Catholic Bishops Eye Possible Crackdown of Pro-Abortion Pols

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

[yonif]

(CNSNews.com) - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, responding to calls that they discipline pro-abortion Catholic politicians, has established a commission to consider whether the public figures can be excommunicated, according to individuals monitoring this week's autumn convention of the bishops in Washington, D.C.

The politicians in question include Democratic presidential candidates John Kerry and Dennis Kucinich.

"This was not something that was on the agenda, but was brought up and...the first steps are being taken to seat this committee," said Joe Giganti, spokesman for the American Life League's Crusade for the Defense of Our Catholic Church, which Monday launched an ad campaign to try to persuade the bishops to take action.

Judie Brown, president of the American Life League, said the commission was approved Monday night and Dallas, Texas, Bishop Joseph Galante was selected to head the panel.

"Something had to be done with these pro-abortion politicians who claim to be Catholic," Brown said. "For 30 years, hundreds of pro-abortion Catholic politicians have created scandal in the church, and I think the bishops have finally determined that they are going to deal with this, and that is why this commission was created."

The American Life League has identified 412 state and federal politicians nationwide who have identified themselves as Catholic while also supporting abortion rights.

Sen. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Rep. Kucinich (D-Ohio) both adhere to the Catholic Church's opposition to capital punishment but are at odds with the church over abortion. Telephone calls to both presidential campaign offices went unreturned Tuesday, but Kerry's campaign website clarifies the senator's position on abortion.

In defending the right of women "to control their own bodies, their own lives and their own destinies," Kerry's website boasts: "He recently announced he will support only pro-choice judges to the Supreme Court.""

Brown pointed out: "What's really strange about Kucinich in particular is that for years, he claimed he was pro-life. When he decided to run for president, he had a conversion experience."

In fact, Kucinich's presidential campaign website acknowledges the conversion.

"I've had a journey on this issue that a year ago, before I became a candidate for president, caused me to break from a voting record that had not been pro-choice," Kucinich's website states. "After hearing from many women in my own life, and from women and men in my community and across the country, I began a more intensive dialogue on the issue. A lot of women opened their hearts to me. That dialogue led me to wholeheartedly support a woman's right to choose."

Kucinich added: "A woman can't be free unless she has this right."

The Catholic Church's Code of Canon Law 915 specifies that: "Those upon whom the penalty of excommunication or interdict has been imposed or declared, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.""

The controversy involving pro-abortion Catholics has not been isolated to Democrats. Former Pennsylvania Republican Gov. Tom Ridge, who currently serves in the Bush administration as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, clashed with his own bishop in Erie, Pa., over the issue in 1999.

Ridge, a former altar boy and regular churchgoer, according to a Detroit News article, was told by Bishop Donald Trautman that he would not be allowed to speak at church events because of his support of abortion rights.

Later, when he was mentioned as a possible vice presidential running mate to George W. Bush, Ridge's dispute with Trautman was seen as a potential turn-off for Catholic voters and viewed as a factor in Ridge being eliminated from the running.

"It's obviously pretty difficult for me because it puts me at odds with my faith community," Ridge said during the controversy.

William Donohue, president of the Catholic League, described as the nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization, believes the bishops have "been getting enough heat from the people who pay the bills who are the orthodox Catholics" to look at possible changes in the way the church treats pro-abortion Catholic politicians.

"And there are enough bishops themselves who are up in arms over this thing. It's become a running joke within the Catholic community," Donohue said.

However, Donohue cautioned that if the bishops decide to establish a tougher policy on abortion, they might eventually have to deal with other thorny issues as well.

"When you go down the line of excommunication, denying the sacraments in public and things of that nature, you've opened up the door to those people who are going to say, 'Well, what about this guy who differs with the Catholic Church about the death penalty?'"

Still, Donohue said: "There's nothing that rivals the interest that the church must have about protecting innocent human life. It trumps farmers' rights, the economy and the environment.

"The fact that [the bishops are] moving in this direction, that they're being nudged to respond, I think is encouraging."

[Salvation]

Consider today's First Reading:

Reading I
Wis 6:1-11

Hear, O kings, and understand;
learn, you magistrates of the earth's expanse!
Hearken, you who are in power over the multitude
and lord it over throngs of peoples!
Because authority was given you by the Lord
and sovereignty by the Most High,
who shall probe your works and scrutinize your counsels.
Because, though you were ministers of his kingdom, you judged not rightly,
and did not keep the law,
nor walk according to the will of God,
Terribly and swiftly shall he come against you,
because judgment is stern for the exalted–
For the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy
but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test.
For the Lord of all shows no partiality,
nor does he fear greatness,
Because he himself made the great as well as the small,
and he provides for all alike;
but for those in power a rigorous scrutiny impends.
To you, therefore, O princes, are my words addressed
that you may learn wisdom and that you may not sin.
For those who keep the holy precepts hallowed shall be found holy,
and those learned in them will have ready a response.
Desire therefore my words;
long for them and you shall be instructed.

[Salvation]

Thanks, friend.

[Salvation]

The Deadly Dozen

Canadian Prime Minister Taunts Church: "I Am A Catholic And For Abortion"

Catholic Church asks Tom Daschle to stop calling himself a Catholic

On Catholic Politicians and Faith

Vatican Urges Catholic Politicians to Vote Along Church Lines

Senator Santorum on Being Catholic and a Politician

William E. Simon, Sr. and Jr. Devout Catholics, Philanthropists and Politicians

Deadly Dozen senator taken to task over claims of Catholicism

THE BISHOP AND THE SENATOR [author links to FR thread regarding Daschle in her online column]

Blood On Their Hands: Exposing Pro-abortion Catholic Politicians

MI Gov Granholm Proclaims June "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month"

Colorado Governor To Media:'WE LOVE OUR CHURCH' [Gov. Bill Owens

U.S. Senator Brownback and Commentator Dick Morris Join Catholic Church

PRIEST REFUSES COMMUNION TO KNEELING PRO-LIFE POLITICIAN [Richard Black, Virginia]

Kerry [Catholic} says he'll filibuster Supreme Court nominees who do not support abortion rights

Pope to MPs: Stop gay marriage

Vatican - Considerations regarding ... homosexual persons

CONFUSIONS ABOUT POLITICAL JUDGMENT AND THE MORAL LAW

Prelate says politicians who back abortion shouldn't go to Communion

Bishop draws fire for targeting Chrétien

Kennedy likens Vatican stance on gay unions to 'bigotry' (oh, go get a job, you little creep)

Ignorance or Malicious Intent? "No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to..."

George Weigel on Authentic Catholic Citizenship, and the Duty of Catholic Politicians to Behave as Catholics

Conservative Catholics urge Church to challenge "dissenters"

[Robert F., Jr.] Kennedy to speak at Festival of Faiths (Environmentalism as religion)

Faithful Catholic Politicians

Catholic Bishops Eye Possible Crackdown of Pro-Abortion Pols

[dangus]

You should calrify that you are only listing the pro-choicers. You make it look like all Catholic politicians are pro-choice!

[dangus]

Whether it works or not politically, it will purify the Catholic Church. Priests' support of pro-choicers, I believe, is a leading cause of "Cafeteria Catholicism," where Catholics have the attitude that they can continue to believe whatever they want and still consider themselves Catholics.

[dangus]

No, but the congregations will know that their priest is a heretic when he treats the parish as nothing more than a socialist organizing platform. This is not about elections; it's about winning the Church back from heretics.

[dangus]

Ahhh, sweet... I wish more people read that book :^).

[DonQ]

What I am suggesting is that, if the Catholic church tries to flex its muscles over public servants, then afterward voters (including "liberal" members of the same church) will shy away from electing them for fear that the church member is influenced by something other than his public duty to constituents of all religions.

At the moment I am saying this with reference to Roman Catholics because the Catholic Church is talking about putting the squeeze on Catholic public servants, but the same logic applies to any denomination which tries to bully public servants who are congregants.

[Catholicguy]

What I am suggesting is that, if the Catholic church tries to flex its muscles over public servants, then afterward voters (including "liberal" members of the same church) will shy away from electing them for fear that the church member is influenced by something other than his public duty to constituents of all religions.

The Bishops have the Duty to Teach, Rule, Sanctify. Doing their duty will not incur negative responses - except from the few; such as yourself. BTW, what duty towards Animists do American politicians have?

At the moment I am saying this with reference to Roman Catholics because the Catholic Church is talking about putting the squeeze on Catholic public servants...

Teaching the Truth is not "putting the squeeze on Catholic Politicians," it is an act of Charity reminding them of their duties to objective truth.

... the same logic applies to any denomination which tries to bully public servants who are congregants.

If you find the Truth "bullying" you and I have very different ideas about Truth and Morality.

[Catholicguy]

Teaching the Truth will tend to result in having fewer vociferous heretics within the Church and better Catholic Politicians.

[Desdemona]

You should calrify that you are only listing the pro-choicers. You make it look like all Catholic politicians are pro-choice!

Very true. I can name at least two with 100% pro-life voting records.

[malakhi]

has established a commission to consider whether the public figures can be excommunicated

They need a committee to study this?

[ArrogantBustard]

American bishops need a committee meeting before making a head call.

[Maeve]

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.

I thought this was a very good point and should be repeated.

[dangus]

A lot more than that....Chris Smith, Chris Cox, Don Nickles, Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum, ...

[Desdemona]

And one of the ones I was think of isn't on that list. And a democrat, too.

[A-teamMom]

Great list... let's get started. This is decades overdue. I pray that the bishops finally stand up to the task.

[A-teamMom]

I think the point is that these politicians should not consider themselves Catholic. It's not the Church dictating what they do. If they do not agree with basic teachings on the sanctity of human life, then they shouldn't come to mass and take communion. There is no room to be Catholic and pro-choice. That's not intolerance, it's living your faith.

[franky]

Let us not confuse J F K with Catholicism.

I remember opening day in the baseball season when Kennedy was President. It was in Washington and It was Lent and a Friday. Lo and behold Kennedy with a hot dog in his face plastered all over the newspapers in the U S.

It is time the Bishops stand up for the Church and stand up to the amoral, hypercritical pols who are bringing this country to its knees.

[RobbyS]

If you want to avoid making a decision, appoint a committee.