The Stakes at Notre Dame-Words From Rome Change The Debate on Inviting Obama

[Are_grits_groceries]

We now know that the reaction of right-wing Catholics to Notre Dame's invitation to President Obama falls into the category of "more Catholic than the pope."

To the dismay of many conservatives, the Vatican's own newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, has offered what one antiabortion Catholic blog called "a surprisingly positive assessment of the new president's approach to life issues" -- so positive, in fact, that a spokesman for the National Right to Life Committee was moved to criticize Pope Benedict XVI's daily.

The Vatican newspaper offered its analysis as Catholic liberals and conservatives are battling fiercely over Notre Dame's decision to invite the president as this year's commencement speaker and to grant him an honorary degree. The article will strengthen the liberal claim that the Catholic right's over-the-top response is rooted at least as much in Republican and conservative politics as in concern over the abortion question.

The April 29 essay by Giuseppe Fiorentino, L'Osservatore's frequent foreign affairs contributor, painted Obama as a moderate on many fronts. "Some have accused him of practicing excessive statism," Fiorentino wrote, "if not even of making the country drift toward socialism." But "a calmer analysis," he said, suggests that Obama "has moved with caution." (I rely here on a translation of the article posted yesterday on the Vatican's official Web site.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/06/AR2009050603319.html

Whoa! This is not just a kerfuffle. Apparently the invitation to speak has turned into an enormous struggle within the Church.
Didn't expect the Vatican to aid Obama in the least.

[saigon68]

1. The US division of this enterprise has

turned into a right wing hateful criminal cabal,(see list of churches that donated to the Cali Gay marriage vote) let by pedophilia condoning nut jobs (See the Leader of the St. Louis branch)

The powers in the base camp, apparently want to moderate these nut-jobs somewhat.

[bulloney]

2. Some of the more pragmatic priests I know will tell you that abortion is not the only issue

on which to judge a candidate. There are a variety of things that go into your decision on who to vote for. Unfortunately, at least in the Catholic church, it has been overtaken by Republican extremists who, during every election, attempt to pigeonhole the elections into a referendum on abortion. These people are rabid Republicans who know that their candidates don't stand up to their opponents when you look at the total picture of the issues. So, these people, namely the Right to Life nazis, try to shame everyone into voting for the Republican, making it sound like supporting the pro-choice candidate is your ticket to Hell.

If you'd look at issues the Catholic church has taken a position on other than abortion, such as poverty, health care, social justice and others, the Democratic candidate often outscores the Republican. But priests such as our pastor will give a sermon telling the parishioners that a candidate's position on abortion should be THE top priority issue from which you make your decision.

BTW, he's also a sexist, sarcastic, loud mouthed a-hole who's managed to alienate most of his staff in the 9 months he's been at our church.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

3. Depends on the church. My parish is pretty progressive. It's made up of mostly cultural

Catholics.

Unfortunately the Church hierarchy is off the edge RE equal rights, civil rights, reproductive rights, health etc.

Actually, that is probably what makes most of my parish so liberal. When the hierarchy says so many ridiculous things daily, people just tend to tune them out.

[quiller4]

4. What do you mean by "Catholic Church"?

If you mean hierarchy in the US, then your statement is true. But, if you define "The Church" the way church documents do as "the people of God" or all members of the church lay and ordained, then your statement is false. The majority of Catholics in the US support the president of Notre Dame and voted for Obama. Unfortunately MSM keys in on outspoken, right wing Catholics who are in the minority.

Look at the views of Catholics holding elective office like Kerry, Kennedy and Biden. Their views are more closely inline with the majority of Catholic men and women in the pews and many of the priest and nuns. The bishops and cardinals are the ones out of step.