Catholic Bishops Meet To Consider Penalties Against Pro-Gay Politicians

[Cannikin]

(Englewood, Colorado) Roman Catholic bishops from across the country meet this week in Colorado to consider what sanctions, if any, they should impose on candidates who do not follow church teachings on gay marriage and abortion.

The meeting comes just days after President George W. Bush met with the Pope and called on the Pontiff to encourage bishops to take a hard-line stand on same-sex marriage. (story) Bush reportedly implored the Pope to increase Catholic condemnation of gay marriage in the weeks leading up to the election.

Bishops are divided on what punishment should meted out to Catholic politicians who do not support amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage or would approve of civil unions.

The most important of these is John Kerry. The Massachusetts senator who will face Bush in November opposes the proposed amendment but supports civil unions.

full story:
http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/06/061404catholics.htm

[Warpy]

1. This must be more Bishop Sheridan

the Colorado Springs wack job who wrote a letter telling his parishoners that if they voted for Democrats, they should not be taking communion.

The Archbishop of Denver slapped him down for that one.

I have a strong suspicion this is just another bit of grandstanding by the same clown, and that he will be slapped down for this one, too, no matter how many other right wing bishops he's managed to corral.

[Hawkeye-X]

2. I wish that wackjob would move to Niue

and can preach to the choir there - they wouoldn't give a fuck.

[murielm99]

3. I hope this creates a backlash among Catholics.

It would serve them right. They are already in trouble after all the sexual abuse.

[Cannikin]

4. kick

[noonwitch]

5. I think we should ignore the bishops who keep making these statements

What can they do to people who support gay marriage or reproductive choice? Ban them from communion? That only matters if the person in question thinks they need to commit symbolic cannibalism to get into heaven. The burning times are long over, and the catholic church has never held all that much sway politically in the USA, as this country was founded by heretics (protestants, deists, & extremists that even the Anglicans couldn't deal with anymore).

The Episcopalians, the UCC, the UMC, etc., all have open communion and no one will question anyone's politics. If american catholics are sick of having a bunch of allegedly celibate men make their reproductive and sexual decisions for them, they can look elsewhere for a less hypocritical clergy. Their male children will be safer with the move.

[Cannikin]

6. kick

[bhairava]

7. Outrageous!

Since when does the Vicar of Jesus take orders from the Bumpkin of Crawford! Dubya should have been tossed out on his ass for telling the Holy Father how to run the church. Gotta love George getting help to spread the fear, hate, dissension.

[eridani]

8. Bishop Finney of Michigan is OK, though

Could use more of these guys. http://www.stcdio.org/bishop/bishop_easter.html

"Oh Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed."

Each of us prays those words at every Mass before receiving Holy Communion. In recent months, however, some Catholics have been asking whether some others are so “not worthy” that they should be denied the sacrament. It has been suggested, for example, that bishops refuse to offer Communion to pro-choice politicians, or to legislators who favor same-sex marriage, or cloning, or stem cell research, or capital punishment, or the war in Iraq, or . . . the list seems to grow longer every day. It has also been suggested that Catholics who vote for politicians who hold certain views on these issues should not present themselves for Communion.

(snip)

You may be wondering about my position on the question of denying Communion to various categories of people. I want you to know that I refuse to allow the Eucharistic liturgy to become politicized. What I mean is that I will not allow Holy Communion to be used as a weapon in ongoing political and ideological battles. For this reason, it is not my intention to reject anyone who comes forward in a respectful manner to receive the Body and Blood of Christ.

(snip)

I return to the prayer with which I began. Note that it says, "Oh Lord, I am not worthy." It does not say, "Oh Lord, my neighbor is not worthy."