Bush Asked for Vatican's Help on Political Issues (NYT)

[djg21]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/13/politics/13george.html?ei=5062&en=ed2cc6e292965458&ex=1087704000&partner=GOOGLE&pagewanted=print&position=

DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

On his recent trip to Rome, President Bush asked a top Vatican official to push American bishops to speak out more about political issues, including same-sex marriage, according to a report in the National Catholic Reporter, an independent newspaper.

In a column posted Friday evening on the paper's Web site, John L. Allen Jr., its correspondent in Rome and the dean of Vatican journalists, wrote that Mr. Bush had made the request in a June 4 meeting with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican secretary of state. Citing an unnamed Vatican official, Mr. Allen wrote: "Bush said, 'Not all the American bishops are with me' on the cultural issues. The implication was that he hoped the Vatican would nudge them toward more explicit activism."

Mr. Allen wrote that others in the meeting confirmed that the president had pledged aggressive efforts "on the cultural front, especially the battle against gay marriage, and asked for the Vatican's help in encouraging the U.S. bishops to be more outspoken." Cardinal Sodano did not respond, Mr. Allen reported, citing the same unnamed sources.

A spokesman for the Vatican declined yesterday to disclose the contents of the meeting, which followed the president's brief meeting with the pope. Jeanie Mamo, a spokeswoman for the White House, said: "They had a good, private discussion. They discussed a number of priorities of shared concern, and the president's and the Vatican's positions on these issues are well known."
. . . .


Truly despicable!

[LittleApple81]

1. I am so glad I have not been a Catholic since I was 13. It just could

not BELIEVE any more (I don't believe in ANY religion organized by men, by the way).
But this is ABUSE OF POWER. There are so many people that truly believe and they are going to be influenced by edicts from the Vatican... SO SORRY.

[struggle4progress]

2. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x618882

[gratuitous]

3. Gee, when Kennedy ran in 1960

The bigots were all afraid that John Kennedy would be nothing more than a Vatican puppet in the White House, and he had to go to extraordinary lengths to reassure the public that he would govern the United States for all its citizens.

Now, 40 years later, we have a president who panders to the loony religious crowd like no other president ever, and he's pumping the Vatican to be more involved with American political issues.

Where's the outrage, Mr. Robertson? Mr. Falwell? Mr. Graham? Is the Pope really the person who should be calling the shots politically in our country?

[cap]

4. key words: Pope has warned against forming factions within the Church...

doesn't want Catholics split either way

[smack]

5. I find this very disturbing

As a Catholic I have been very upset with the treatment of the whole Bush vs. Kerry issue. I know this is more of a religious perspective than a political perspective, but traditionally the democratic party is much more representative of the Catholic ideology than the conservatives. The key thing with Catholicism is that it is all about social justice. The things the conservatives do, like oppose minimum wage, work against public education, cut taxes for the rich while cutting services for the poor are against what catholicism is all about which is helping out the people below your station in life. I was extremely disturbed as Catholic when I heard that American Bishops mentioned withholding communion to one of their own, meanwhile supporting Bush. The war in Iraq has been defined as an immoral and unjust war according to catholicism, and I don't see the conservatives trying to prevent the poor people access to health care and polluting our water and air. I guess in short I am disappointed with the direction of some of the people in my church, but then again I guess I am much more disappointed in the direction of our country over the last 4 years and I am doing everything I can as far as mobilizing the voters here. I know that winning TX may not be possible for us, but if we can make it a close race that should show a decided lack of confidence in Bush, and would be a big slap in his face. It is tough to be in a land of conservatives after growing up in a progressive state like MN, but I have hope that we can change things down here.

[FlemingsGhost]

6. Figurehead puppets for two criminal syndicates

Both grossly overestimate their importance, as their respective organizations frantically search for credibility and relevance.

[Moderator]

7. Duplicate

duplicate, please continue discussion in this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x618882