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October 19, 2004
Just when I think...
that surely there's nothing more that can happen re/Kerry and faith, here comes another one.
Or two.
A
Catholic women's college in Minnesota is drawing criticism for allowing a group supporting Senator John Kerry's bid for the presidency to use campus facilities for a fundraising event.According to an announcement by the event's organizers, Artists for Kerry will hold a rally at the O'Shaughnessy Auditorium at the College of St. Catherine on Thursday, October 21.
St. Catherine's is run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, and is the largest Catholic college for women in the U.S. The event is meant "to inspire and mobilize Minnesotans to Get Out the Vote on November 2 and elect John Kerry President," according to the announcement.
At the Corner, K-Lo reports a rumor that Archbishop Flynn has given permission for Kerry to speak - on religion - at the event.
The Corner also links to this interview with the Denver Post
Sen. John Kerry urged Catholic voters Monday to look at his entire record in public office, and not just his position on abortion rights, before deciding whom to vote for on Election Day.To bolster his case, the Democratic presidential nominee pointed to a recent letter received by the U.S. bishops from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Vatican's arbiter of matters of faith and doctrine, who said it is not necessarily sinful for Catholics to consider all aspects of a public official's record, and not just his or her stance on abortion, before casting their votes.
Kerry, in an interview with The Denver Post, cited a Democratic Senate survey that tallied votes on all the social justice, environmental, anti-abortion and foreign policy issues listed as concerns by America's Catholic bishops. Kerry said he had the best record in the Senate when it came to Catholic issues.
....Kerry, citing those comments, listed causes - among them opposition to capital punishment and support for the environment and programs to help the poor - in which his voting record matches the concerns of the Catholic hierarchy.Kerry said a study, conducted by Democratic Senate staff, found that Kerry voted with the bishops 61 percent of the time, overall. His record on domestic issues (95 percent) and international issues (50 percent) far exceeded that on anti-abortion issues, which was just 11 percent.
By way of comparison, Sen. Rick Santorum, a Republican Catholic from Pennsylvania, sided with the bishops 88 percent of the time on anti-abortion issues, but just 23 percent of the time on domestic issues and 6 percent of the time on international issues. Santorum's overall record was 41 percent.
Update: Please see the comments for Tim Drake's comments and clarifications.
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Comments
If I don't have a moral obligation to vote for against a candidate that sanctions the death of humans in the womb and the experimentation on humans in the earliest stages of life, then why do I have any moral obligation to do anything concerning the environment, criminals, or anything else, Senator Kerry? Can't I do as you do and have two personna's: one inside Church and one outside. Jesus said be holy not justify doing evil by "spliting hairs about which evil is lesser"
Posted by: Therese at Oct 20, 2004 4:04:57 AM
The political priorities of the Catholic hierarchy are not equivalent to the ethical imperative that a Catholic politician do what he can to protect the innocent victims of abortion. It is that simple.
Posted by: Charles R. Williams at Oct 20, 2004 5:58:29 AM
Let's hope Columbus, Ohio, got the better half of the episcopate. Their new bishop was Flynn's auxiliary.
Posted by: Rich Leonardi at Oct 20, 2004 6:25:46 AM
If a bishop allows this is *he* excommunicated?
Posted by: WRY at Oct 20, 2004 7:22:46 AM
Charles Williams - succinctly and well put. That's the heart of the problem. The Catholic heirarchy has put a political ideology in place of faith in Christ. That's broad, and no doubt unfair to some, but substantially correct, I think.
Posted by: Cornelius at Oct 20, 2004 7:24:12 AM
A thought I had this morning:
The old pro-choice/pro-life thing is so old that no one has to think about it anymore, leaving the Kerrys of this world space to make ridiculous assertions of being against abortion but in favor of choice, and no one seems to notice the contradiction.
Maybe its time for a different tack:
Rather than ask, are you pro-life, maybe we should ask if one believes that a developing fetus or embryo is a *person*.
This would prevent the "personally opposed but" crowd from selling their snake oil. If they say the fetus is a person then how can they be in favor of killing it? And if they deny it is a person, that undercuts the grounds for their supposed "personal opposition."
Posted by: WRY at Oct 20, 2004 7:31:59 AM
For weeks I have been reading that Kerry would make a speech in which he addressed his Catholic faith before the election. This must be it.
I thought Archbishop Chaput explained it all very well in that lengthy New York Times interview that's posted on the Denver website (the parts that didn't make it into the NYT article, that is.) The right to life is foundational...all other rights depend upon it. As important as a candidate's positions on poverty, the war, health care, environmental issues etc. are, it all depends upon being born in the first place. So Kerry thinks he has the "best record in the Senate when it came to Catholic issues"? Um, not in my book.
Posted by: Cheryl at Oct 20, 2004 7:48:57 AM
So Kerry thinks he has the "best record in the Senate when it came to Catholic issues"?
Don't you get it, Cheryl?
All you have to do is substitute the word "optional" for "obligatory" and little problems like being on the wrong side of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and homosexual "marriage" go away.
Then mimic the language used in some of the nonbinding USCCB documents and, presto, you've got a positively fantastic Catholic record!
Did I mention that Kerry was an altar boy?
Posted by: Rich Leonardi at Oct 20, 2004 7:59:42 AM
"Sen. John Kerry urged Catholic voters Monday to look at his entire record in public office, and not just his position on abortion rights, before deciding whom to vote for on Election Day."
Why? Is he ashamed? If his position on abortion is the right one, why does he need to make such an appeal? If his position is so abhorent that people must look past it to see what he has done that is good, maybe he should reexamine his position.
Posted by: Davi(d) at Oct 20, 2004 8:36:43 AM
it is not necessarily sinful for Catholics to consider all aspects of a public official's record
That sounds like a ringing endorsement.
"This car is not necessarily a lemon, want to buy it?"
Posted by: c matt at Oct 20, 2004 8:37:35 AM
I can understand that liberal Catholics who have views on the environment, international relations, and crime which are quite different from mine are seeking the same goals as me, fidelity to Christ, stewardship of the earth, peace and justice. Our argument is about a means to those ends. Kerry's view, that there are "Catholic" policies on these issues, is a malady of the left. It is, by definition, self-righteousness.
Posted by: jerry at Oct 20, 2004 8:58:24 AM
I've been on the St. Catherine's campus once upon a time. I once saw a Nutcracker performance in that very auditorium....
The college is basically a feminoid WomynChurch coven. It's no accident at all that something of that caliber would be hosting Sen. Sacrilege!
To answer WRY's question: he should be, but then again, scandal to the faithful and integrity of Catholic doctrine haven't been things the hierarchy have cared about since the beginning of this "new springtime," when the windows were opened to the prince of this world.
Posted by: Charles M. de Nunzio at Oct 20, 2004 8:59:52 AM
"The political priorities of the Catholic hierarchy are not equivalent to the ethical imperative that a Catholic politician do what he can to protect the innocent victims of abortion."
Right now I'm struggling with the fact that in our parish's hierarchally approved catechism series (Blest are We) there is a long teaching on 'recycling' and yet, no mention of the sanctity of life re: abortion.
Posted by: Colleen at Oct 20, 2004 9:18:52 AM
Are universities listed as 501(c)3 is the tax code? If so, would this violate the restrictions of the tax code?
If this were just a parish, it certainly would.
Posted by: aquinas admirer at Oct 20, 2004 9:38:19 AM
Is the complete Kerry interview available? If so, can someone provide a link?
Also, can someone provide a link to the NY Times Chaput interview?
Posted by: Mike at Oct 20, 2004 10:05:37 AM
Rich:
An altar boy? Really? NOW you tell me!
Honestly, there appears to be no shortage of St. Catherine's-type colleges (or Paulist Center--type "parishes") where he can count on getting a warm and fuzzy embrace, no hard questions asked. If he gets elected, I'm sure he and Teresa will have a handy list to post on the White House refrigerator.
Posted by: Cheryl at Oct 20, 2004 10:15:38 AM
Mike,
The transcript of Archbishop Chaput's interview with the New York Times is here (also available as a PDF file).
http://www.archden.org/
It's long but well worth reading. Chaput is great at putting things in plain English.
Posted by: Cheryl at Oct 20, 2004 10:23:20 AM
Ah yes, the College of St. Catherine, where Wicca was already being practiced on campus in the '80s--with the endorsement of the school's chaplain. It once was an outstanding educational institution, the only Catholic women's college with Phi Beta Kappa affiliation back when I was in school.
Posted by: Sandra Miesel at Oct 20, 2004 10:38:55 AM
> Kerry said a study, conducted by Democratic Senate staff, found that Kerry voted with the bishops 61 percent of the time, overall.
> Santorum's overall record was 41 percent.
Sigh.
This campaign "study" is running up serious mileage.
Here in Illinois, Dick Durbin has made sure it received major-media play, since this imaginary test places him on the dean's list.
Never mind the pastoral. The statistical fallacy in this approach, alone, is astounding.
You could say it's not a numbers game (and you would be right), but, face it, we love statistics as news. Unhappily, we also love to be ignorant of statistics generally, starting in the newsroom.
So Kerry-Daschle-Durbin-Kennedy-Leahy are able shop this campaign "study" to news media as objectively proving them the real Catholics, not only by USCCB standards, but by the CDF "proportionate reasoning" standard, as well!
Posted by: Bob Kunz at Oct 20, 2004 1:30:23 PM
College of St. Catherine? Why am I not surprised? It's been a haven for "modern women" at least since the early 90's.
Posted by: Mila at Oct 20, 2004 2:15:30 PM
A couple of things...
First, it's not really a fund-raising event.
The event being held at St. Catherine's is "Artists for Kerry" - an evening with Garrison Keillor, Robert Bly, Louise Erdrich, and others. It's sponsored by the Minnesota DFL, who rented O'Shaugnessy auditorium.
At $10 per ticket ($5 for students), the costs probably cover just the auditorium rental.
Officials at the college, namely the director of communications, has said that it's not being promoted by the college and that it's not being seen as being hosted by the college. They would gladly rent the facility to Nader, the GOP, or anyone. It's all about the money. Because it was simply a facility rental, there was no need to contact the archbishop.
At this point, Kerry is not expected to be there, BUT he's speaking at the Metrodome (only 10 minutes away) at 6 p.m. Many wonder if he won't make an appearance at this event (which starts at 7:30).
Given that tickets are only $5 for students, and that they are still available for tomorrow evening's event (through Ticketmaster), protestors could actually purchase tickets, show up en mass, make themselves heard, or just vacate the theater, leaving the balconys empty. That would make a statement, wouldn't it?
Posted by: Tim Drake at Oct 20, 2004 4:35:21 PM
According to Kathryn Jean Lopez at NRO, Kerry will be a no-show.
Posted by: Rich Leonardi at Oct 21, 2004 1:26:29 PM
