Posted on 11/15/2008 6:42:26 AM PST by Alex Murphy
Camarillo, CA, Nov 15, 2008 / 06:11 am (CNA).- Doug Kmiec, a pro-life Catholic who vocally supported President-elect Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy, defended his support for the pro-abortion rights politician in a lecture Tuesday at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California.
About 30 to 40 protesters against Kmiec’s speech stood in silence outside the seminary gates, an attendee who requested anonymity told CNA. Inside the seminary, nearly 300 people listened to Kmiec’s speech, the Thirteenth Annual Newman C. Eberhardt lecture.
Father Eberhardt was a long-time history professor at the seminary.
“Several of his students wished that he could be there to demolish Dr. Kmiec’s presentation point by point,” the attendee told CNA, claiming that the setting of the event “causes scandal to the faithful and sows confusion throughout the non-Catholic community.”
Monsignor Craig Cox, the seminary rector, greeted the audience and gave a benediction. Father Richard Benson, academic dean and chair of moral theology, introduced Prof. Kmiec with a description of the “angst of the seminary administration” in inviting Kmiec.
The priest reportedly said that the administration decided to invite Kmiec in order to present differing views for consideration.
Kmiec began his lecture by referring to then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s 2004 letter to the U.S. bishops which advised that a vote for a pro-abortion rights candidate can be permitted “in the presence of proportionate reasons.” Kmiec, a Pepperdine University law professor and a former official in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, then went on to explain how he came to support Obama’s candidacy.
An early supporter of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, Kmiec said he was disappointed that, in his view, the Republican Party rejected Romney’s candidacy on the basis of his Mormon religion. Not finding the views of the eventual Republican nominee Sen. John McCain consistent with Romney’s positions, he looked elsewhere.
Kmiec told how he was first drawn to Obama during his “Call to Renewal” speech. Attending a meeting which included Rev. Franklin Graham, son of the famous evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, he told how he became convinced that while Obama had no religious upbringing, he is a religious man.
According to the lecture attendee who spoke to CNA, Kmiec described how his decision to support Obama included weighing the candidate’s platform with Catholic social teaching. He became part of Obama’s Catholic outreach program to secure the Catholic vote, which has consistently sided with the winner of the past ten presidential elections.
The Obama campaign’s Catholic outreach was described as “tightly organized” at the national, state, and local levels.
Kmiec noted that he had pressed Obama concerning what have been perceived to be his gaffes on abortion issues.
Questioning Obama about comments about not wanting his daughter “punished with a baby,” Obama told Kmiec “That’s not it.” The candidate then explained his belief that a child is indeed a punishment for many who do not have the economic and social support to care for a child.
Explaining his belief that the legal fight against abortion is lost, Kmiec advocated reducing the numbers of abortions through economic means and fully informing women about abortion. He also added that Obama had worked for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, a primary vehicle for Catholic charity.
Concluding his remarks, Kmiec said he would always “bear the scar” of being refused Communion at Mass for the Catholic business leaders’ group Legatus, where a deacon believed his support for Obama should have barred him from receiving. Kmiec related how he loved his faith and didn’t know what he would do without it.
In audience questions following the lecture, a priest proposed a hypothetical situation in which Kmiec has a telephone conversation with Pope Benedict. The priest asked whether Kmiec would ask for further explanation of the letter to the U.S. bishops concerning proportionality in voting decisions.
Kmiec stated that if the Pope said, “Doug, you’re wrong,” he would then have to tear out the first 174 pages of his pro-Obama book and stand with the Magisterium.
Explaining his belief that the legal fight against abortion is lost, Kmiec advocated reducing the numbers of abortions through economic means and fully informing women about abortion. He also added that Obama had worked for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, a primary vehicle for Catholic charity.
Concluding his remarks, Kmiec said he would always “bear the scar” of being refused Communion at Mass for the Catholic business leaders’ group Legatus, where a deacon believed his support for Obama should have barred him from receiving. Kmiec related how he loved his faith and didn’t know what he would do without it.
This guy was in the Reagan administration, supported Romney in the primaries, and ended up supporting Barack Obama in the general election. Talk about a wide range.
LOL! Boy, that really showed 'em!
How about from an even higher authority?
Doug, your wrong....signed God
See, he’s so important that it requires the Pope - no one else can pass judgement on Dougie’s pensamientos. Until then, when a passant local priest tells him not to receive communion, why he’s just an aggrieved visionary.
He had better learn how to get along without it. He has excommunicated himself.
Kmiec is certainly a HYPOCRITE.He knows he twists the truth.
******************
Amen. I would like to see Pope Benedict revisit this issue.
I believe a good “Smote” is afoot for Kmiec....
The article starts out with a misnomer. There is no such thing as a pro-life Catholic who supported pro-death Obama. There may be plenty of CINOs who supported him, but not any true Catholic Christians or Christians of any denomination.
A committed Christian cannot support the murder of innocent human beings at any stage of life from conception to natural death without making a mockery of God's laws and the Church for which His divine, virgin-born Son gave His own life to bring into being. Therefore anyone who supported infanticide by voting for Obama cannot truthfully claim to be a believing, committed Christian of any or no denomination.
Hell's not even half full yet, there's still plenty of room there for Kmeic and other phony-baloney "Christians" who violated God's righteous laws by voting to continue the American holocaust under the reign of a pro-death president and a pro-death Congressional majority.
For the first time since 1973 we had a good chance of nominating and confirming at least one or two originalist Justices who would have given the SCOTUS a pro-life majority. But thanks to millions of professing Christians who voted for an imposter who they naively believe will protect their pocketbooks instead of voting to revive our government's former obedience to the moral laws that all Christians once pledged to obey, that one time chance has now gone up in smoke from the fires of hell itself.
***Kmiec is certainly a HYPOCRITE.He knows he twists the truth.***
How right you are!
***The priest asked whether Kmiec would ask for further explanation of the letter to the U.S. bishops concerning proportionality in voting decisions.***
The “proportionality in voting decisions” has been explained over and over and over. it’s very simple: If BOTH candidates for office are for abortion, then your decision has to be for the one who will do the least harm to the country. However, if only ONE candidate is for abortion, then you must vote for the other one.
Kmiec is either quite stupid if he can’t understand that, or he is a socialist who is trying to bring the Catholic church into line with HIS thinking.
My questions for Mr. Kmiec.
Mr. Kmiec, Jesus said that no greater love than this exists, that one lay down one’s life for a friend. Would Jesus approve of a mother ending the life of her child for her own gain? I do not disparage girls, pregnant and afraid, but when she is told that she can avoid sacrifice by ending her pregnancy, isn’t that the opposite of what Jesus preached?
Jesus says that those who exalt themselves will be laid low. Isn’t abortion the ultimate exaltation of self?
When did Jesus’ life begin? Science proves that life begins at conception and abortion ends that life. How can voting for a man who will remove all restrictions on abortion and use taxes to fund them, square with the commandment, Thou shalt not murder?
If abortion is once again made illegal, millions of abortions in this country will not be performed. Do you honestly believe that Obama’s policies will reduce abortions by millions?
One last thing, Mr. Kmiec, it’s a good thing you were not in charge of winning the Revolutionary War. When all seemed lost, George Washington called upon the providence of God, asking for his help in defeating the enemy. George Washington never gave up and he never abandoned his belief in God. We have not lost the abortion battle, we are turning the tide and with God’s help and in God’s time, we will win.
bookmark.
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