. I suspect the bishop is getting beyond himself here, and that most Americans don't agree with his action, including Catholics.

It's not the views of the Bishop .. it's the views of the Catholic Church and if Tommy doesn't like the rules he is free to go find another religion

There are many catholics that have never understood why the likes of Dashole, Pelosi, and the Kennedy's haven't been kicked out long ago