Deal W. Hudson
In This Issue:
Catholic Democrats Scold Pope on Abortion
It all began May 9th on the plane flight from Rome to Brazil. Pope
Benedict XVI was asked by a reporter what he thought of the warning of
excommunication Mexican bishops gave to Catholic politicians who support
legalized abortion.
The Pope was emphatic: “Yes, this excommunication was not an arbitrary
one but is allowed by Canon law which says that the killing of an
innocent child is incompatible with receiving communion, which is
receiving the body of Christ… They (the bishops) simply announced
publicly what is contained in the law of the Church.”
Such words should have come as a shock to no one. After all, it was
Cardinal Ratzinger who as Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine
of the Faith issued the famous 2002 “Doctrinal Note on Political
Participation.” Ratzinger issued the same warning then that the Mexican
bishops announced a few weeks ago.
It was Ratzinger’s “Doctrinal Note” that led to the 2004 furor over
presidential candidate John Kerry receiving communion. It’s a
controversy that will not fade away, as Mayor Guiliani will undoubtedly
find out if he decides to run for the presidential nomination.
But it wasn’t Guiliani who scolded Pope Benedict XVI. America’s Mayor
went out of his way to say, “I do not get into debates with the Pope.
That is not a good idea….”
Some Catholic Democrats see things differently. On May 14, eighteen
Catholic Democrats in the House issued a signed statement condemning the
Pope for his comments. Excommunication, their statement reads, would
“offend the very nature of the American experiment and do a great
disservice to the centuries of good work the Church has done.”
The leader of the “Catholic 18” is Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) who was
joined by well-known pro-aborts such as Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), and
Linda Sanchez (D-CA.)
One interesting twist on this document is that a nearly identical
document was signed by 55 House Democrats in February, 2006. Where did
the other 41 signatures go?
Has open defiance of Church teaching become less fashionable?
Where is the signature of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi?
Of those eighteen who did sign, all but two, Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH) and
James Langevin (D-RI) have dismal voting records on Catholic issues
where Church teaching is absolutely clear.
Here is a list of the 18 and their voting records on these issues:
1. |
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act--passage (110th) |
2. |
Marriage Amendment Act (109th) |
3. |
Terri Schiavo: Federal court review (109th) |
4. |
Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (109th) |
5. |
Abortion in military medical facilities (109th) |
6. |
Coercive abortion / United Nations Population Fund (109th) |
7. |
Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act: passage (109th) |
8. |
Human Cloning Ban: passage (108th) |
9. |
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban: passage (108th) |
10. |
Unborn Victims of Violence Act (108th) |
X |
Voted in agreement Catholic position |
O |
Voted against Catholic position |
NV |
Absent or not voting |
NA |
Not applicable/Not a member of Congress at this time |
I |
Not eligible on this vote |
State |
Name |
Party |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
X's |
O's |
Score |
CA |
Baca, Joe |
DEM |
O |
O |
X |
O |
O |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
1 |
8 |
11% |
CA |
Eshoo, Anna |
DEM |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
0 |
8 |
0% |
CA |
Sanchez, Linda |
DEM |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
0 |
9 |
0% |
CA |
Solis, Hilda |
DEM |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
0 |
9 |
0% |
CA |
Thompson, Mike |
DEM |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
0 |
9 |
0% |
CT |
DeLauro, Rosa |
DEM |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
0 |
9 |
0% |
CT |
Courtney, Joseph |
DEM |
O |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
0 |
1 |
0% |
CT |
Larson, John |
DEM |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
0 |
9 |
0% |
MN |
McCollum, Betty |
DEM |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
0 |
9 |
0% |
NJ |
Pascrell, Bill |
DEM |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
NA |
NA |
NA |
0 |
7 |
0% |
NY |
Hinchey, Maurice |
DEM |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
O |
O |
0 |
8 |
0% |
NY |
McCarthy, Carolyn |
DEM |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
0 |
8 |
0% |
NY |
Serrano, Jose |
DEM |
O |
O |
X |
O |
O |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
1 |
8 |
11% |
NY |
Bishop, Tim |
DEM |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
O |
9 |
0% |
OH |
Ryan, Tim |
DEM |
O |
O |
NV |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
7 |
2 |
78% |
RI |
Langevin, James |
DEM |
O |
O |
X |
X |
X |
O |
X |
X |
X |
X |
7 |
3 |
70% |
RI |
Kennedy, Patrick |
DEM |
O |
O |
O |
O |
NV |
O |
O |
O |
X |
O |
1 |
8 |
11% |
VA |
Moran, James |
DEM |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
O |
0 |
10 |
0% |
It’s very difficult to square this type of voting record with the
following sentence taken from the group’s statement: “Advancing respect
for life and the dignity of every human being is, as our Church has
taught us, our own life’s mission.”
The bad news is that 16 of these 18 Catholic House members don’t seem
to recognize the contradiction between their voting records and the
“mission” of “advancing respect for life.”
The good news is that 44 Catholic House members who signed a similar
statement just over a year ago did not sign this one.
What that really means is anybody’s guess. Perhaps they, just like
Guiliani, don’t want to get into “debates with the Pope.” Or perhaps
they are realizing that Catholics and all Americans have more respect
for the Pope and Church teaching than Reps. DeLauro and Kennedy.
ARE YOU TIRED OF LIBERALS AND THE MEDIA ATTACKING FAITHFUL CATHOLIC
VOTERS LIKE YOU?
The year 2006 saw an unprecedented assault on religious voters. Over a
dozen books were released warning Americans about the "coming
Christian Theocracy." And the media has been spinning the Republican's
loss in November as America "saying no" to traditional values voters.
The truth is, the Left and their allies in the media couldn't be more
wrong.
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