Catholic Bishops Eye Possible Crackdown of Pro-Abortion Pols

CrossWalk ^ | 11/11/2003 | David Thibault - CNS News

[RobbyS]

They are beginning to realize that the Catholics who matter are those who do more than check "Catholic" on forms?

[Romulus]

Please God, they're beginning to discover that being "a sign of contradiction" can be liberating.

[tiki]

Hopefully they can be nudged even more.

[dsc]

"Catholic Bishops Eye Possible Crackdown of Pro-Abortion Pols"

Then, little hearts all a flutter and panties in a wad, they hike up their skirts and stampede shrieking for the nearest bathhouse to put such horrifying thoughts behind them.

[ckca]

Catholic Politician Abortion Voting Records 1995 -2003

Catholic U.S. Senator Abortion Voting Records 1995 -2003

Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Sen. Barbara Milkulski (D-MD) Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) Sen. Jack Reed (RI)

---

 4/17/03 : Govs. being updated. If you have voting records or other pertinent documentation please forward to us.

Gov. James E. McGreevey (D-NJ) Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D-MI)

Gov. Gray Davis, (D-CA) Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS)

Gov. Tom Ridge (R-PA)

---

 Catholic U.S. Representative Abortion Voting Records 2000-2002

Rep. John Baldacci (D-ME) Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) Rep. Robert Brady (D-PA) Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA) Rep. William Clay (D-MO) Rep. William Coyne (D-PA) Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) Rep. William Delahunt (D-MA) Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL) Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-TX)

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) Rep. John Larson (D-CT) Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) Rep. Bill Luther (D-MN) Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) Rep. Karen McCarthy (D-MO) Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) Rep. James McGovern (D-MA) Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) Rep. Marty Meehan (D-MA) Rep. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) Rep. George Miller (D-CA)

Rep. Connie Morella (R-MD) Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) Rep. Ed Pastor (D-AZ) Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas) Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY) Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez (D-NY) Fr. Robert Drinan, S.J. (frmr US Rep)

[neverdem]

This has potential or might backfire in NY against Schumer. We'll see with his opposition.

[.45MAN]

Thanks forthe ping will pass this info on..

[AAABEST]

I would love to see this to fruition. I think the Church's latest "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" conservative push is very refreshing, and good for business to boot.

[DonQ]

Excommunicating public officials is a bad idea that will eventually backfire. More than 40 years ago JFK had to campaign hard to overcome the public fear that a Catholic president would be taking orders from the Pope - at the time, the Catholic establishment in the US kept mum or actually corroborated JFK's statements that bishops wouldn't be bossing him around.

But now the Catholic establishment wants the opposite, presumably just with regard to abortion, but maybe the next step is to excommunicate public officials if they don't support public funds for parochial schools, or some other important issue (I am old enough to remember a time when doctors were legally forbidden to discuss even ordinary birth control with their patients). And they make this proposal publicly. And non-Catholics will have justification to pause at the voting booth and ask themselves if they dare to vote for a Catholic candidate who is being openly bullied to follow his Church's agenda instead of the interests and desires of the taxpayers who voted for him and pay his salary.

[Smocker]

Great Weasel post! Don't be a moral Catholic because the 'taxpayers' don't want you to be. Oh, but go ahead and keep calling yourself Catholic.

Either you are a Catholic or you are not. You cannot accept part of the dogmas and not others.

[secret garden]

So you're suggesting they should put their job before their religion and spiritual base? Why worry about eternal damnation when you want a good pension plan?

[old and tired]

I predict they won't do anything that doesn't put pro-death penalty politicians on the same platform as the pro-aborts. I'm sorry to say so, but these bishops are so far removed from our faith and don't want to do anything that would jeopardize their standing with the liberal elites.

[al_c]

Dallas, Texas, Bishop Joseph Galante was selected to head the panel.

A wise choice!

It's about time they heard our pleas. I'm looking forward to the outcome of this committee.

[Catholicguy]

Politicians who have sold their souls to get elected will not be moved by an excommunication. That will be for them a badge of political courage.

IMO, all this is superfluous. These annual meetings tend to distract all of us - Bishops and laity - from the rudimentary truth; Bishops have the Duty to Teach, Rule, and Sanctify. There is no need for a Bishop to be told by a Committee he ought do his job.

The Bishop could call the pols in his Diocese onto the carpet and he could have a face-to-face with these soulless cretins and first determine if they know what the Living Magisterium Teaches and the Bishop can correct any Doctrinal defecienices before warning the pols their souls are endangered if they do not repent and reform and the Bishop can tell the pols he will explain to his flock that Christians cannot in good conscience vote for any politician who votes to support abortion.

This really isn't complicated.

[redgolum]

"This really isn't complicated."

In theory, no it is not. In practice, it will be made to be. Remember, the bishops, like most higher ups in all denominations, are at least part way political creatures. If they take a hard line on the Pro aborts, they can expect some backlash from the same politicians. Didn't a Msgr tell Former Govenor Davis he wasn't welcome because he was a pro abort? I remember that Davis and many of the "Hollywood elites" blasted the Msgr as intruding on the "persoanl rights" of poor old Davis.

My own denomination doesn't have this problem, because so far the LCMS has refused to do anything political. This is unfortunate and not the best Still, it is a problem. A few months ago, my pastor had an excellent sermon on the evil of abortion. As a result, some families have left the church. I think that is ok (if they don't believe it, why fake it?) but it has hit the budget. Maybe the bishops are in the same boat. They don't want to bit the pols to hard and cut off potential donations?

[RobbyS]

This would deter some poll who have had less than a 55% majority in his district and a substantial Catholic population. But it really needs an effective lay organization in that district to dog the poll during his campaign. Let the bishop speak out and have no public relation with the pol, more or less like ole Tom was treated by the Pennsylvania bishop and then stay out of the way while lay leaders organize what amount to a pro-life opposition. The best way is to get a candidate on the ballot if the Pubblie candidate is not strong enough on the issue. This has worked before.

[Catholicguy]

I really don't know what prevents the Bishops from doing their duty. I just wish they did do their duty and let the chips fall were they may.

[Catholicguy]

That's a good point. The Bishops should do their duty and we should do ours. As you pointed out it can work and even if it failed it would work. Teaching Moral Truths always works. Any temporary negative results would be overcome in the long run. Truth is always rewarded.

[Salvation]

I was wondering when this would hit the media. Took one whole day. LOL!