Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, trying to explain why he cheated on his first two wives, had this to say in an interview with CBN’s David Brody:
“There’s no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate. And what I can tell you is that when I did things that were wrong, I wasn’t trapped in situation ethics, I was doing things that were wrong, and yet, I was doing them. I found that I felt compelled to seek God’s forgiveness. Not God’s understanding, but God’s forgiveness.”
I cheated on my wife because I was working so hard for you, the American people.
Sell icky some place else Newt, we’re not buying.
March 11, 2011 at 5:37 pm
"God is just. Isn't THAT what Church is for?"
No, that's what God is for. Vengeance is his alone. We're not to judge. I know that's a pretty abused concept these days, but this may be a case where it applies as written. In the Lord's Prayer we ask God to forgive us as we forgive others and I trust that that's exactly what he'll do.
March 11, 2011 at 6:14 pm
You are a very confused person Luke.
Your opinions are likely to reflect more about your own proclivities than than anyone elses. If you equate justice with vengeance, you need to find a good faithful catholic friend or spiritual advisor.
Look up justice in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
We are REQUIRED to correct error, not turn our back on it because
it makes us uncomfortable. This is especially NECESSARY when scandal is involved. Read about the ubiquity of scandal in Archbishop
Burke's treatise on the Eucharist. When one considers these things through the spectrum of the Catholic Church and its teaching about
culpability and evaluating moral choices, the Church is quite clear
that it is the duty of each Catholic to inform their consciences in accord with the teaching of the Church, not secular humanism in its
modern per-version, and each Catholic who choses NOT to, their
excuse is superfluous, incurs MORE responsibility for chosing to be ignorant, by self-imposition of their particular chosen ignorance over
the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Being a bishop or priest does not exempt one from error. Rather it
increases ones responsibility and culpability. When a bishop is in error
those with standing ARE REQUIRED to defend the truth, as Ed Peters
continues to do, much to his credit. I have not been his biggest fan,
however, his fitting responses to the circumstances which precipitated
the current scandal, because that is EXACTLY what it is, are necessary for the defense of truth and for addressing scandal, which leads others
into error.
March 11, 2011 at 6:21 pm
These issues, the Cuomo scandal and the Gingrich multiple divorce situation are simply facets of the same terrible confusion about marriage and its degredation relative to the Eucharist and scandal involved when both sacraments are left undefended and/or misunderstood for lack of effective pastoral leadership by the Church
through its clergy.
These issues are separate but integrally related.
No, Ed Peter's has not entered into the fray over Newt but they lead to the same place respecting marriage and scandal.
March 11, 2011 at 7:27 pm
So, what could he do that would satisfy you? What should be his penance?
March 12, 2011 at 12:08 am
Never cared for windy Newt, nor Dole, nor McCain… For heaven's sakes get us a good candidate instead of a professional ego driven politician.
March 13, 2011 at 9:35 am
If there was a penance set, it would've been in confession where, hopefully the whole truth was confessed. None of us are privy to every detail, nor should we be, unless we sat in the confessional or on the tribunal which may have heard his case. I did neither. So I can set no penance.
Newt's life has been a public assault on the proper respect that marriage should enjoy. As such it is scandalous and gives the impression that a third marriage is proper, in order and even a "benefit" or "reward" for his "repentance". He would do less damage bya quiet withdrawal from public life thus keeping his behavior out of the public eye. His salvation will depend on his choices, not ours. But I do not appreciate or find inspiration in his present, or past circumstances.
Don't go away mad, Newt; just go away!
March 14, 2011 at 6:28 pm
He cheated on his prior two wives before his conversion, give the guy a break
March 15, 2011 at 2:20 pm
Yeah, apparently some sins are unforgivable to those have never had to deal with serious sin and conversion. As Father Larry Richards would say, "we Catholics are great at judging." I guess there is no chance of Newt convincing some people that his conversion is sincere, or that conversion matters.
Not to equate Gingrich with St. Paul, but just as a hypothetical, how does this statement ring if it were applied to St. Paul: "He would do less damage by a quiet withdrawal from public life thus keeping his behavior out of the public eye." And Newt isn't even running for Evangelist or Saint!