The new healthcare plan has been brought to us by…Catholics?
I was sickened to see Catholic Joe Biden standing next to the most pro-abortion President in the history of the country signing the biggest expansion of abortion since Roe.
We’d all fought the bill for so long but when Catholic Bart Stupak relented to Catholic Nancy Pelosi I knew that the healthcare bill was going through. I couldn’t imagine how Stupak could not know that the healthcare plan funded abortion, especially after the Catholic HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius acknowledged it in an interview.
The bill had gained some extra momentum after 60 Catholic nuns endorsed the plan.
And then here’s the list of Catholic congressman who voted “yes” on Obamacare, according to Catholic Advocate.
■Representative Ann Kirkpatrick (D, AZ-01) YES
■Representative Ed Pastor (D, AZ-04) YES
■Representative Harry E. Mitchell (D, AZ-05) YES
■Representative Raul M. Grijalva (D, AZ-07) YES
California
■Representative Mike Thompson (D, CA-01) YES
■Representative George Miller (D, CA-07) YES
■Representative Nancy Pelosi (D, CA-08) YES
■Representative Jerry McNerney (D, CA-11) YES
■Representative Anna Eshoo (D, CA-14) YES
■Representative Dennis A. Cardoza (D, CA-18) YES
■Representative Jim Costa (D, CA-20) YES
■Representative Xavier Becerra (D, CA-31) YES
■Representative Diane E. Watson (D, CA-33) YES
■Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (D, CA-34) YES
■Representative Grace F. Napolitano (D, CA-38) YES
■Representative Linda T. Sanchez (D, CA-39) YES
■Representative Joe Baca (D, CA-43) YES
■Representative Loretta Sanchez (D, CA-47) YES
■Representative John T. Salazar (D, CO-03) YES
■Representative Betsy Markey (D, CO-04) YES
■Representative John B. Larson (D, CT-01) YES
■Representative Joe Courtney (D, CT-02) YES
■Representative Rosa L. DeLauro (D, CT-03) YES
■Representative Luis V. Gutierrez (D, IL-04) YES
■Representative Jerry F. Costello (D, IL-12) YES
■Representative Phil Hare (D, IL-17) YES
■Representative Peter J. Visclosky (D, IN-01) YES
■Representative Joe Donnelly (D, IN-02) YES
■Representative Brad Ellsworth (D, IN-08) YES
■Representative Michael H. Michaud (D, ME-02) YES
■Representative Richard E. Neal (D, MA-02) YES
■Representative James P. McGovern (D, MA-03) YES
■Representative Ed Markey (D, MA-07) YES
■Representative Michael E. Capuano (D, MA-08) YES
■Representative William D. Delahunt (D, MA-10) YES
■Representative Bart Stupak (D, MI-01) YES
■Representative Dale E. Kildee (D, MI-05) YES
■Representative John D. Dingell (D, MI-15) YES
■Representative Betty McCollum (D, MN-04) YES
■Representative James L. Oberstar (D, MN-08) YES
■Representative William Lacy Clay (D, MO-01) YES
■Representative Carol Shea-Porter (D, NH-01) YES
■Representative Frank Pallone (D, NJ-06) YES
■Representative Bill Pascrell (D, NJ-08) YES
■Representative Albio Sires (D, NJ-13) YES
■Representative Ben Ray Lujan (D, NM-03) YES
■Representative Tim Bishop (D, NY-01) YES
■Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D, NY-04) YES
■Representative Joseph Crowley (D, NY-07) YES
■Representative Nydia M. Velazquez (D, NY-12) YES
■Representative Charles B. Rangel (D, NY-15) YES
■Representative Jose E. Serrano (D, NY-16) YES
■Representative John J. Hall (D, NY-19) YES
■Representative Paul Tonko (D, NY-21) YES
■Representative Maurice D. Hinchey (D, NY-22) YES
■Representative Dan Maffei (D, NY-25) YES
■Representative Brian Higgins (D, NY-27) YES
■Representative Steve Driehaus (D, OH-01) YES
■Representative Charles A. Wilson (D, OH-06) YES
■Representative Marcy Kaptur (D, OH-09) YES
■Representative Dennis J. Kucinich (D, OH-10) YES
■Representative Mary Jo Kilroy (D, OH-15) YES
■Representative John Boccieri (D, OH-16) YES
■Representative Tim Ryan (D, OH-17) YES
■Representative Peter DeFazio (D, OR-04) YES
■Representative Robert Brady (D, PA-01) YES
■Representative Kathy Dahlkemper (D, PA-03) YES
■Representative Joe Sestak (D, PA-07) YES
■Representative Patrick J. Murphy (D, PA-8) YES
■Representative Chris Carney (D, PA-10) YES
■Representative Paul Kanjorski (D, PA-11) YES
■Representative Michael F. Doyle (D, PA-14) YES
■Representative Patrick J. Kennedy (D, RI-01) YES
■Representative James R. Langevin (D, RI-02) YES
■Representative Ruben Hinojosa (D, TX-15) YES
■Representative Silvestre Reyes (D, TX-16) YES
■Representative Charlie Gonzalez (D, TX-20) YES
■Representative Ciro D. Rodriguez (D, TX-23) YES
■Representative Henry Cuellar (D, TX-28) YES
■Representative Peter Welch (D, VT-At-Large) YES
■Representative Tom Perriello (D, VA-05) YES
■Representative James P. Moran (D, VA-08) YES
■Representative Gerald E. Connolly (D, VA-11) YES
■Representative David R. Obey (D, WI-07) YES
There is something very wrong with Catholicism in America when Catholics play such a large role in passing anti-life and anti-conscience legislation. Catholic politicians need to be reminded that you don’t leave Christ at the Capitol steps. They need to be reminded that the issue of life is not negotiable. And Catholic voters need to elect politicians who understand that evil exists and fight with all they have against enshrining evil into law. They must remember that the terms public servant and Catholic are not mutually exclusive.
Catholic voters need to take their responsibility seriously and stop electing politicians who say one thing and do another.
Update: Lipinski and Lynch, both of whom voted NO, have been removed from the list. I was looking at a different vote so thanks to the commenters for the heads up.
March 24, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Connolly's Catholic?!? I live in his district in Virginia, and that's news to me. Nothing I had even seen in his biographies has ever referred to his faith or its practice. I'm even more disgusted with him now. I'll have to ask some of my friends who are very in tune with politics and the diocese if he's a member of any parish.
March 24, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Anon (and everyone else):
Follow the link to the Catholic Advocate blog that Matt lists at the top of his post.
It lists the 37 Catholica who voted pro-life in this issue. Check'em out, folks. Remember them, and support them.
Note those who voted to expand abortion funding. Remember them, and work to replace them with representatives who are truly pro-life.
And pray for all in Congress, esp. those who are Catholic — for salvation, conversion of heart, and a will to walk the Lord's path. With that, right action will naturally follow.
March 24, 2010 at 3:11 pm
I am not surprised in the least that the "Catholic" politicians are the forefront in passing this legislation. Sadly, Catholicism has become synonymous with "the seamless garment of social justice." It is sickening and I am almost embarrassed to identify myself as a Catholic. The Modern Catholic church is a joke. It is filled with liberal activists, whether they have recieved Holy Orders or are among the laity. The ONLY way to save Catholicism in America is to have the Bishops of these politicians PUBLICLY excommunicate them and DENY them the Sacraments until they PUBLICLY repent. Unfortunately that will never happen. I hate the Modern Catholic church and I want NO part of it. It is rotten to the core. The schools are infected, the seminaries are infected, the dioceses are infected. When "conservative" Catholics get off the fence and join the Traditional Catholics maybe, just maybe, there will be some change. May the Blessed Mother of Jesus keep us safe in Her Immaculate Heart.
March 24, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Thanks, Mary in CO. I'll check it out.
March 24, 2010 at 4:39 pm
No worries, Anon!
Is there now any doubt that these Catholics are acting in opposition to Catholic teachings about the foundational right to life?
Will the bishops NOW confer with these persons to educate them and counsel them?
They will, if they take a cue from Archbishop Chaput of Denver. Check out his latest column for the archdiocese paper: A Bad Bill and How We Got It.
http://www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/3631
March 24, 2010 at 5:01 pm
The Apostosy is upon us…PRAY, In the end, All shall kneel to the LAMB who is upon the throne this very day…
March 24, 2010 at 8:03 pm
Simple prescriptions:
1) Remove CINOs at the voting booth. Elect Christians (of any denomination) who know that any political authority they have comes *through* the people *from* God.
2) The Bishops should similarly plan to break out the Bell, Book, and Candle for CINO "Sisters" and "Clergy". The Church has become rather like Israel during the time of the Judges (e.g. 17:6 and 21:25) – when "each man did according to what was right in his own eyes". This means it's an evil time. It also means we should listen and call the people back to the Lord – starting with the Church, but also with the World.
3) Keep the Catholic Charities operating – according to Catholic principals – unless and until they padlock your doors. Obamacare is going to drive out medical practioners through low reimbursement and bureaucratic interference. Also, there needs to be a continuing counterweight to the soon-to-be-funded Planned Parenthood concentration camps.
4) As in all things, work as if it all depended on us – but pray since it all depends on the Lord.
March 24, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Catholics in America? Try Catholics throughout the world. If excommunication is never used, then the Church has absolutely no mechanism of self-preservation. The people beg and plead for real men to assert authority, but they only get endless runarounds like:
We are forming a committee to examine…
Now is not the proper time…
It's the media!
It's the parents!
The Pope has no idea this was going on!
The bishop had no idea this is going on!
We have to be prudent…
These things take time!
Why don't we all pray? Just pray it away, why don't you?
Yada yada yada. There is absolutely nothing a layperson can do, it seems, to break through and effect some change.
March 24, 2010 at 10:10 pm
I'm sure the Bishops will issue a sternly worded letter.
March 24, 2010 at 11:50 pm
I have never heard a homily about the evils of abortion or our pro-death culture. A fellow parishioner drove her mini-van with a "Catholics for Obama" bumper sticker. My son's Catholic school had a "shrine" to Obama in the halls for months, and prayed for him daily (that is a good thing, he needs it, however the school never prayed for Bush). Sigh. The priests need to get their heads out of the sand, but non-controversial homilies rule the day.
March 25, 2010 at 12:50 am
I had counted 88 House Catholic Democrats voted for and you had 84
http://www.gettomass.com/2010/03/house-catholics-who-voted-for-healthcare/
I had 9 who voted against.
Jack Murtha who is dead would have voted for.
March 25, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Doug, Thank you. My rep, who voted against, is a Christian Scientist. I called and left him message I'm proud to be his constituent. Am wondering whether to call back and invite him to my parish….
Deb, I still remember the first time I heard a priest deliver a sermon on abortion. I was at first stunned, then pleased. I still remember it after so many years. We need to pray for our priests!
March 27, 2010 at 2:43 am
Many Catholics like me support the Healthcare bill because we were brought up to help our fellow humans when in need, and there's nothing worse than denying health insurance to the poor. Many who oppose healthcare strongly believe that healthcare is a priviledge for those who can afford it. There is nothing Catholic about that belief.
March 27, 2010 at 3:26 am
Well, if folks oppose healthcare, then they presumably don't think anyone should have it…..