(Charleston, SC) Diocese: Priest wrong about Obama voters

[Eugene]

Reposted to GD by request...

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Source: Boston Globe

Catholicism,Politics
Diocese: Priest wrong about Obama voters
Posted by Michael Paulson November 15, 2008 10:39 AM

The diocese of Charleston, SC is publicly rebuking the Rev.
Jay Scott Newman for suggesting that Catholics who voted
for Barack Obama should refrain from presenting themselves
for Communion unless they go to confession first. The
comments caused an enormous firestorm, and Newman then
suggested that he had been misinterpreted, but his diocese,
in a highly unusual step, is now saying that Newman
misrepresented the church's position, and that Obama voters
do not need to go to confession before seeking Communion.
The diocese has no bishop at the moment, so the statement
was issued by the diocesan administrator, Monsignor Martin
T. Laughlin, who said, "Father Newman’s statements do not
adequately reflect the Catholic Church’s teachings. Any
comments or statements to the contrary are repudiated."
Here is the statement in its entirety:

   "Statement of Monsignor Martin T. Laughlin, Administrator
   of the Diocese of Charleston

   This past week, the Catholic Church’s clear, moral
   teaching on the evil of abortion has been pulled into
   the partisan political arena. The recent comments of
   Father Jay Scott Newman, pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic
   Church in Greenville, S.C., have diverted the focus
   from the Church’s clear position against abortion.
   As Administrator of the Diocese of Charleston, let me
   state with clarity that Father Newman’s statements do
   not adequately reflect the Catholic Church’s teachings.
   Any comments or statements to the contrary are
   repudiated.

   The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, 'Man has
   the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as
   personally to make moral decisions.' ...

-snip-

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles_of_faith/2008/11/diocese_priest.html

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Related thread: S.C. Priest: No Communion for Obama supporters

[Rage for Order]

1. Father Newman got the smackdown from the Diocese

And good on the Diocese for doing so

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Something tells me...

That this self-satisfied bozo needs to be pulled from his parish and given some time at a mission in some malarial swamp kinda place, to reflect upon the sin of pride.

[madmom]

3. Afraid of loosing that tax exempt status huh?

[Rage for Order]

5. Talk about political suicide

Unless the offense was so overt and blatant to the point that even Sarah Palin could see it, going after the tax exempt status of a church the size of the Catholic church would doom whichever political party did so. There are approximately 77 million Americans who identify themselves as Catholic. Even if it only pissed of 20% of them, that's 15 million votes.

[madmom]

8. I don't see how it could get much more blatant than it was this election cycle.

[mth44sc]

4. Nice of them to publish his full statement

n/t

[KoKo]

6. Thank YOU Charleston Diocese!

Still have hope for Charleston...according to CNN's Map...most there voted for Obama denying much of the rest of the state their conservancy.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

7. Right on, Dicoese of Charleston!

And shame on anyone who thought this one idiot represented all Catholics.

[fascisthunter]

9. This is How the Salesians Versed me on Catholicism

god gives every man and woman the WILL to either do good, or to sin. That of course is dependent on how you judge a person, which is a no-no... since God is the only judge, nor should any follower of Christ pretend to be God by judging.

Made sense to me at the time. I'm an atheist now, but I still am somewhat fascinated by religious doctrine. Too many times does man twist the bible or doctrine in order to make it into a hammer to judge, persecute, and punish. That is the BIGGEST no-no in most Christian faiths.

Right wing religious types believe one should be God in acting our His (or what they want to believe is his) judgement. Pretty arrogant to claim one knows what God thinks...

[DesertRat]

10. kick

:kick: