You know, I’m starting to think that maybe a lot of the Kennedy’s don’t really care about abortion. This is truly outrageous. CNS reports:
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I) told CNSNews.com that the Catholic Church is doing nothing but fanning “the flames of dissent and discord” by taking the position that it will oppose the health-care reform bill under consideration in Congress unless it is amended to explicitly prohibit funding of abortion.
“I can’t understand for the life of me how the Catholic Church could be against the biggest social justice issue of our time, where the very dignity of the human person is being respected by the fact that we’re caring and giving health care to the human person–that right now we have 50 million people who are uninsured,” Kennedy told CNSNews.com when asked about a letter the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) had sent to members of Congress stating the bishops’ position on abortion funding in the health-care bill.
“You mean to tell me the Catholic Church is going to be denying those people life saving health care? I thought they were pro-life?” said Kennedy. “If the church is pro-life, then they ought to be for health care reform because it’s going to provide health care that are going to keep people alive. So this is an absolute red herring and I don’t think that it does anything but to fan the flames of dissent and discord and I don’t think it’s productive at all.
October 23, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Still, it's nice for him to show his true colors.
Dissent and discord from the Catholic Church? That's evidence of moral character and a strong intellect–a profile in courage.
Dissent and discord from the Democratic party line? HERESY!!!
October 23, 2009 at 9:57 pm
CINO
October 23, 2009 at 9:59 pm
It's quite telling that he uses the terminology that the Church has consistently used to witness for the unborn. Nice twist of the truth, there. I wonder if that was an accidental turn of phrase?
October 23, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Keep in mind that we're arguing against this because we know it doesn't make sense for a government to be in charge of either charity or healthcare. They honestly think that it's just all so amazing and we're finally getting off our duffs and legislating that their must be rainbows every day.
It's been so long since we've understood that this country was not founded on giving up liberties "for the sake of awesomeness" or even really having a "national" identity that I wonder if we can ever find our way back to these principles again.
October 23, 2009 at 10:18 pm
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October 23, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Patrick's "argument" is exactly what is being expounded by Catholic high school teachers and parish and diocesan "social justice" committees all over the country. The "seamless garment" and "we're not single issue voters" means in all practical application that abortion is irrelevant in public policy debates. Such people are leftist ideologues and Marxists first, Catholics only second (if at all). They use Catholic doctrine selectively to advance their leftist agenda and otherwise have no use for it because it's not considered to be the truth; it's merely a tool to use to advance liberalism.
October 23, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I found a typo. Sorry. Hate that.
What I meant to type was:
It's a Kennedy. Being Pro-Choice.
Move along citizen, nothing new to report. No news here.
October 23, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Whispers in the Loggia just linked to this article:
http://www.thericatholic.com/news/detail.html?sub_id=2558
It seems Bishop Tobin of Providence didn't take these comments lying down.
Good!
October 24, 2009 at 12:03 am
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October 24, 2009 at 12:04 am
Kennedy sounds like an idiot. The Church supports health care reform but not one which will sponsor abortion.
He sounds like a paid spokesman of the abortion industry. And if he does not repent in time, he will join his brother in hell.
October 24, 2009 at 12:23 am
Hey, don't blame the Kennedys, people! They got a first class American Catholic education from American bishops, facilitated by the greasing of palms and the lure of afternoon tea at the compound. They know just enough about Catholicism to make anything and everything permissable and find some pompous ass in an alb to condone it, bless it, anul it, forgive it, and celebrate it… They'll drag all their clerical pets out next to browbeat beltway Catholics who don't know their heads from a hole in the ground.
October 24, 2009 at 12:50 am
So he is saying that the Catholic anti-abortion stance is only a "red herring", used to divert attention from Obama healthcare reform? Surely the only reason why the Catholic Church would oppose such a "non-issue" as abortion is to distract attention from protecting the dignity of the human person, right? Utterly senseless.
October 24, 2009 at 1:00 am
Speaking of the corrupt clerics who would do anything to evade exposure or prosecution of crimes or to keep their cushy posts or for some other worldly reason, we all know that their albs are not fireproof either.
Furthermore, lay folks have be emboldened to discipline these pompous asses by withdrawing monetary and moral support. One needs to read or listen of the Pope's exhortations to know that he is letting the lay folks take care of business.
Last Sun. was the 2nd time our pastor spoke about stewardship. So, the coffers may be running empty and these sell-outs might have to apply for a stimulus package for them to continue to "condone it, bless it, anul it, forgive it, and celebrate it…"
So I say, browbeat this.
October 24, 2009 at 1:12 am
I just read this the other day:
"Social justice begins in the womb"
(Fem for life: "Peace begins in the womb")
October 24, 2009 at 2:41 am
Did the Kennedys invent time travel in 1973 and only now get around to using it?
October 24, 2009 at 5:30 am
When referring to the Catholic Church, Kennedy uses the term "they". He doesn't use the term "we", which is very telling of his point of view.
October 24, 2009 at 1:49 pm
"fan the flames of dissent and discord"….
He says that like it's a bad thing.
October 24, 2009 at 4:51 pm
It must have caused Eunice Kennedy Shriver a lot of frustration to see such a widespread lack of formation among the younger members of her large family.
October 25, 2009 at 1:26 am
Anyone up for praying the Rosary asking for Eunice Kennedy Shriver's to help out?
October 25, 2009 at 1:29 am
Anonymous said…
"When referring to the Catholic Church, Kennedy uses the term "they". He doesn't use the term 'we', which is very telling of his point of view."
As the late author Mary MacCathy once said, "The Kennedys are not Catholic. They are not even Christians."