Pope Benedict XVI will be preaching on his visit to Washington and New York next April, his first trip to the United States as pope. That's part of a pope's job description. But many American Catholics hope that the papal visit will double as what politicians in this country call a "listening tour." They know that, erudite as this former theology professor may be, he still might be able to learn something from their experience in a pluralistic country where the Catholic faith has flourished despite -- or because of -- the separation of church and state.
Benedict's visit, announced this week, will coincide with a presidential campaign. During the 2004 campaign, America's Catholic hierarchy was divided on whether pro-choice Catholic politicians -- including Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry -- should be denied Holy Communion. Some bishops, including Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles, believed that pro-choice politicians should search their conscience before deciding whether to approach the Communion rail. Others took a more confrontational line, warning that they would deny the sacrament to pro-choice politicians
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When Benedict comes to the United States, he is likely to be importuned by conservative Catholics to side with the hard-liners. He would be wiser to listen to other Catholics, laypeople as well as clergy, who know what mischief would be caused by a decree that would seem to force some Catholic officials to choose between their responsibility to their constituents or the Constitution and their standing in the church. These American Catholics believe, as President Kennedy said in 1960, in "an America where the separation of church and state is absolute; where no Catholic prelate would tell the president -- should he be Catholic -- how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote."
The German guy would do well to heed this advice. We are Americans and here there is no contamination between church and State. The State will lead us all to a better day as it acquires the capabilities to take care of our needs. So the misogynistic paternalistic hierarchy should just butt out.
6 comments:
Ummm--he weres a wite shet like i did befor maryanne hit me fur it.
if'n he were a wit shet, is he part uf mi olde klub?
is i not allowed to talk to hem?
is he gonna burn mi owt agin?
Hey! Great "post"! I'll even go farther and say that the government should force us priests to give communion bread to pro-choice politicians - there ought to be a law like that to really put teeth into the seperation of church & state.
And priests should go to jail for hate-speech if and when they hatefully suggest that only Catholics in good standing recieve communion!!! Who are they to know that pro-abortion remarried politicians are not in good standing? Really, it should just be kept in a bowl so you can help yourself to it!
That is what the agape love feast is for - peace and love, man!
Catlicks should lose their tax exemption until they quit the employment discrimination and hire womyn priests too!
I would soooo vote for Tony Blair if he runs for Pope now that he is going to be Catholic....
Whatever moron wrote this article for the L.A. Times would be well advised to read Salt of the Earth by then Cardinal Ratzinger, for Benedict XVI has already addressed the issue of religious pluralism.
But what do you expect from "intellectual liberals" in L.A. but crappy journalism.
Miguel
The original poster comments:
...what mischief would be caused by a decree that would seem to force some Catholic officials to choose between their responsibility to their constituents or the Constitution and their standing in the church.
Then the blogger follows up with:
The German guy would do well to heed this advice.
Something tells me that "this German guy" is all too familiar with what happens when church leaders fail to stand up to a popular or government practice. This is particularly true in cases where unborn children and other untermenschen are concerned.
No prelate should ever propose to tell a political leader how to vote. But he should and MUST be prepared to tell him that he cannot profess to be Catholic at one moment and discard the fundamental tenets of that religion the next. Yes, there is freedom. And yes there are consequences.
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