Late night tea before bed & realized the computer was still on,
checked a site before turning off and
just saw this article and had a couple of comments.
(Please leave your comments on it.)
Article is here:
CLICKI paste it below with my comments on it in blue:
Bishops will not skip debate on abortion and politics
What will really happen this week at the USCCB meeting
Cardinal Francis George, President of the USCCB and Bishop Gerald Kicanas (left)
Baltimore, Nov 9, 2008 / 11:08 pm (CNA).-Since the election of Barack Obama as the next President of the UnitedStates, several Catholic commentators have speculated on how theoriginal agenda of the annual Fall General Assembly of the UnitedStates Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will change.
Accordingto bishops involved in the organization of the three-day meeting, whichstarts this Monday, the agenda, including a public discussion ofabortion and politics, is fully on track.
Speculation that theagenda might change came late last week when several prominent Catholiccommentators argued that the bishops had "lost authority" by speakingout strongly against Catholics voting for pro-abortion politicians
(( several "prominent" Catholic commentators said the Bishops "lost authority" with Catholics who WANT to vote for abortion? Yeah. Give me a break. The "prominent" commentators are obviously "prominent" in their own eyes and in the eyes of "the birds that fly together": similar "Catholics" with an abortion agenda. But, see how they try to manipulate and put the idea into Catholics heads that the bishops "lost authority"? That is Satan. He manipulates and plays on words always! "Did God really say that?..." he spoke with Eve. Eve's problem is that when she had a question, she didn't go direct to the source: GOD...she spoke with Satan. Always the wrong move. Satan is the master of lies and confusion and he is using our media today to do it to uniformed Catholics. Beware!! Know your faith. GOD is the ONLY giver of AUTHORITY. GOD. Bishops are not "losing authority" nor will they...for the gates of hell will NEVER triumph over God's Church. Never. God is truth. God is unchangable...the same yesterday, today and forever...and truth stays the same, too!)) ,like Sen. Barack Obama and other mostly Democratic candidates, who wereelected to office last Tuesday.
On Friday, Religion NewsService reported that the USCCB “has scuttled plans to discuss abortionand politics next week in Baltimore,” citing the bishops' spokeswoman,Sister Mary Ann Walsh. RNS also quoted Sister Walsh saying that theagenda had yet to be finalized.
Moreover, according to theNational Catholic Reporter's John Allen Jr., “some analysts,especially those of a more liberal bent, are spinning the election ofBarak Obama as a ‘repudiation’ of what they see as an overly stridentand partisan tone from the bishops, especially on abortion. A fewardently pro-life Catholics, meanwhile, actually believe that what theycall ‘silence and treachery’ from the bishops on abortion helped pavethe way for Obama’s success.”
(( Yes, I can see ardently pro-life Catholics feeling this way! I wonder if those bishops heard the cocks crowing 3 times before Obama was officially elected...and the other anti-life democrats.)) On Friday, Peter Steinfels arguedin his regular New York Times column that "anyone constructing a listof the big losers on Tuesday would probably include the nation’s RomanCatholic bishops."
(( I would have to say the big "list of losers" as they like to call it, are those poor deceived anti-life people who only care about fame, power, money, prestigue, and all the props a worldly life can offer...but, many may not realize it until it is too late, unfortunately. We need to pray for their conversion. The other list of "big losers" are the Americans who will be murdered before they take their very first breathe and get their first cuddle.)) Steinfels served as editor of “Commonweal”magazine before landing a job at The New York Times in 1988 and stillfrequently contributes to the magazine that he and his wife, formereditor Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, have helped shape since 1964.
Duringthe election season, Commonweal's blog openly wooed Catholics to votefor Obama and harshly criticized bishops who took a strong stand onlife and family issues.
(( Yes, Satan does this...he no longer hides, but openly woos. He feels that comfortable. Pride.)) Steinfels supported his assertion thatthe bishops were “defeated” on the grounds that nominal Catholics voted52 percent to 45 percent for Obama.
(( Saddest thing to read!! :((( Very sad to think "a Catholic" would wound the Sacred Heart of Jesus like that. To make themselves God...and determine what is right and what is wrong over what God determines as right and wrong. ))“Will that fact be candidlyaddressed when the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops meetsnext week in Baltimore?,” he asked, suggesting that the bishops should“change strategy.”
A similar suggestion was made by Fr. ThomasReese S.J. of Georgetown University in an article published by theDallas Morning News on Sunday.
Quoting the same figure ofnominal Catholics voting for Obama, Reese said that “Episcopalauthority took a major hit during the election,” and argued that “(the)division between the vocal, partisan bishops and the silent,nonpartisan bishops will be a major issue at the Baltimore meeting.”
(( The division. "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Jesus warned. This is why the Catholic church has her beliefs all written down in the Catechism...it's there in black and white...and in many other writings. It's there in black and white. It's either take it or leave it. The Catholic Church is not a divided Church. There are divided people perhaps in the Church..divided inside of themselves...and they need much prayer...they are very confused and seek to destroy the Church either by intention or out of misguided "good will"....but Jesus always separates the chaff from the wheat...tosses one away...keeps the other...and the Church moves on triumphantly...)) “Thisargument," Reese continued, “will take place behind closed doors lestthe bishops scandalize the faithful with their divisions.”
(( *tee-hee* )) Reesealso came up with his own list of proposals, which would essentiallyrequire the bishops to remain silent about the evil of abortion andconcentrate on practical political engagement for “reducing abortions,”as promised by Barack Obama.
(( LOL Hmmm...Reese or Satan?? Sounds like Satan found a human mouth to move...beware of wolves in sheep clothing...))“Why am I not surprised?" joked one bishop about Reese’s comments, speaking on a condition of anonymity to CNA.
"Fr.Reese is a mainstream media darling, but the truth is that he has verylittle knowledge of what goes on (in the episcopate) and far lessinfluence,” he added.
Another bishop who requested anonymity,confirmed to CNA that the bishops will not drop the issue of abortionor hold the conversation behind closed doors. On the contrary, theywill discuss it on no less than three occasions: “in our regionalgroups, in executive session, and in the public session.”
Thesessions open to the media will take place on Monday, November 10, from9:00 a.m. to mid-afternoon, and Tuesday, November 11, from 9:00 a.m.until mid-afternoon. The rest of the meeting will be for breakoutsessions, executive sessions, and prayer and reflection.
Archbishop John Vlazny of Portland entered into greater details of how the USCCB meeting will proceed.
“Atthis year’s fall assembly we bishops will hear an address from ourPresident, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago. We shall also elect aUSCCB secretary and chairs-elect of the Committees on NationalCollections, Cultural Diversity, Doctrine, Pro-Life Activities andCommunications. In addition we will vote on the revised Grail Psalterfor use in the United States, the translation of the Proper of theSeasons and the Order for the Blessing of a Child in a Womb.”
Inthis weekend’s column on the Catholic Sentinel, Archbishop Vlazny alsorevealed that the bishops will also “hear a report from Bishop GeraldKicanas about the work of our Priority Task Forces. These prioritiesare strengthening marriage, faith formation and sacramental practice,life and dignity of the human persons, cultural diversity in thechurch, and promoting vocations to priesthood and religious life.”
Archbishop Vlazny is himself a member of the task force on the faith formation and sacramental practice.
“Weplan to set aside time to discuss practical and pastoral implicationsof political support for abortion, an issue that remains problematicfor us and our people,” he confirmed.
(( Why is this issue, murdering growing baby humans made in God's image, made by God himself (that is what we believe) a problematic issue??? This statement doesn't make sense. If there is any problem...it's certainly not the EASY issue...it's the message getting out to "the folks" )) “The mission of ourConference calls all of us bishops to act collaboratively andconsistently on the important issues which confront the church andsociety. Furthermore it helps us foster communion with the church inother nations
under the leadership of the Holy Father,” ArchbishopVlazny said.
(( Amen...maybe the Sacred Heart smiled on that one...))Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, Oregon, also offered adifferent vision on how to interpret the current circumstances from aCatholic perspective.
“In our present political climate it wouldbe very easy to somehow link our courage and hopefulness to the outcomeof political endeavors. It would be easy to position our hope in somekind of political strategy and call for greater courage in fosteringthat particular strategy.”
“The fact that whatever kind ofkingdom we manage to build here will always be an imperfect kingdomhelps us keep our focus on that in which and for which we ultimatelyhope, a kingdom of God in eternity,” he said.
(( Whatever kind of kingdom we build here will always be an imperfect kingdom?? That just sounds stupid. God said to "be perfect" as He is perfect...to be Holy as He is holy...."do you not know you are temples of the Holy Spirit?" "These things AND MORE you'll do!!" Saying whatever we do will be imperfect is like telling your kid, "Just do whatever you can in school, as you'll never get all A's" Then, the kid is like "heck, why even try? My DAD, whom I look up to, told me as much as I try, I'll never get A's and he understands my grades will always be imperfect." Now, what sort of student do you think THAT kid will be?!! LOL Give me the Father who says, "Hey, everyone is a A student in our family and you are, too! I know you can do it..and to tell you the truth, if you got a B I would be disappointed because, although not bad in itself, I know you are capable of so much more. You are "A" material no doubt! Now, go give it your best shot!" What do you think THAT student will do? So, I hate that last statement, although I know what he meant...it was stupid. Set the bar low, and you'll get even lower. God set the bar HIGH. "Be perfect." "Be holy." etc etc. He did not say, "Hey, you just are imperfect people...muddle on!"))