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Why Kmiec Will Not Become The New Vatican Ambassador
Catholic News Agency ^ | 11/25/08

Posted on 11/27/2008 3:38:46 PM PST by marshmallow

Vatican City, Nov 25, 2008 / 03:22 pm (CNA).- An official from the Vatican's Secretary of State department has reacted to the recent suggestion that Pepperdine professor Douglas Kmiec should become the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican by saying, "it will never happen."

On November 23, America Magazine published a blog entry from Michael Sean Winters describing Professor Douglas Kmiec, the former Republican pro-lifer who became Obama’s top Catholic apologist during the presidential campaign, as "the perfect candidate" to become U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See.

In his piece, Winters argues that Kmiec is the perfect candidate because "He is a lifelong pro-life legal scholar who served as head of the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Departments of both Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He was Dean of the Catholic University Law School and now teaches law at Pepperdine. His published works evidence a find (sic) legal mind and thorough familiarity with the natural law tradition that has been the dominant lens for Catholic social thought. Kmiec would be well known to prominent American churchmen in the Eternal City and a jewel in the crown of the intellectual milieu that surrounds the Holy See."

Winters also argues that "Kmiec’s pro-life credentials, despite some carping from the far right political fringe, are impeccable. Indeed, given that the American bishops have chosen opposition to FOCA as their greeting to the new president, Kmiec gives the bishops some satisfaction since he testified against the measure at its inception in the 1980s."

CNA presented Winters' arguments to an official of the Secretary of State, who offered his reaction on a strict condition of anonymity. His answer at Kmiec’s chances of becoming an Ambassador: "It will never happen."

The official noted that prominent American Catholics at the Vatican -such as Cardinal James Francis Stafford or Archbishop Raymond Burke- look at Kmiec as a "traitor," and "their opinion will certainly count heavily."

But most importantly, the official said, is that the Holy See will not risk alienating vital U.S. Catholic organizations like the Knights of Columbus or the American branch of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, "whose role in the life of the universal Church is decisive, and who have already expressed publicly their disappointment with Kmiec's role in the recent elections."

The official also explained that the Vatican is "obviously interested in having a good relationship with the greatest power in the world," but such relationships usually flow "through different parallel channels and not only the Embassy."

"Despite the importance of a good relationship with the U.S.," the official explained to CNA, "the Secretary of State privileges the relationship with nations with which it has concordats," that is to say, international agreements that provide some recognition and support to the public presence of the Catholic Church, such as state support for religious education.

"If the office [the Vatican's Secretary of State] withholds the 'placet' –the official acceptance—from the appointees from Argentina and France, it could easily do the same [to Kmiec]" because "[we] would not risk alienating many U.S. Catholic organizations."

The Secretary of State official was referring to the recent Vatican decisions to deny the ‘placet’ to a French Ambassador to the Vatican because he was openly homosexual and to an Argentinean because he was divorced and remarried.

"Of course Mr. Kmiec is in neither of those situations, but for the Secretary of State it is far more important to maintain a good relationship with, say, Mr. Anderson (the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus,) who is an active member of several Vatican dicasteries, than to please Mr. Kmiec and his friends in the new administration."

"Those who the article refers so disrespectfully as 'extremists on the right,' or 'the far right political fringe,' are the serious, loyal Catholics [the Vatican] precisely takes into account, because they are the ones who are there when the Church needs them," the official also explained.

Finally, regarding Winters’ claim that "Kmiec could do for the Democratic administration what (Mary Ann) Glendon has done for its predecessor," the official told CNA: "to be charitable, I will just say that I seriously doubt it."


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Moral Issues; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: vichyrepublican

1 posted on 11/27/2008 3:38:46 PM PST by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow

Doug Kmiec, ran away from any pro life positions he may have held months ago, he is a vichy republican, he supports Obama and his culture of death, there is no reason to support or offer greetings to such an emissary.


2 posted on 11/27/2008 3:42:38 PM PST by padre35 (You shall not ignore the laws of God, the Market, the Jungle, and Reciprocity Rm10.10)
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To: marshmallow

The Pope would personally excommunicate Kmiec for support Obamanation and abortion.


3 posted on 11/27/2008 3:47:26 PM PST by Salvation ( †With God all things are possible.†)
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To: marshmallow
Pray for LIFE!

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4 posted on 11/27/2008 3:49:13 PM PST by Salvation ( †With God all things are possible.†)
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To: marshmallow
professor Douglas Kmiec should become the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican...

Fat chance.

5 posted on 11/27/2008 3:52:05 PM PST by BusterBear
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To: BusterBear

Kmiec was a fool. He’ll be left hanging high and dry by The One, who gladly accepted Kmiec’s help in getting elected but won’t give Kmiec the time of day as far as a federal judgeship of any rank is concerned. The One’s minions don’t trust Kmiec not to stab them in the back and turn out to be prolife on the bench. Prolifers all the way to the Vatican don’t trust him to be prolife since he brazenly betrayed the cause.

That’s what happens to all traitors—the people they betrayed won’t trust them, for obvious reasons and the people they Judas-kissed don’t trust them for the same reason: they are disloyal, untrustworthy, fools.

Judas learned that pretty fast and went out and hanged himself. For Kmiec’s sake I hope he doesn’t resort to that denouement. But he is friendless now and will be forever, world without end.

And he richly deserves every backstab he gets from The One.


6 posted on 11/27/2008 4:37:24 PM PST by Houghton M.
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To: Houghton M.

Sorry, I meant, the people for whom they did their Judas-kissing, not the people they Judas-kissed, which in this case would be Catholic pro-lifers who have laid it all on the line—Kmiec Judas-kissed them and kissed up to the Death-dealers and the Death-dealers despise him for it even as they gladly take what he delivered to them.


7 posted on 11/27/2008 4:39:57 PM PST by Houghton M.
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To: Houghton M.

Quite so.


8 posted on 11/27/2008 4:40:33 PM PST by Tax-chick ("And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day." (Is. 2)
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To: marshmallow

Kmiec should find another religion.


9 posted on 11/27/2008 5:27:32 PM PST by veritas2002
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To: marshmallow

I heard Kmiec interviewed during the campaign, he sounded like someone who had a mental break or just stupid.
Probably all of the above


10 posted on 11/27/2008 5:59:00 PM PST by SoCalPol (In Defeat: Defiance - Churchill)
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To: marshmallow

The creature Kmiec is filth-eating slime. I hope it enjoys its “reward” from the anti-Christ’s regime, as it is unlikely that it will enjoy much in its next life, when it is likely to return to its father, the liar.


11 posted on 11/27/2008 6:44:25 PM PST by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
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To: veritas2002
Dear veritas2002,

“Kmiec should find another religion.”

It did - satan worship.


sitetest

12 posted on 11/27/2008 6:46:06 PM PST by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
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To: sitetest

Don’t hold back, sitetest: let us know what you really think!


13 posted on 11/28/2008 3:57:40 AM PST by Tax-chick ("And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day." (Is. 2)
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To: marshmallow

I love the Vatican’s response! The Obama Administration might be able to fool the gullible voters of this country but they won’t be able to pull the wool over the Vatican’s eyes.


14 posted on 11/28/2008 5:41:56 AM PST by steadfastconservative
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persona non grata

15 posted on 11/28/2008 7:19:43 AM PST by A.A. Cunningham
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To: padre35

Vichy Republican?

You sir are a GENIUS! That is the perfect term for those Republicans who went over to the side of The One!

May I borrow that term and use it on occasion? Only with your permission of course!


16 posted on 11/28/2008 9:05:11 AM PST by vladimir998 (Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. St. Jerome)
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To: vladimir998

Why certainly, feel free to name them for who and what they are, there are two Vichy Republican list threads:

Part Deux:

www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2127446/posts

Orignial:

www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2116099/posts


17 posted on 11/28/2008 4:02:07 PM PST by padre35 (You shall not ignore the laws of God, the Market, the Jungle, and Reciprocity Rm10.10)
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