Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned...

[Flaherty]

...I voted for John Kerry in the election.

In an interview in his residence here, Archbishop Chaput said a vote for a candidate like Mr. Kerry who supports abortion rights or embryonic stem cell research would be a sin that must be confessed before receiving Communion.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/12/politics/campaign/12catholics.html?hp&ex=1097640000&en=1548d8d560c9b43f&ei=5094&partner=homepage


Humanity will not be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.

[c4ts]

Good. You cancel out that guy's vote, I'll cancel out 1inC's. It's not about supporting either candidate, it's about keeping these people from influencing America.

[Marquis de Carabas]

...a vote for Bush, however, is unpardonable," continued the Archbishop.

:D:D

[Flaherty]

Originally posted by c4ts
Good. You cancel out that guy's vote, I'll cancel out 1inC's. It's not about supporting either candidate, it's about keeping these people from influencing America.

I can understand the RCC making it a sin to have an abortion. That's a reasonable moral position to take. But then they made support for abortion rights a sin, too. Kerry hasn't had an abortion, but he supports the rights of others to have that choice. Apparently, that's a sin.

And now according to this clown it's a sin to vote for a candidate who supports abortion rights. Even if you're not interested in the abortion issue and plan to vote for Kerry because you think he's got better ideas on issues X, Y, and Z, it would still be a sin to vote for him.

The next thing you know, the RCC will be telling people condoms cannot protect them from STDs so they may as well not use them at all. Oh wait!! They've already done that in HIV-plagued Africa!

If it turns out there really is a God, I will thank him that I wised up and ditched Catholicism.

[jimmygun]

Forgive me father for I have wind.

[arawn]

Kerry is for the working class he got my vote

[jj]

Originally posted by Flaherty
...I voted for John Kerry in the election.

...


This sounds seriously like politicing by a tax-exempt church.

[geni]

Hmmm when the catholic church started to get political in south america the vatican had a quiet word^* with the bishops. I think a few more may be in order

^*word may not in fact have been quiet

[Beanbag]

Originally posted by geni
Hmmm when the catholic church started to get political in south america the vatican had a quiet word^* with the bishops. I think a few more may be in order

^*word may not in fact have been quiet

Oh, puh-LEEZE! The Pope and The Vatican aren't going to do a thing to upset their cash cows. They did something about pedophile priests only because it looked so bad in the media, ESPECIALLY when there was the appearance (note I said "appearance") that the church hierarchy was shielding and hiding the offenders.

I suspect the church's influence in South America was more a survival trait. It isn't unheard of for problematical clergy to go "missing".

Regards;
Beanbag

[geni]

Originally posted by Beanbag
Oh, puh-LEEZE! The Pope and The Vatican aren't going to do a thing to upset their cash cows. They did something about pedophile priests only because it looked so bad in the media, ESPECIALLY when there was the appearance (note I said "appearance") that the church hierarchy was shielding and hiding the offenders.

Losssing the tax excempt status wont help. I would be very cafeful attempting to predict the actions of the vatican (except they are likely to be minimal untill the next pope). Despite what you may think supporting particular party in an election is quite posible more than the church is preparded to put up with (espicialy when the church has several major dissargeements with that party).


I suspect the church's influence in South America was more a survival trait. It isn't unheard of for problematical clergy to go "missing".

Regards;
Beanbag [/B]

Evidence?

[TragicMonkey]

American bishops have all been a little crazy since Vatican II. Technically, half of them are in schism with the Church--they don't keep the tabernacle on the altar as required. It's only the body of their god, why should they have to treat it special, they say.

Although the biggest area the US bishops are causing problems with is finances. Diocese are going bankrupt, and not just from legal fees and judgments. One archbishop has started trying to seize the bank accounts and funds of individual churches under him, saying there aren't enough Catholics left to justify so many churches. He wants to close some down and consolidate the congregations, which is very unpopular to people who've donated money and gone to the same church their family has for generations. Mismanagment of the money is going to wreck the Church in America faster than the pedophilia trials...although it's all moot, anyway. The shortage of priests is getting worse and worse, and most parishes now have to get lay people to take on some of the duties. How many priests under 60 are left? Not as many as they need...and even the old ones are leaving the priesthood. Some are converting to Episcopalianism to get married, while others are just dying off.

In fifty years, the US Catholic Church will be about as big and important as a snake-handling glossolalialist sect in Ty Ty, Georgia.