http://www.suntimes.com/news/steinberg/9524518-452/is-it-still-ok-to-elect-catholics.html
nsteinberg@suntimes.com
December 18, 2011 5:38PM
".... The cardinal might not like it — I’m sure he doesn’t. But plenty of the faithful join the governor in considering themselves good Catholics while conducting parts of their lives in ways “not consistent” with church policy — just last week a survey showed 98 percent of Catholic women use birth control banned by the church. (We’re fortunate that the cardinal has not challenged the governor over which form he uses, at least not yet). Much Catholic doctrine isn’t even followed by Catholics, yet church leaders would dragoon government to force it upon the rest of the state anyway.What Quinn has done to draw church censure — for those of you not up to date — is present an award to a rape victim at a pro-choice dinner, and lead a state whose laws forbid discrimination against citizens due to their sexual orientation, which means the church had to decide whether to place homeless children with gay couples, or get out of the adoption business. It chose to get out of the adoption business — you can debate among yourselves whether that is a choice a loving God would smile upon..."
..."If at election time I were to say, “You can’t vote for Pat Quinn — he’s a Catholic and will be bullied into strictly following church doctrine” — I’d be accused of bias and rightly so. Yet the cardinal is trying to do exactly that, to exercise an authority over public life he does not and should not possess.Quinn attended 13 years of Catholic school — the church already had its chance to mold him. Now he is 63 and an adult. It is Quinn, and not Cardinal George, who gets to decide how his faith influences his life. I’m sorry to be the one to deliver the news."
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Neil Steinberg hits the nail on the head! How dare Cardinal George bully Governor Pat Quinn to impose the hierarchy's teachings on the Illinois voters. It is true that Catholics follow their consciences on the hot button issues mentioned in the article above, and many dissent from the official teaching of the institutional church.
What the Cardinal George needs to learn is that Pat Quinn and many other Catholics no longer fear the crack of a crozier across the knuckles.
Another example is the Irish Governmentwhich closed the Irish embassy in Rome and is holding the Vatican accountable for the sexual abuse cover-up.
1 comment:
Matthew's phrase, "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye", clearly does not apply to Princes of this Church.
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