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Catholic ‘complacency’ shares blame for country’s failures, Archbishop Chaput says St. Paul / Archbishop Chaput Detroit, Mich., Mar 21, 2009 / 12:32 pm (CNA).- Archbishop of Denver Charles J. Chaput delivered a speech on Saturday reflecting on the significance of the November 2008 election. Warning that media “narratives” should not obscure truth, he blamed the indifference and complacency of many U.S. Catholics for the country’s failures on abortion, poverty and immigration issues.He also advised Catholics to “master the language of popular culture” and to refuse to be afraid, saying “fear is the disease of our age.”The archbishop’s comments were delivered...

Archbishop Charles Chaput Washington D.C., Mar 17, 2009 / 07:29 pm (CNA).- Unless the media improves its basic understanding of Catholic beliefs and practices, it risks marginalizing the Church and replacing its voice in society with politics, a set of beliefs “with the same vestments, but less conscience,” Archbishop Charles J. Chaput told a gathering of prominent journalists on Tuesday at the Pew Forum. Though the Archbishop of Denver had been invited to Washington, D.C. to address the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life about the political obligations of Catholics, he began his remarks with a discussion of media coverage of the...

Serve your country best by serving God first, Archbishop Chaput tells USAF cadets Air Force Academy Chapel/ Archbishop Charles Chaput Colorado Springs, Colo., Mar 10, 2009 / 10:11 pm (CNA).- Archbishop of Denver Charles J. Chaput addressed Catholic cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs on Monday, telling them the military profession is “honorable” and urging them to become virtuous leaders who serve their country best by serving God first.The archbishop discussed war, the nature of obedience, and the need to recognize that people matter more than things.Referring to Homer, W.B. Yeats and Robert E. Lee’s comments...

Archbishop of Denver warns that Conn. bill threatens Catholics everywhere Archbishop Charles Chaput Denver, Colo., Mar 9, 2009 / 05:53 pm (CNA).- Although the legislation in question was introduced in Connecticut, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver has issued a statement on a bill that would effectively sever the relationship between a bishop and his pastors and parishes. Archbishop Chaput says in his statement, "What Happens in Connecticut Matters Here," that the bill is "bad public policy in every sense."The Senate Bill 1098 was introduced last Thursday by the chairs of the Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut State Legislature: Senator Andrew...

"President Obama is a man of intelligence and some remarkable gifts. He has a great ability to inspire, as we saw from his very popular visit to Canada just this past week. But whatever his strengths, there’s no way to reinvent his record on abortion and related issues with rosy marketing about unity, hope and change. Of course, that can change. Some things really do change when a person reaches the White House. Power ennobles some men. It diminishes others. Bad policy ideas can be improved. Good policy ideas can find a way to flourish. But as Catholics, we at...

Archbishop Charles Chaput / Neil Cavuto Denver, Colo., Feb 19, 2009 / 07:31 pm (CNA).- Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver is in complete agreement with the message that Pope Benedict XVI delivered to Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday. The archbishop also went so far as to say that since she disagrees with the Church on the "black and white issue" of abortion, she should not present herself for Communion. The comments by Archbishop Chaput were made following Nancy Pelosi’s meeting with Pope Benedict, at which the Pope reminded the Speaker of the House that all legislators, but especially Catholics, are...

DENVER, Colorado, JAN. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Archbishop Charles Chaput exhorted Catholics across the United States to "let your voice supporting life be heard," in the ear of the new political administration.The archbishop of Denver asserted this in an article published Wednesday in the Denver Catholic Register. He began by affirming the obligation of Christians to "love their country, build on its greatest qualities and serve its best ideals." The prelate spoke about the duty to pray for our leaders and obey the law, "insofar as the law does not violate human dignity in some systematic, gravely evil way."He added, "When...

Washington DC, Nov 7, 2008 / 03:09 pm (CNA).- For his bold defense of the role of Church in the public square, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has announced that it will be awarding Archbishop of Denver Charles J. Chaput with its highest honor. The Becket Fund will award Archbishop Chaput with the Canterbury Medal at its 15th Anniversary Dinner in Manhattan, on May 7, 2009. The annually awarded Canterbury Medal is given by the Fund to the person who has "most resolutely refused to render to Ceasar that which is God's," a press release from the group says....

Denver, Nov 6, 2008 / 01:10 am (CNA).- In a genial but critical exchange reproduced on The Witherspoon Institute’s web site Public Discourse, Pepperdine University law professor Doug Kmiec and Archbishop of Denver Charles J. Chaput have exchanged further remarks concerning Kmiec’s advocacy for President-elect Barack Obama. The archbishop told the professor he welcomes a civil dialogue but also called on Kmiec to convince Obama to change his position on life issues. Kmiec, a pro-life Republican, wrote in response to the archbishop’s Oct. 17 address to an ENDOW dinner, titled “Little Murders,” in which the archbishop commented that Kmiec has...

Catholic Caucus: Person Receiving Communion Dishonestly Violates Rights of "Faithful" Catholics [The following is an excerpt from the book Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. cap. The title for this article is taken from the closing paragraph of this excerpt. Simply, a person who does not accept the teaching of the Catholic Church should not receive Communion. If they do, they are receiving Communion Dishonestly and they violate the Rights of all Catholics who believe and who strive to live the faith fully and unselfishly. The...

Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American CatholicsA Statement by the Catholic Bishops of the United States [Paragraph 23] ... As we stressed in our 1995 statement Political Responsibility: "The application of Gospel values to real situations is an essential work of the Christian community." Adopting a consistent ethic of life, the Catholic Church promotes a broad spectrum of issues "seeking to protect human life and promote human dignity from the inception of life to its final moment."9 Opposition to abortion and euthanasia does not excuse indifference to those who suffer from poverty, violence and injustice. Any politics...

DENVER (AP) - Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput labeled Barack Obama the "most committed" abortion-rights candidate from a major party in 35 years while accusing a Catholic Obama ally and other Democratic-friendly Catholic groups of doing a "disservice to the church." Chaput, one of the nation's most politically outspoken Catholic prelates, delivered the remarks Friday night at a dinner of a Catholic women's group. His comments were among the sharpest in a debate over abortion and Catholic political responsibility in a campaign in which Catholics represent a key swing vote. While Chaput has won praise from traditionalist Catholics for...

Archbishop Charles Chaput / Bishop Robert Morlino Washington DC, Sep 8, 2008 / 04:33 pm (CNA).- Bishop of Madison Robert C. Morlino and Archbishop of Denver Charles J. Chaput have responded to Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Joseph Biden’s characterization that the point when life begins is a religious belief, criticizing him for “flawed moral reasoning,” confusing the Catholic faithful and confusing the differences between faith and natural law.In a Sunday interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Sen. Biden had said that he is “prepared as a matter of faith to accept that life begins at the moment of conception”...

Today on the Archdiocese of Denver website, the following news item: Denver bishops release letter to faithful, stress importance of accurate moral reasoning by public servantsArchbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. and Auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley have released a new letter to the Catholics of northern Colorado, titled “Public Servants and Moral Reasoning.” In the letter, they reaffirm the importance of informed moral reasoning when discerning public action, especially in regard to Catholics who serve their country on the national stage. Click here to read the full letter (PDF file)The last two paragraphs sum-up Archbishop Chaput's position: In...

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver: "Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is a gifted public servant of strong convictions and many professional skills. Regrettably, knowledge of Catholic history and teaching does not seem to be one of them. . . . Abortion kills an unborn, developing human life. It is always gravely evil, and so are the evasions employed to justify it. Catholics who make excuses for it – whether they're famous or not – fool only themselves and abuse the fidelity of those Catholics who do sincerely seek to follow the Gospel and live their Catholic faith." Speaker Pelosi...

Archbishop Chaput’s book makes NYT Best Seller List, beats Biden’s book New York, Sep 5, 2008 / 05:38 pm (CNA).- Just three weeks into the publication of “Render Unto Caesar,” Archbishop Charles Chaput’s new book has made the New York Times Best Seller list. The archbishop’s book is currently one place ahead of “Promises to Keep,” written by Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden. “Render Unto Caesar” is currently number 27 on the New York Times Nonfiction Best Sellers List for the week of September 14, outpacing Sen. Biden’s book by one spot. During the week of August 29,...

Fidelis has created an easy-to-sign public thank you letter: From the press release: Fidelis is urging Catholics and all people of good will to publicly thank Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput for his unwavering defense of Catholic teaching on the dignity of all human life, likening him to former Archbishop Joseph Rummel, who led the Archdiocese of New Orleans from 1935 to 1964 during a period of deep division over the civil rights of African Americans. Fidelis President Brian Burch commented: “Like Archbishop Rummel, who stood up against the prevailing culture of his time to defend the intrinsic dignity of every...

On Monday morning in Denver, where the Democratic National Convention is underway, Archbishop Charles Chaput told the Associated Press that because of support for abortion, Biden should refrain from taking Communion. The selection of Sen. Joseph Biden as Barack Obama’s running mate is drawing a chorus of disapproval from Catholic intellectual and pro-life leaders because of Biden’s longstanding support for abortion. Most recently, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver has said that Biden should refrain from Communion.

The Washington Times reports: In retrospect, maybe the Democrats should have included Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput in their convention activities after all. The party was accused of deliberately snubbing the outspoken archbishop by failing to invite him to lead prayers or participate on its religion panels. Archbishop Chaput is the leader of Denver´s estimated 385,000 Catholics, the area´s largest religious denomination. But Archbishop Chaput may have gotten the last laugh. Democrats are doing a slow burn over the archbishop´s headline-grabbing criticism of party bigwigs and his decision to schedule major events this week during the convention´s prime-time speeches. Gosh,...

DENVER — Democrats have made it a priority to lure more evangelical and Catholic voters from the Republican camp into their own, but the likelihood of success is becoming more problematic given pronouncements by two Catholic archbishops and a decision by the editor of an evangelical Christian magazine. Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, the archbishop of Denver, said Democratic vice presidential candidate Joseph Biden should avoid taking Communion because of his support for abortion rights. In 2004, the Archbishop of Boston, Sean O'Malley stood by a statement he had made the previous year that pro-choice Catholics are in a state...