[pabianice]

According to the Weekly Standard and later echoed on MSNBC's Joe Scarborough Show, Sen. Tom Daschle — a member of American Life League's Deadly Dozen — has been sent a letter from his home diocese of Sioux Falls informing him he can no longer publicly identify himself as a member of the Catholic Church

Pardon me, but BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I can't stand Daschle, either, but just how does the Catholic Church plan to enforce its dictate? Cut out his tongue? Tell his mommie? Make him go to his room? What a ridiculous thing for the Chruch to say.

[topher]

Actually, the day that the news came out about Bishop Carlson and Senator Daschle, Pope John Paul II came out with a new Encyclical.

This Encyclical deals with those who are known to be in serious sin (such as supporting abortion) and receiving communion.

This Encyclical paves the way for Senator Daschle to be denied Holy Communion if he attends Mass -- which would be quite embarrassing if he were to get in line for Communion, only to be dismissed when it was his turn.

I am not 100% sure that is what the new Encyclical states, but I believe it gives such leeway. That would mean that Senator Daschle would have to be very careful to find "friendly priests" if he is to attend Mass.

Since he is a political figure, it would be noticed if the priest would deny him communion -- something that could happen, and generate a lot of publicity...

The letter from the Bishop paves the way for this.

[Little Bill]

Read him out of the Church: Bell, Book, and Candle. I can see Dasshole speaking to his buttboys, "Rid me of this troublesome priest......"

[q_an_a]

The church is a private organization with a set of rules, that unfortunately are not always applied to it's priests. If a person does not follow the rules the church may withold some of its activities from people that do not follow those rules. For a time most churches have been letting a number of its rules slide and it has caused many problems in the church and the greater community.

[G Larry]

Perhaps I can translate:

The letter makes public the fact that there are requirements to remain a member of the Catholic Church.
Daschle's words and actions continue to be inconsistent with those requirements.
Therefore, he "should" quit representing himself as a Catholic, because, in fact, he is not.
Any claims to the contrary are false and misleading.
He has the free will to continue to be false and misleading.

[Once-Ler]

...just how does the Catholic Church plan to enforce its dictate? Cut out his tongue? Tell his mommie? Make him go to his room? What a ridiculous thing for the Chruch to say.

If the church continues to point out Dasshole is falling from grace, there is no political gain for him to claim membership. Eventually excommunication could result and if he was a believer he would fear for his soul. The fact that all of his fellow Catholics would know he was going to Hell might be politically less than advantagous for his re-election.

[JesusIsLord]

I can't stand Daschle, either, but just how does the Catholic Church plan to enforce its dictate? Cut out his tongue? Tell his mommie? Make him go to his room? What a ridiculous thing for the Chruch to say.

The fact is that Churches are private organizations which have the right to remove anyone they choose from their membership.

The Catholic Church itself needs to decide if its members can be both Catholic and pro-abortion. If the answer is that they cannot be both, then its Bishops need to excommunicate those members who are pro-choice aka pro-abortion.

As far as I know, the Papacy and Bishops have not been willing to take this step.

Regardless of what the Catholic church does regarding the abortion question, you can be assured that Christ is pro-LIFE; the author of LIFE; He is LIFE. He's also the judge of the living and dead. Ouch!

[No Truce With Kings]

"I can't stand Daschle, either, but just how does the Catholic Church plan to enforce its dictate?"

Probably the same thing that the Girl Scouts would do if Tommy claimed to be a Girl Scout. State publicly that he ain't and that he is lying. For Tommy to claim he is a Catholic when he is not is no different than for him to claim he is a Mason, an Elk, a Camp Fire Girl or a Boy Scout. (Though I am sure he would make a *fine* Camp Fire Girl. He has the build for it. . .)