Vatican Calls Catholic Politicians Into Line

Reuters ^ | 16 January 2003 | Reuters

[Petronski]

The AP story starts out this way:

The Vatican issued a new set of guidelines for Catholic politicians Thursday, reminding them to heed the church's "nonnegotiable" teachings on abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage and other issues when making public policy.

But I couldn't find a fully-quotable AP source for the story.

[Petronski]

It's about time, isn't it?

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[Petronski]

All it needs now is the 'teeth' of excommunication as an alternative.

[netmilsmom]

Don't hold your breath....

[The Old Hoosier]

Right. I want to see the E-word.

[mc5cents]

Hey Teddie, hear that?

[toenail]

Long past time....

[Desdemona]

ping

[madprof98]

I want to see the E-word.

Even that might not get their attention, but a few new "guidelines" in an obscure document surely won't do the trick.

[Romulus]

This is all very well, but in the end it all comes down to episcopal cojones. If AmChurch bishops are negligent or malfeasant -- and they are -- then the publication of "new" guidelines is like yelling in the face of a hurricane.

[xsmommy]

i hope that they go great guns after this.

[hobbes1]

Like the above posters said, they should be under pain of
excommunication.

[dfwgator]

Of course, this probably will make it much tougher for Catholic politicians to get elected in this country, with the spectre of "divided loyalties" hanging over them like a sword of Damocles.

[Gerish]

It is about time. It may be too little too late, but it is a refreshing start. The question is, which politician does the Church make an example of first? Ted Kennedy is the biggest scum who comes in my mind!

[Desdemona]

There's another thread on the religion forum, thanks.

It would have been nice to see more teeth in it.

[Steve_Seattle]

"a few new guidelines in an obscure document won't do the trick"

Absolutely true. Liberal Catholics don't give a damn what the pope says even when the guidelines aren't in obscure documents. Here in Seattle, Catholic churches routinely flout norms set by the Vatican. In many parts of the USA, there are parallel churches - the official church of traditional doctrine, and the actual church in which people do as they please. It is this latter church that created the climate conducive to all the sex scandals that have rocked the church.

[workerbee]

I agree -- until there are actually some visible consequences to these so-called Catholic politicians, this is just words on paper.