Posted on 05/16/2006 7:12:41 AM PDT by Unam Sanctam
A reader from LA writes with this: am in the archdiocese of Los Angeles.
I would be interested to hear what you and your blog readers think about what happened in parishes in our diocese yesterday. In the middle of mass, after the homily and before the Creed, Fr. C. stood up and said that Cardinal Mahony asked all priests in the diocese to pass out post cards to the parishioners regarding immigration reform, addressed to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. The ushers passed them out with pencils, then picked up the completed forms. It took about 20 minutes. Here is the text of the post card:
Dear Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist: I urge you to enact realistic and humane comprehensive immigration reform this year that: (1) includes a path to citizenship for hard working immigrants and their families. (2) provides an effective visa program for future immigrants that protects their rights and includes a path to citizenship. (3) keeps families together, (4) protects our civil rights and civil liberties, and (5) does not criminalize immigrants or their allies. Our immigration laws and our leaders should recognize that immigrants strengthen our economy and contribute to the fabric of our country. Signed: City & Zip:
While this is a social justice issue, and most people do agree that immigration laws need to be reformed in some way, it becomes a political issue when parishioner are asked to sign their names to something to be sent to a member of the Senate.
What really angered me about this, is that a couple of months ago, a group of us asked Fr. C. if we could collect signatures after Mass on the patio to get the parental notification act back on the ballot. We were told that Cardinal Mahony said we could not collect signatures on church property for a political issue, so we stood on the sidewalk to collect signatures. We were totally fine with that, and did so with no complaint whatsoever. I would not have minded if there was an "immigration reform table" on the patio after mass and if there was an announcement about it at the end of mass, but to interrupt the holy sacrifice of the mass for a political agenda is completely inappropriate.
We had active, faithful parishioners stand up and walk out of mass yesterday. This is going to be very divisive. I sure wouldn't want to be answering the phone in Cardinal Mahony's office this week!
Is he a Priest or a friggin' politician?
Pick one.
I just posted this on another thread but it is very applicable here too:
I say be on the ready to report these 501c3 organizations and churches to the IRS and FEC for violating their non-profit status. There is a restriction on their political speech in exchange for their tax-free status. And that restriction is they cannot campaign/endorse for/against a party, a piece of legislation, or a candidate.
If there is ANY attempt at telling a voter "how" to vote, they have jeopardized their tax status.
Get the church's tax free status challenged. That will prevent this in the future.
He is certainly asking to lose his tax-free status if he is doing things like this.......................
Well, isn't that a surprise. That's Mahony, all Dem, all the time.
That's exactly what it takes. I've seen it work before with a Baptist preacher who was stepping a bit possibly over that line.
**report these 501c3 organizations and churches to the IRS and FEC for violating their non-profit status. There is a restriction on their political speech in exchange for their tax-free status. And that restriction is they cannot campaign/endorse for/against a party, a piece of legislation, or a candidate.**
Bumpin your idea!
Tax 'em
Churches have a duty to speak out against anything which conflicts with the Gospel. Not to do so is to become mere serfs of the almighty state and to start on the path to subjugation and irrelevancy.
Legislation which attacks the family, such as homosexual "marriage" or any anti-life initiatives such as the human spare parts industry (embryonic stem cells, cloning etc.,) or abortion is well within the ambit of the Church's mission. To remain silent on these issues is simply to clear the way for the return of Hitler and Dr. Mengele.
Tax exemption does not stifle free speech. The Church may not campaign for a particular party or candidate but it certainly must speak up when morally reprehensible legislation is proposed.
The Cardinal has done flipped! I'd check his prescriptions and the frequency of visits to the liquor cabinet. Something's up here.
You are absolutely wrong about that.
A 501C3 can use a percentage of its funds to lobby on ISSUES>
Mahony's at it again - ping!
I think we here at FR should take up a collection and give him the gift of a one-way bus ticket to Mexico, he'd be much happier there!
Legislation which attacks the family, such as homosexual "marriage" or any anti-life initiatives such as the human spare parts industry (embryonic stem cells, cloning etc.,) or abortion is well within the ambit of the Church's mission. To remain silent on these issues is simply to clear the way for the return of Hitler and Dr. Mengele.
Tax exemption does not stifle free speech. The Church may not campaign for a particular party or candidate but it certainly must speak up when morally reprehensible legislation is proposed.
True. Furthermore, any attempt to revoke a church's tax-free status will ultimately come back to bite conservatives in the tush.
The ironic thing here is that if people put their religious loyalty first (as they are supposed to do), the sides on the immigration debate would be reversed 180 degrees. If Hispanic immigrants voted their traditionalist Catholic beliefs conservatives would welcome them and liberals would oppose them. But unfortunately, religion is all too often completely swallowed up in ethnic, racial, and "civilizational" loyalty. Hispanic immigrants, whatever their personal beliefs, will be herded into an ethnic ghetto where their political power will be allied with that of abortionists and homosexuals (like Black Fundamentalists), and as for the other side, more and more the fight for universal morality (rooted in G-d's Law) is being swallowed up in the fight for White European Civilization.
In theory G-d comes first. Unfortunately, in practice, G-d is usually turned into a tribal totem and invoked against "co-religionists" from other tribes.
I am a Catholic and I do think this crosses the line established for non profits regarding political activity.
If the Cardinal wanted to have cards about immigration passed out it should have been one that simply stated the USCCB's statement on immigration with a plea for people to remember Catholic teaching when contacting politicians about the immigration debate.
He done flipped a long time ago.
And communism marches on.
It's sickening how people would support that kind of restriction on free speech.
That's the liberal's answer to everything.
Ever thought of a country where churches would be free to guide their faithful in how they should live their faith, including how they should apply their faith to the political arena? Nah, I guess if they want free speech they should pay the government for it.
There are few issues that Catholics must adhere to / believe to remain loyal to the Church, and immigration isn't one of them. Ironically, pro-life being one of them. So for him to refuse the pro-life petitioning is shameful.
"Ever thought of a country where churches would be free to guide their faithful in how they should live their faith, including how they should apply their faith to the political arena? Nah, I guess if they want free speech they should pay the government for it."
A. It's not coincidental that the majority of illegal aliens are Catholic, thus the RCC's desire to "accept them"...since that means more money in the coffers.
B. Tax the hell out of 'em. I guess in your opinion, the "liberal answer" also involves breaking laws, since churches aren't allowed to be political in nature, a violation of their ridiculous tax-free status?
TAX 'EM. Then, they can preach whatever they want.
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