[Polycarp]

Kerry raps Pope: Senator fuming over gay marriage order

By David R. Guarino Saturday, August 2, 2003

Bluntly telling the Vatican to stay out of American politics, U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry yesterday said Pope John Paul II ``crossed the line'' by instructing pols to block legalization of gay marriage.

A fuming Kerry, taking on his own Catholic Church in the midst of a campaign for president, said Rome should have more respect for America's long-held separation of church and state.

``It is important not to have the church instructing politicians. That is an inappropriate crossing of the line in this country,'' Kerry said. ``President Kennedy drew that line very clearly in 1960 and I believe we need to stand up for that line today.''

The Democrat said political concerns are secondary to his moral outrage over Thursday's Vatican statement on gay marriage.

``Our founding fathers separated church and state in America. It is an important separation,'' he said. ``It is part of what makes America different and special, and we need to honor that as we go forward and I'm going to fight to do that.''

Catholics were stunned at the broadside from Kerry, saying he's sure to draw the ire of some 65 million voting Catholics.

``What one often calls separation of church and state guarantees the religion the right to express its convictions,'' said Monsignor Francis Maniscalco of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. ``To object to religious people's deep moral convictions . . . would also create a problem because it would also (fail to) recognize something the First Amendment guarantees.''

Former Vatican Ambassador Raymond Flynn said Kerry was just wrong. ``I don't see it as crossing any line at all,'' Flynn said. ``Too many Catholic politicians want to have it both ways, they want the Catholic vote but then they go ahead and ignore Catholic teaching.''

The Vatican injected itself into the simmering gay marriage debate Thursday, firing off a letter issuing instructions to Catholic politicians to oppose any legalization efforts.

``The Catholic lawmaker has a moral duty to express his opposition (to gay marriage laws) clearly and publicly and to vote against it,'' the directive read. ``To vote in favor of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral.''

The statement followed by a day strong comments from President Bush denouncing gay marriage proposals.

Kerry, who supports civil unions but opposes the legalization of same-sex marriage, took pains to say, ``I believe in the church'' and ``care about it enormously'' but said church leaders went too far.

Alone among Democrats in criticizing the church, Kerry said he didn't weigh the political impact of his statement.

``This isn't a matter of political calculation, it's simply a matter of strong personal beliefs,'' Kerry said.

The Democratic senator also railed against Republicans who this week said Democratic efforts to block the judicial nomination of Alabama Attorney General William H. Pryor were anti-Catholic. One group, the Ave Maria List, ran print ads equating Democrats' opposition to Pryor as saying ``Catholics need not apply'' to the federal judiciary.

``That couldn't be further from the truth. This judge is not a good judge,'' Kerry said. ``He should not be appointed to the court, and many of us who are Catholic voted against him without regard to Catholicism.''

Kerry also continued his criticism of Bush's ``faith-based'' programs, saying he would end government funding to any religious group.

The White House and Kerry's opponents declined comment.

But the Republican National Committee blamed the sudden attack on the growing popularity of Kerry opponent, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean.

``It seems like a very odd political strategy to attack the Catholic Church but Howard Dean is forcing Sen. Kerry to take a number of odd positions on a number of odd issues,'' said RNC spokeswoman Christine Iverson.

[Polycarp]

A fuming Kerry, taking on his own Catholic Church in the midst of a campaign for president, said Rome should have more respect for America's long-held separation of church and state.

``It is important not to have the church instructing politicians. That is an inappropriate crossing of the line in this country,'' Kerry said. ``President Kennedy drew that line very clearly in 1960 and I believe we need to stand up for that line today.''

The Democrat said political concerns are secondary to his moral outrage over Thursday's Vatican statement on gay marriage.

Ping. (As usual, if you would like to be added to or removed from my "conservative Catholics" ping list, just send me a FReepmail. Please realize that some of my "ping" posts are long.)

[wideawake]

Am I wrong, or is John Kerry divorced and now remarried outside the Church?

If so, why would he claim to be Catholic?

[OPS4]

Well, Kerry is now losing the Catholic vote, and soon will
be loosing most of the Christian vote, because this info
will be posted on all silent Majority web sites.

Ops4 God Bless America!

[So Cal Rocket]

Oh come on you people... Don't you know that the Democrat Party is INFALLIBLE!

[dsc]

What was the name of that 13 year old boy that was sodomized and killed by those two men? I thought it was Jesse Durkheiser, but nothing turns up on a search.

[Gerish]

****``It seems like a very odd political strategy to attack the Catholic Church but Howard Dean is forcing Sen. Kerry to take a number of odd positions on a number of odd issues,'' said RNC spokeswoman Christine Iverson.****

How can you force an "odd" fruitcake like Kerry to take "odd" positions when the guy is just plain ODD to begin with!!!

[mrs tiggywinkle]

**Our founding fathers separated church and state in America.**

Kerry's got a mighty twisted interpretation of Church/State Separation. Our Founding Fathers intention was to not have the State dictate what goes on in the Church..not the other way around. Godly principals in government was the mainstay.

[ICX]

Some tool was handing out "Kerry 4 Prez" flyers outside Penn Station this morning. I had to fight back the urge to spit on him by reminding myself that I'm not a mindless liberal automaton protester, and a dirty look would suffice.

[Always Right]

I understand attacking Bush and Limbaugh, but attacking the Pope is just plain stupid.

[Lowcountry]

"It is important not to have the church instructing politicians," Kerry said. "That is an inappropriate crossing of the line in this country. ... "

...but I guess it IS important to have politicians instructing the church. Is that not also an inappropriate crossing of the line? This guy is such a maroon.

[Cobra64]

Kerry's neighbor, former governor of Vermont, Howard Dean SIGNED A SAME SEX BILL when he was the governor. These dems just can't let sex run their lives. It never ends with the sex scandals and politics of sex with these dimwit democrats.

[mabelkitty]

It's official.

Dems throw over Catholics.

There goes Dennis Kucinich. Catholicism trumps Labor.

[Zack Nguyen]

"It is important not to have the church instructing politicians," Kerry said. "That is an inappropriate crossing of the line in this country..."

If Senator Kerry believed the Bible's teaching he wouldn't need to be instructed. But he doesn't and so he does.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

"It is important not to have the church instructing politicians," Kerry said. "That is an inappropriate crossing of the line in this country. ... "

I guess that's why Kerry was so opposed to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Council, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson?

[Ronin]

Who and how is in charge of the Catholic rite of excommunication. Has Kerry strayed far enough from Catholic doctrine and behavior to merit that sanction?

If so, perhaps the Pope should let him know precisely what it is about. Flat out and no nuances. Return to the doctrine of the Church or leave it.

This all seems like such a no brainer to me. I am not a Catholic, or an Episcopilian, but I find myself spending so much time on these threads. The way I look at it, a Church is like a club. If you want to be a Catholic, you accept Catholic doctrine or leave.

[ex-snook]

""It is important not to have the church instructing politicians," Kerry said"

It seems liberals are still criticizing Pope Pius for not 'speaking out' on moral abuses in Germany. This Pope is speaking out about moral abuses in the US.

[xzins]

If I understood responses to me yesterday, then Kerry, a supporter of abortion, is in mortal danger for willfully violating an infallible denunciation of abortion from the seat of St Peter. Apparently, Kerry, and all abortion advocates, are out of communion with the church and are walking the path toward eternal destruction.

[ladtx]

I guess now Limbaugh can call Kerry the "french-looking, self-proclaimed Vietnam vet, CINO (Catholic In Name Only) candidate."

[LibertyGirl77]

"That is an inappropriate crossing of the line in this country."

Guess what, jack*ss. The Pope is in Vatican City. That's not in this country. How about a nice cup of "Shut the hell up?"

(I'm VERY cranky this morning.)

[johnb838]

self-described Catholic

I like that.

A fuming Kerry,

Dude needs to have his meds checked. He's fuming everytime he comes out of the box. I think he's trying the Gore trope of "I will fight for YOU."

Kerry, who supports civil unions but opposes the legalization of same-sex marriage, [snip] ``This isn't a matter of political calculation, it's simply a matter of strong personal beliefs,''

Ri-ght. This moron needs to be ex-communicated.