Posted on 07/02/2009 1:20:51 PM PDT by NYer
U.S. President Barack Obama holds a roundtable briefing with journalists from the Catholic press and the Washington Post in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington July 2. The briefing was held in advance of the president’s scheduled meeting with Pope Benedict XVI July 10 at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Lawrence Jackson, White House)
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama told a round table of religion writers July 2 that he continues to be profoundly influenced by the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago, whom he came to know when he was a community organizer in a project partially funded by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.
Obama said his encounters with the cardinal continue to influence him, particularly his “seamless garment” approach to a multitude of social justice issues. He also told the group of eight reporters to expect a conscience clause protection for health care workers currently under review by the administration that will be no less protective than what existed previously.
In addition to Catholic News Service, the round table included reporters and editors from other Catholic publications: National Catholic Reporter, America magazine, Catholic Digest, National Catholic Register, Commonweal magazine and Vatican Radio. The religion writer from The Washington Post also participated.
It was held in anticipation of Obama’s audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican July 10. The 45-minute session touched on his expectations for that meeting as well as aspects of foreign policy, the public criticism directed at him by some Catholic bishops and others in the church, and the Obamas’ own search for a church home in Washington.
Obama said in some ways he sees his first meeting with the pope as the same as any contact with a head of state, “but obviously this is more than just that. The Catholic Church has such a profound influence worldwide and in our country, and the Holy Father is a thought leader and opinion leader on so many wide-ranging issues. His religious influence is one that extends beyond the Catholic Church.”
He said he considers it a great honor to be meeting with the pope and that he hopes the session will lead to further cooperation between the Vatican and the United States in addressing Middle East peace, worldwide poverty, climate change, immigration and a whole host of other issues.
Several of the questions addressed the sometimes contentious relations between the Obama administration and some U.S. bishops, notably surrounding the president’s commencement address at the University of Notre Dame in May. The university’s decision to invite Obama and present him with an honorary degree led to a wave of protests at the university and a flurry of criticism by more than 70 bishops who said his support for legal abortion made him an inappropriate choice by the university.
Statements by the U.S. bishops also have chastised Obama for administrative actions such as the reversal of the Mexico City policy, which had prohibited the use of federal family planning funds by organizations that provide abortions or counsel women to have abortions.
But Obama said he’s not going to be deterred from continuing to work with the U.S. Catholic hierarchy, in part “because I’m president of all Americans, not just Americans who happen to agree with me.”
“The American bishops have profound influence in their communities, in the church and beyond,” Obama said. “What I would say is that although there have been criticisms leveled at me from some of the bishops, there have been a number of bishops who have been extremely generous and supportive even if they don’t agree with me on every issue.”
He said part of why he wants to establish a good working relationship with the bishops is because he has fond memories of working with Cardinal Bernardin when Obama was a community organizer, working with Catholic parishes on the South Side of Chicago.
“And so I know the potential that the bishops have to speak out forcefully on issues of social justice,” Obama said.
You know if this nutjob was in an institution where he belongs this type of behaviour would have him isolated and his meds increased.
Does anyone want to bet on whether or not he will bow to the pope? Kiss his ring?
This puts Obama in an interesting position. If he does not, side-by-side pictures will be posted everywhere. If he does, then the left-wing moonbats will crap themselves.
Oh. When he’s not reading Urdu poetry - an idea that got a laugh even in the land of Urdu poetry - he’s reading the collected heretical works of Cdl Bernardin, founder of the “seamless garment” theory that was intended to take the focus off abortion (which is murder) and make it seem the equivalent of not voting for some social welfare program (which is not murder).
The same Cdl Bernardin who probably died of AIDS and was saved from the charges of the man he had molested as a teenager only because of massive payouts by his fans. (The guy suddenly changed his story and said he had misremembered the whole thing.)
The same Cdl Bernardin who was so slick and dishonest that he did massive damage to the Church in the US - but still it is impossible to analyze this damage because the liberals will go out and fight to the death because he was their guy.
Who the heck is writing Bambi’s material? Probably Kmiec.
Influenced positively or negatively?
Bernardin was not pro-life. He invented the “seamless garment” theory, which essentially relegated abortion to one of many other issues, among which were things like not favoring leftist social programs.
Bernardin did more to take the teeth out the Catholic pro life movement than anyone else with his 'Seamless Garment of Life" nonsense that created a moral equivelency in the mond of many between abortion and capital punishment.
What is the Church doing to stop Obama from stealing our Democracy? Not much more than they did with Hugo Chavez.
I believe Catholics voted 53% for Obama. I am Catholic but My Bishop, Bishop Murray in Youngstown followed the lead of the majority of Bishop's and would not strongly speak out against Obama and his plans before the election. Why not?
Why not? Because he was black of course — and probably a muzzie to boot.
“Who the heck is writing Bambi’s material? Probably Kmiec.”
Zero is going to meet one of the Churches most preeminent scholars and thinkers in Benedict.
I’d give Benedict a big 10 over Zero’s Kmiec.
To bow or kiss the ring would be a sign of religious submission. I hope O will not do so, as it would be a lie. Nor does the Holy Father expect it of him.
Ughhhh!!
Is there no limit to the havoc wrought by Bernardin?
If he had really believed in what Cardinal Bernardin said, he would have never gone to Notre Dame; splintering the Catholic faithful the way he did.
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.
Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment
Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”
Scholars and theologians said he was pro-life, and hated the way the seamless garment was twisted to fit the agenda of the pro-choice.
He was very adament that it was completely out of context of what his philosophy behind was.
ROFL!
Bernardin?
He had his good qualities — but he also was instrumental in us getting a lot of liberal bishops.
Obama doesn’t know squat.
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