Bill Donohue: "Catholic Left Hangs Itself"

The Catholic League's Bill Donohue writes at InsideCatholic:

The Catholic Left is hanging itself right before our eyes. Having never come to grips with the Church's teachings on sexuality, they are now tightening the noose on themselves in public. It is not a pretty sight. This month alone they have embroiled themselves in a debate with three separate archbishops, with no end in sight.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City recently rebuked Catholic Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius for vetoing a bill imposing new restrictions on abortion providers. Indeed, he publicly urged her not to go to Communion. The archbishop was not shooting from the hip: He has met with Sebelius on several occasions regarding her pro-abortion position.

Catholic Left apologists like Catholic Democrats have blasted Archbishop Naumann for doing his job. But in doing so, they have exposed themselves as lining up behind a public official whose record on abortion makes a mockery of their game plan to reduce abortions.

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"Roman Catholics for Obama '08" is another group on the Catholic Left that now looks rather enfeebled. They deliberately took Denver archbishop Charles Chaput's words out of context, making it look like he was in the tank for Obama. Nothing could be further from the truth.

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The third archbishop to become embroiled in a fight with the Catholic Left is Roger Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles. Mahony has denied Australian bishop Geoffrey Robinson permission to speak in his archdiocese, citing his dissident positions. The Aussie bishop disagrees with the Catholic Church's teachings on adultery, women priests, homosexuality, and "papal power." And who is sponsoring Bishop Robinson in his grand tour of the United States? Voice of the Faithful (VOTF).

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If this isn't enough bad news for the Catholic Left, on May 13 Pope Benedict XVI told Italian pro-lifers that "the Church's Magisterium" has always proclaimed abortion to be "non-negotiable." He didn't use that term to refer to the minimum wage, dilapidated housing, or Third World debt.

At bottom, it is not the Catholic Left's quarrel with three archbishops that is doing them in; it is their total failure to convince Catholics (as well as non-Catholics) that it is okay to vote for NARAL-approved candidates for public office and then claim with a straight face that this adequately represents the Catholic position. Everyone knows this is bunk.

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My Comments:
I'm glad Bill Donohue caught the number "Catholic Democrats" did on Archbishop Naumann. I hope he expands on his comments somewhat and takes them to task with a full-blown press release that calls them on their Bishop bashing.


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Archbishop Chaput: Thoughts on “Roman Catholics for Obama ’08”

"Catholic Democrats" Attack "Registered Republican Archbishop of Kansas City" for "Using Communion" to "Take Down" Sebelius