Archbishop Chaput urges Catholics not to vote 'on autopilot'

[trotsky]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/archbishop-chaput-urges-catholics-not-to-vote-on-autopilot-98617/

In his latest column for the Philly Catholic Archdiocesan paper, Archbishop Chaput shared some of his personal thoughts on the upcoming presidential election, and implored Catholics to take the time to pray and form their consciences before voting.

This year is a particularly interesting one for Catholics, Archbishop Chaput said, because both major candidates for president “have astonishing flaws.”

...

“Both major candidates are – what’s the right word? so problematic – that neither is clearly better than the other.”

Yes... "astonishing flaws." "So problematic." I mean, one is a thin-skinned bigoted narcissist who is historically unqualified for the office, and the other, well, she supports reproductive rights. So you can see how, from a Catholic point of view, that neither one is "clearly better than the other." Thanks, archibishop dude!

[tonyt53]

1. Hmm, evangelicals will never vote for Mormon OR a Catholic.

But Catholics can vote for Trump, who is strongly supported by evangelicals, as long as they pray about it. The overwhelming majority of Hispanics are Catholic, so this guy is tossing them out the window too. This is another example of why religion should stay out of politics.

[rug]

2. If you yourself were not posting on autopilot, you would not have missed the significance of this.

This is a much different statement than one which simply urges a vote for the anti-abortion candidate.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. If we're being generous to the archbishop, it has no significance at all

The generous interpretation of this is that he realises what a pile of excrement Trump is, but has decided it's important to stick to the tradition of not openly advocating a candidate. In which case he might as well have not written this, but I guess it did fill his column.

The worrying interpretation is that he doesn't recognise what a danger to the world Trump is, and he doesn't really feel that voting for Hillary is vital. In which case he would be either astounding dumb, or astoundingly lacking in morals. Either way, he wouldn't be suitable as an archbishop.

[rug]

4. I have no interest in being generous to Chaput.

I'm much more interested in accurately interpreting what's going on.

The fact is not very long ago Chaput would simply have published some pablum about the sanctity of life and no communion for politicians.

[Brettongarcia]

12. Chaput's changed a bit. But?

If you look at his referenced reading material, it's still the old pro life material.

Chaput is sort of halfway obeying the Pope's injunction not to "obsess" on abortion. Till you get to his pro life reading list on Catholics in public life, etc..

[rug]

13. Havel is a surprising choice.

http://www.crosscurrents.org/capps.htm

[Brettongarcia]

14. Yes. But Chaput put the old pro-life stuff at the top

Still, since the pope condemned his old antiabortionism, and then met him personally in his visit to the US and Philly a few months ago, Chaput IS changing a bit.

Finally. Just a bit.

He's still playing games with the footnotes though.

[edhopper]

5. So this asshat

the spiritual leader of a large region, thinks Trump and Clinton are the same.

How shameful can these clerical toads be?

“Both major candidates are – what’s the right word? so problematic – that neither is clearly better than the other.”

[trotsky]

6. Supposedly in his original article, he claimed that Clinton should be under criminal indictment.

Must not be anything in his religion that tells him he shouldn't lie.

[edhopper]

7. The RCC clergy

have shown themselves to be the least "Christian" men around.

The are truly a loathsome group.

[trotsky]

8. Even more loathsome than those who defend and make excuses for them.

Just barely though. Without those folks, the RCC hierarchy would have had to change and become accountable by now.

[edhopper]

9. Well you just don't understand the nuance

and theological underpinnings.

[trotsky]

10. Ah yes.

I do have that problem.

[Act_of_Reparation]

11. Archbishop Chaput urges Catholics not to vote on autopilot...

...and then unironically urges them to vote on a different autopilot.