Posted on 11/14/2008 9:52:50 AM PST by NYer
You can vote in the AmP Poll at the bottom of this post. But first, the details....
The pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Greenville, SC, is urging parishioners who voted for Barack Obama not to present themselves for Communion unless they go to confession first because they have cooperated with "intrinsic evil'' by voting for a candidate who supports abortion rights over a candidate who does not. The Rev. Jay Scott Newman told the Greenville News that he doesn't intend to deny anyone Communion, but made it clear that his view is that Obama voters should not present themselves without seeking penance first "lest they eat and drink their own condemnation.''
Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exists constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil, and those Catholics who do so place themselves outside of the full communion of Christ’s Church and under the judgment of divine law. Persons in this condition should not receive Holy Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation.
Now here's an interesting thing, the parishioners don't seem too upset, at least according to Fr. Newman. Remember who we are hearing this from, of course. I wonder if the parish leans heavily right?
More amazingly, one could conclude the local diocese of Charleston has Fr. Newman's back:
"Stephen Gajdosik, spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Charleston, told The News that calling parishioners who voted for a candidate who supports legalized abortions to penance is a question of how best to deepen a flock's relationship to God and a move left up to local priests. He said such a move is appropriate and in line with church teaching."
"Newman said, "An uninformed vote is an irresponsible vote," and that no informed voter this year could have mistaken the candidates' abortion positions." [source.]
Yes.
Poll ping!
Absolutely yes!
This guy has more courage than all the bishops put together.
My answer is YES!
Yes does not express how absolutely correct this priest was.
And Father Newman is right and the author is wrong in his objection. Obama's longstanding promise to sign FOCA and his promises for federal funding of abortion are not secrets. The bishops made their positions perfectly clear. You can't vote for the man who you know plans to sign FOCA just becuase you support universal health care, or any other of his positions, and at the same time divorce yourself from the consequences of the candidates support for FOCA. If FOCA passes those so called Catholics who voted for Obama are as guilty of the consequences as Obama is himself. Their vote is the very essence of material cooperation with an intrinsic evil!
This author may have a valid point about whether or not one person or the other actually incurs a mortally damning sin on his soul. But it has to be remembered too that for whatever reason someone under his authority did not realize that this is cooperating with evil, he himself is under the authority of Church and holy scripture to tell his brother of their sin and it’s consequence.
And this is where I become incredulous-how would anyone be deceived or uninformed about his Catholic teaching on the matter of life, and how could anyone living in this age not be informed about the baby killer Barak Obama?
Only 67.2% agreed...
his=priest in question
I don’t understand how Catholics could be misinformed. I was in 7th grade at St. Mary’s in Richland Center when Roe v Wade passed. Sister Rita laid everything out in clear terms for us, even addressing the “life of the mother” argument. I’ve never had a question in my mind since then that abortion is evil and an abomination.
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They can't be misinformed. They are willfully going against Church teachings.
I think the bishops deliberately misinformed many.
freegards
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Yes, but how many Catholics "shopped around" until they found a bishop whose teachings reflected their own incorrect beliefs?
Suppose we had a candidate who ran on a platform wherein he intended to by Executive order, legislation by his party or trying to change the constitution called for the re-institution of slavery. Would it be wrong to vote for this person even though other aspects of his agenda were acceptable? I think not.
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I don't know, but they don't have an excuse, either.
Do not use potty language on the Religion Forum.
Yes. Wish the rest of the RC hierarchy would do the same.
Many Bishops left the election issues very vague. IMO they do this at their own peril.
They were clear on abortion and life but they were completely vague and ambiguous when it came to other issues and where the priority should have been.
My parish Priest is very strong on the Life issue and I sent him some articles post election and expressed my point of view. I haven’t gotten any response lol. Of course maybe some Obamite office workder filters the email and deleted it.
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