Marco Rubio loosed some hardcore bile against the Catholic Church, accusing the Church of cozying up to the Castro regime.
The Daily Caller reports:
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said Wednesday that he is “deeply concerned” that the leadership of the Catholic Church has “negotiated themselves a space of operation” in Cuba “in exchange for looking the other way,” and expressed concern that Pope Benedict XVI’s upcoming trip to the island may “reinforce that arrangement.”
Rubio, a Catholic, said during a discussion at The Heritage Foundation that the Catholic Church has “negotiated a political space for themselves in exchange for their moral imperative.”
Volunteering an example, Rubio said, “last week… the church invited — the cardinal invited — Castro thugs to come into the church and remove people.”
Rubio also denounced the church for “actively participating in exiling dissidents,” sarcastically adding, “somehow exiling someone to Spain is a humanitarian measure.”
I don’t know for sure specifically what he’s referring to but it might just be the story that came out that within the last week that protesters had occupied Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Charity in Havana and the Cathedral of Pinar del Rio in an apparent effort to demand an audience with Pope Benedict during his March 25-29 visit to the country.
They wouldn’t leave the church until the Pope came to see them, according to CNA. So the pastor called the police and had them removed. That’s hardly rising to the level of cozying up to dictators.
Spokesman for the Archdiocese of Havana, Orlando Marquez, called the incidents an “organized strategy by various groups in different regions of the country” aimed at “creating difficult situations” as the Pope’s visit approaches.
Marquez called the recent protests “illegitimate” and “irresponsible.”
This seems like a pretty wild and outrageous accusation from a Senator of the United States if that’s what he’s basing it on. I know a lot of folks had been considering Rubio as a strong possibility for a veep slot but these kinds of comments seem so out of bounds to me that I hope everyone would reconsider. He needs to be pressed on this issue. If he’s got evidence to back up what he’s saying, then let’s hear it.
March 22, 2012 at 11:48 pm
Since it sounds to me like Romney will be the eventual nominee and there is ever more chatter that Rubio be his VP. Well, now I have more than sufficient reason to sit this election out.
Obama can have his way. With people like Romney and Rubio, this country is really going to hell!
So be it!
March 23, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Grow up, most of you. If my archbishop asked police to clear out his cathedral of faithful gathered to voice their desire to meet the Pontiff, I'd speak out against him too. The archbishop of Havana should be doing everything he can to leverage the Pope's visit for ever greater religious freedoms for cubans. I am with Rubio. Put some heat on the fellow.
March 23, 2012 at 1:23 pm
I'm not going to make some ignorant comment about what the situation in Cuba was or was not because I do not know the details of it and I know that there are a lot of very passionate views (justifiably so) when it comes to Castro. I just had to comment on the birther argument that seems to take over every thread about the nomination, it's irrelevant to have the argument in the first place because we are trying to win back the Senate and it would be self-defeating to knock that number down by one so that Rubio can be VP (clearly there's no shortage of people to choose from)People need to quit trying to act as if it's a done deal just because the establishment, like Jeb Bush (who doesn't even have the foresight to see that we can't lose any Senators) are going on tv and being whiny little babies about the longer process. they are the ones who changed the process. besides, something tells me that there's still more to learn about romney…I want to know all the dirt on him before obama is running it in attack ads!! keep an eye on Newt…if anyone is going to expose Mitt's baggage, it's Newt and he just got another cash infusion from his favorite billionaire donor…more reason to wonder what he's up to!! Must admit that I am having withdrawals from Newt ripping apart the leftist media….makes me wish there was just one more debate
March 23, 2012 at 1:43 pm
I had heard some time ago that Rubio is an ex-Catholic. His comments here seem to indicate that not only is he an ex-Catholic, but that he is drinking the Jack Chick lemonade.
March 23, 2012 at 3:17 pm
He didn't attack the Catholic Church- he criticized the Catholic Church in Cuba. If you read the WSJ, there was an excellent article about the situation running up to the Holy Father's visit. Cardinal Ortega doesn't want to ruffle official feathers (to be generous) and has ignored the pleas of human rights activists, including the Ladies in White and Oscar Biscet (the doctor who was thrown in prison for years for criticizing the brutal abortion practices of the regime). Ortega basically said that the pope's dance card is full- sorry.
Marco Rubio is right on this one, folks. The Catholic Church in Cuba is "safe" as long as it doesn't cross the regime. And BTW, the police ARE Castro's thugs.
March 23, 2012 at 3:20 pm
Here's the link: http://goo.gl/BjF0a
And the bigoted remarks about Rubio's religious affiliations are disgusting.
March 23, 2012 at 3:27 pm
There are priests in America cozy with this Aministration and they are not under threat of death and imprisonment.
March 23, 2012 at 4:34 pm
If you do not vote for the Republican candidate for President in 2012, you will help to re-elect President Obama to a second term. President Obama will then be unencumbered from the need to run for re-election again, with the ability to act even more unaccountably in his second term. If you disliked the first term, and he wins re-election, you ain't seen nothin' yet!!
Helping to re-elect President Obama is especially true if you do not vote for the Republican candidate and live in one of the ten or twelve contested states in the 2012 Presidential election cycle. If you live in Vermont or Utah, your vote will have less effect. If you live in Ohio or Florida, your vote, or non-vote, may be the difference.
March 23, 2012 at 4:53 pm
Look, you can disagree with the policies of some prelates, espeically with regard to foreign policy, without it being termed an "attack on the Catholic Church."
March 24, 2012 at 4:47 pm
Why on earth are y'all jumping on Rubio? We all know hell is full of prelates, we needn't use kid gloves with the cardinal. If anything, it's bad for his spiritual health. The regime in Cuba is illegitimate and the church should be in resistance there. More martyrs, less comfort.
March 25, 2012 at 2:28 am
Thanks Anneg! But don't you know, facts seem to get in the way of agenda no matter what side one is on 😉