Ratzinger Vs. Kerry

[MrScorpio]

>>New pope intervened against Kerry in US 2004 election campaign


Tue Apr 19, 6:20 PM ET

German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Vatican theologian who was elected Pope Benedict XVI, intervened in the 2004 US election campaign ordering bishops to deny communion to abortion rights supporters including presidential candidate John Kerry.

In a June 2004 letter to US bishops enunciating principles of worthiness for communion recipients, Ratzinger specified that strong and open supporters of abortion should be denied the Catholic sacrament, for being guilty of a "grave sin."

He specifically mentioned "the case of a Catholic politician consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws," a reference widely understood to mean Democratic candidate Kerry, a Catholic who has defended abortion rights.

The letter said a priest confronted with such a person seeking communion "must refuse to distribute it."

A footnote to the letter also condemned any Catholic who votes specifically for a candidate because the candidate holds a pro-abortion position. Such a voter "would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for holy communion," the letter read.<<

http://beta.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050419/pl_afp/vaticanpopeus

Expect more of the same

[Kolesar]

1. Those assholes cost Kerry the election

100,000 votes in Ohio would have made the difference.

[DemGirl7]

2. Does he have connections to Diebold too??n/t

[Junkdrawer]

5. Well, Howard Ahmanson (Billionaire Christian Fundamentalist)...

funded the creation of what would become ES&S Vote and Diebold Election Systems. Perhaps there are connections to Howard through Opus Dei. :shrug:

[terrya]

3. It's a little ironic that in 1960...

there were some people here in the United States who were deploring the idea that the Vatican would have influence in our government if John Kennedy was elected President. And now...here we are. Actual interference from the Vatican.

[geek tragedy]

4. By this guy's logic about gay activism, he shouldn't be surprised

if his own papacy increases anti-Catholic violence and bigotry.