Do Most Catholic Bishops Support Obama?
By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country
The Roman Catholic bishops who attacked President Obama's recent appearance at Notre Dame and who've called for pro-abortion rights politicians to be denied communion constitute a minority. Most of the roughly 275 U.S. Catholic bishops have kept quiet about both controversies.
Liberal Catholics claim this silent majority disagrees with strident public pronouncements from outspokenly conservative bishops. Most U.S. bishops, they say, think Notre Dame was right to invite the president—and that Catholic elected officials should receive communion regardless of their stance on abortion.
Catholic scholar David O'Brien makes the case in the latest National Catholic Reporter:
As Catholic bishops gather in San Antonio this week, they face some tough questions. Their most recent engagements with politics sharpened divisions within the church and left the bishops shaken, even embarrassed....
The shrill reaction of many bishops to President Obama's election and visit to Notre Dame reflected a grim image of an embattled church hunkered down against hostile enemies....
Only a few seem able to resist. One who does so is retired San Francisco Archbishop Emeritus John Quinn. As the ugly rhetoric heated up this spring, Quinn argued that even "where there are grave divisions as there are on abortion," Catholics should recognize that it is in "the interest of both the church and the nation to work together in civility, honesty, and friendship for the common good."
Here's my question to Catholics, like O'Brien, who allege that outbursts of anti-Obama sentiment by some bishops has left the majority of U.S. bishops " shaken, even embarrassed": Is there any hard evidence for that case?
O'Brien cites one retired bishop who publicly broke ranks with the anti-Obama-at-Notre Dame bishops. That's a thin reed on which to claim that most Catholic bishops reject the hard-line anti-Obama statements coming from some of their ilk. I'd like to see some real evidence for this theory, widely held by liberal Catholics. For me, the silence of most U.S. bishops doesn't suffice.
Tags: Barack Obama | religion | Catholicism | Christianity
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Tom is crazy
Speaking of lack of evidence... What the heck is Tom talking about? Should we not be worried about racism, or social justice? Didn't Jesus, Our living Savoir, care about these things? Also, president Obama is not the only person in charge of this county and it is not possible for him to surround our government with the "Mob" bosses. Maybe you should research what you are saying and read "a" book. I used to not think that people in the county could be racist, but the more I think about it and see comments like this, the more I think people are very racist and scared. And I think too many people in this county have lost a critical thought ability known as empathy. To speak that abortion, or gay clergy, or female priests are a simple issue and just wrong, without truly understanding the struggles of people who are affected by those issues, is not seeking the peace of Christ. I know it may be easy to hate abortion and gays and feel like that is the only personal justification you need to go to heaven, but there IS MUCH more to the gospel and the bible. There is also much more to the Church. Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Pride, Envy are the seven deadly sins. How would it look if we were to condemn others for these things. There would be no saint among us. Lets focus on Christ and true Christian values from now on.
Obama
Are we as Catholics for or against life? Our Bishops worried more about racism, and so called "social justice" than the unborn. Our Church has been over run with liberalism, the Cathic Sisters have proven that, who no support abortion, active homosexulity, women priest and claim to be champions of "social justice". Obama is spreading Marxism, but the liberals just don't get it or don't want to get it. He has surrounded himself and our government with socialist, Marxists and baby killers. Obama has spent our nation into bankruptcy, by funding his special interest "hate organizations" Alcorn STORM, etc. and wants to take the freedom so speak in the airwaves from us. His Czars are morons, mostly from the Chicago Mob, and one even said kill babies before their two years old if we have a population problem (read their books) research what I am saying, don't just see the Messiah Obama as God and have tunnel vision to the destruction, freedom, a nation, and our Christian morals.
We should see the good in Obama
Obama's actions in his life does not reflect on some one who whould murder. He has led a remarkable and good life. He has been a faithful husband and devoted father. He has honored his father and Mother and been a devoted grandson to his grandparents. He has studied deligently throughout his school years, and he has attentded church services faithfully. He has shown care for the poor and has worked hard to help them. On the subject of Abortion he needs all our prayers and good will to convince him that abortion is evil. If we truly love one another we will help him to understand this. I think the Pope sees the good in Obama and knows the power of prayer.
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