And then there are those for whom the HHS Mandate gave them an opportunity to discover that the Church promotes a much physically, psychologically, and relationally healthier option than is being pushed by Big Government and Big Pharma.

Reminds me of these words from the Exsultet:

“O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam which has gained for us so great a Redeemer!”

The Mandate is probably one of the greatest attacks on religious liberty in the USA since our nation’s founding. Our response, guided by the Holy Spirit, is what will bring about a renewed faithfulness!

Because of the HHS Mandate I am fervently praying that Pres Obama issues this mandate: STOP KILLING THE UNBORN

I wish I could feel good about that but if the polls are correct, it may be that God is going to let us enjoy our ignorance - just like the Israelites 70 year exile.

God sometimes “heardens hearts” of our oppressors in order to bring about His Glory. As in the evil Pharaoh of Egypt that only let Moses take His People after 10 plagues destroyed Egypt and the un-belivers. In a similar way, God is using Barack Obama, who has a lot in common with Pharoah, to cleanse His Church and to reign down plagues of poverty, economic collapse, homosexuality, sexual perversion, child abuse, abortion, contraception, etc. to lift the wool off of the wolfe (the evil Democratic party) to flush out the “bad” Catholics which make up about 49% of the American Catholic Church. God is also using evil Obama to lift the veil over the evil, licentious, lying, corruption throughout American (i.e. Main Stream Media, Labor Unions, Public School Teachers, General Electric, General Motors, Chrysler, Wall Street, Progressive Insurance, State of California, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Massachusettes, New England, Michigan, etc.)

Fantastic article Matthew! The Holy Spirit is in you!

God is not mocked. In the 60’s the bishops and seminaries could have continued to teach that contraception is intrinsically evil, as they had for millenia. Alas, for the most part they did not. Maybe they thought the issue would just go away. Well it didn’t. God did not forget! In a very direct way He has made it center stage. If we kowtow to the culture this time, he will continue to bring it up and each time it will be harder to ignore.

If Catholicism is anything at all it is and must remain countercultural.

I almost agree with you.  It is an opportunity, a “Teachable Moment,”  yet, in my experience, the Bishops, Priests and Deacons, the only people permitted to preach and teach at Sunday Eucharist, have not reacted, are still allowing the Catholic community to remain in ignorance because they, as in the past,  are not teaching as they should.  To this date, I have not heard one homily on Contraception, if I had not been in a Catholic College when the Encyclical was promulgated I would have only received my information from the anti-Catholic secular media.  Yes, it is a great opportunity, but my experience is it’s passing us by.  I am not giving up hope, I am trying to do my part, but I feel like the Official Teachers are letting us down.  I have the responsibility to teach myself and then pass this on to others.  Thank you.

“Never waste a good crisis” - God has been operating on that principle far longer than the Obama administration! :~D

To Christopher Michael:

While I instinctively agree with your comment and reasoning I am not so quick to judge Barack Obama as “evil” and sentence him to hell.  Only God knows what is in the human heart.  I am a Democrat and a practicing Catholic.  My confessor said it is not a sin to vote Democrat.  I vote my conscious on ALL the issues and pray on the ones with which I disagree.

In my opinion the Republican party has just as much “evil” in it as the Democrats.  Consistent liars, we were the aggressors in an UNJUST WAR by attacking Iraq. To say it was justified by the 9/11 attacks is just subterfuge.  We attacked Iraq two years later under the pre-tense of weapons of mass destruction, another Republican lie!  Even Blessed John Paul II warned Bush against it.  And did you know that under the Bush W. administration abortions actually INCREASED?  That was because Bush appointed an official to the FDA who approved over the counter sale of RU486, the “morning after pill”!

How do you feel about the Republican stance on poverty and the poor, the “47%” Romney so (secretly) disdains?  Is that Christian?  Mormonism is not Christianity, they do not believe that Jesus is our Lord, Messiah and Redeemer.  Mormonism is, by definition a “cult”. 

There is light and dark in each and every one of us and in both the Democratic and Republican Parties.  I am pro-life.  But I am also “pro-life” for the lives already in existence, American, Iraqi, the poor, the elderly, the disabled.

I do agree that the HHS mandate violates Christian religious principles, but I believe that out of this bad God will bring good.  Don’t be so fast to lump all Democrats as “evil”.  Jesus said not to judge lest yee be judged (paraphrase).  God bless the United States of America, because we certainly need it. Amen.

To Paula Marie Bernadette: Thank God you are with the Democrats. You are in a vantage point to help the Catholic Church in her drive to stop abortion and same-sex marriage. Your knowlegde of Catholicism can enable you to convince your partymates that abortion is intrinsically evil and that same-sex marriage is against natural law. You can fearlessly stand up to your religious beliefs and become a saint. What else is there?

“Don’t be so fast to lump all Democrats as ‘evil’.”
—Paula Marie Bernadette (11:30 AM)

Fast?  As if the 40 years since Roe v. Wade hasn’t been enough?  Three decades since the Democrat party began to openly champion abortion in its quadriennial party platforms hasn’t been enough?  Two decades since Gov. Casey was denied an opportunity to address a Democrat national convention because he might suggest abortion is wrong hasn’t been enough?  And the recent hooting down of God at their latest convention wasn’t enough?

40 years was enough time for the people of Israel to have their sinful love of Egypt s-l-o-w-l-y wrung out of them.  Don’t pride yourself on being more stiff-necked than they, girl.

I agree with Paula Marie.  It is tough to be a Pro Life Progressive. But I have a reminder for everyone also.  In the United States, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or the free exercise thereof, and that would include Islam. Just last week I was remarking to myself that even the Church of England used to execute people for being Roman Catholics—lots of them.  With prayer and brotherly love, things change.

You’re correct. The HHS Mandate has had the effect of separating the men from the boys. I know that the Administration’s intent is evil in that evil always attempts to divide (Catholics) & conquer. What Evil doesn’t learn is that killing (and make no mistake, God counts killing kids before they’re born the same way He counts killing His own Son) committed Catholics only leads to resurrection in the Church. So, in the sense that the Mandate is forcing CINOs off the fence, yes, it’s a good thing.

The opportunity is being wasted because our priests and bishops are not speaking out at the pulpit.  They are too concerned about offending and loosing money so expect the laity(ordinary people) to speak out.  A lot has been said and hope many have discovered the evils of birth control but I wonder how many recognize the evils of the Catholic Church helping to over throw our republic and replace it with a democratic socialistic gov’t. As the Pope says in First Things 2006 article, “Europe and Its Discontents”,“In many respects, democratic socialism was and is close to CAtholic social doctrine and has in any case made a remarkable contribution to the formation of social conscience.”  Welcome to social justice America. The Catholic Church gets billions every year from our tax dollars through gov’t grants and they want to keep it that way so they usually are very supportive of whoever is in office.  Redistribution of wealth is not Christian and yet our Pope in his encyclical, Caritas et Veritas, thinks its fine.  The communists believed they too could redistribute wealth.  So our current President is doing a great job and the Church gets its share.  Will it compromise regarding the mandate?  They’ve compromised many times and have run over the unborn in pursuit of universal healthcare and political affiliation.  God help us!

Paula Marie,
The sacred scripture also said, “He who persist in sin, rebuke him in the presence of all.” 1Timothy 5:20

Don’t be giving us your lecture on your little knowledge of the bible, with your “judge not lest you be judged” line, that’s OLD!

The Devil could quote a little section of the Bible and twist it, exactly like what you are doing.  YES, WE CAN JUDGE IF WE SEE EVIL (1Timothy 5:20)!

You’re comparing thousands of death due to Bush’s war with 56,000,000 death since Roe vs. Wade?  HOW DARE YOU!

Thank God rather for all the bishops and loyal Catholics that are responding so courageously against it.

Paula Marie - the country needs mor pro-life progressives.  I hope you have the courage to attend primaries or caucuses (whichever they have in your area) to be a pro-life voice within the party.  If pro-life progressives don’t give up, find each other and support each other, they can work for change—or at least maybe change a few hearts.  Speak up and propose pro-life platforms and policies at the local and state level.  Nobody said it would be easy but God is with you if you try.

I am one of Romney’s 47% getting help from the government, and I will be voting for Romney this fall. If I go hungry due to the elimination of food stamps I do, but it’s more important to my mind to rescue the unborn and support every Catholic’s right to not fund abortion and contraception. There’s always the chance that my friends and relatives will see I have enough to live on, whereas a murdered child doesn’t have any chance at life at all. And my priest and deacon printed a number of good articles on the cover of our bulletin as well as preaching on the subject twice last spring and putting USCCB inserts in it recently. If we don’t vote right, it won’t be their fault.

@Paula Marie Bernadette:  Bishop Paprocki Warns of ‘Intrinsic Evils’ in Democratic Platform. He said “that voting for a candidate who promotes actions or behaviors that are ‘intrinsically evil and gravely sinful’ makes a voter ‘morally complicit’ and places the eternal salvation of his or her soul in ‘serious jeopardy.’
So vote your conscience either for your Democrat Party Platform or for the teachings of Jesus Christ within the Catholic Church.

Mormons do believe in Jesus Christ and there are just as many different Mormon Churches as there are Catholic Churches {Greek Catholic, Coptic Catholic, etc}
Remember when John Kennedy ran for Pres., the Protestant churches were telling their congregations not to vote for him, because if he won the Pope would run the U.S. [My Presbyterian neighbor told me at the time] Did you know that some Protestants believe that the CC is also a cult. It is all propaganda. If you are pro-life, then why would you vote for a President who approves abortion in every form.  Romney is a business man who will hopefully produce jobs for people so that they can hold their heads high, Obama was a social worker, with Marxist leanings, who wants to give and give and all that does is keep the people down, make for a bigger government and more control over the People.  YOUR VOTE!!

@Sue Korlan - Your willingness to sacrifice and suffer for the greater good gives me great hope and joy, its so difficult to find anywhere any longer.  Certainly, Romney and Republican policies are imperfect in many ways as all human ideologies will be, but they mandate no absolute intrisic evil.  I join you in your willingness to make the personal sacrifices necessary to put an end to current intrinsic evils forced on us.  I also will do everything and anything within my power to personally see that those such as yourself don’t go hungry.  God Bless you always.

Pres. Obama, during his term in the Illinois state senate, voted several times NOT to provide any care to a baby born alive as a result of a botched abortion.  Even though many couples wait for years to adopt a baby, their need will not be met by this Obama policy.
In January 2003, I emailed more than 80 US Senators to lobby against an armed invasion of Iraq, on the basis that if Iraq had the sorts of weapons to be concerned about (other than chemical weapons that the US had given them!) it should be of more concern to permanent Security Council members Russia and China, as they are on the same continent as Iraq.  The senate took no action.  My state’s senior senator (Feinstein, D-CA) did acknowledge my email, but apparently the Senate felt that their vote of the prior October delegated any decision on invading Iraq to Pres. Bush.
I make no claim that Republican policies are always just or in accord with God’s Will; but in the matter of abortion, the 2012 Democratic platform is uniquely evil.
TeaPot562

A vote for Obama is a vote for Islam, which in the long run, is a vote against progressivism.  So, in that sense, a vote for Obama would be the demise of yourself. If you look at statistics, it seems that Muslims do not use abortion. Their birth rate in Europe is three times that of non-muslim Europeans. Funny how pro-life dems want to have their cake & eat it, too, by bashing Bush’s policies in the middle east, but completely ignoring Obama’s. When Bush started the war on terror, he also went in to rebuild.  Tell me what Obama is doing to help rebuild Pakistan.  Sending remote control drones to kill innocent people isn’t very courageous, and I don’t see how that’s helping the cause of “pro-life for the already born.”  His war on Pakistan is worse than Bush’s war on terror.  I find it very strange that no one talks about the evil of it.
I could go on & on about the articles I’m reading about how joblessness is up & food stamps are up and such, but I won’t.  I’ve done my research & you can’t argue with emotional people who want to cling to their party of death more than I want to cling to my bible & gun.

Paula Marie, you need to realize that abortion is an intrinsic evil, always wrong no matter what. It is one of several Non-Negotiables. War is bad, but not always evil, there are times when it is necessary. With the poor, the sick, etc., we are to take care of them, but, with abortion, we are denying their very existence- where there is life there is always hope, with abortion/death, all hope is gone. It is a hypocritical society that displays such righteous indignation over an unjust war, while at the same time promotes the slaughter of our unborn children, which as stated above has a death toll over 50 million.

That is why the Church is adamant that you should not vote for a politician or political party that has a pro-abortion platform, that is if you care about your immortal soul. The Republican Party and many of her members are mostly against abortion. They have different ideas of what will help the poor in our country. But they do not disdain them. The Democrat Party platform is pro-abortion and really does disdain the weakest and poorest among us-the unborn.

Stay in the Democrat party if you are truly using your membership to promote the dignity of the least among us - the unborn. But please, please reconsider how you will vote this November, to support someone who is publicly for abortion is to be complicit in a great evil.

Mr. Warner makes many good points. Moreover, if Obama wins again, with the help of those Catholics who blindly support a party whose platform fosters many intrinsic evils, the legalization of these evils and the attacks on religious freedom will likely intensify in the next four years. God may use this probable chastisement on the US to purify the Catholic Church of those many “Spirit of Vatican II” bishops, priests, religious and laity who, pretending to still be followers of Jesus, have caved in to the prevailing secular culture.

Mr. Warner’s point is proven here quite precisely.  The combox is filled with exactly the kinds of dialog that should be taking place.  Education is ocurring.  For the most part, all here are charitable.  There are two sides, no doubt, and another which likely many are on, declaring the problems of both parties.  It’s a great time to be Catholic but also a tought time - do we vote?  Do we not vote?  We must listen closely, discern.  God will judge our hearts and souls, thankfully.  His great mercy is key.  And ours is prayer. 
Paula Marie Bernadette, I pray for your confessor, for making such a bold statement that it is not a sin to vote in the way he stated.  Please remember that killing children is intrinsically evil, and Mr. Obama has made it clear that his grandchildren are disposable.  In some ways, two sins are happening: murder of a human being in the womb, AND interruption of God’s creation of a human being.  He did not give us dominion over human beings in that way.  Mr. Obama supports a law that consistently every time, every day, everywhere, it is right and just to murder children.  Wars, which as you described, is of course, no less evil, but is constantly discerned by both political parties.  Let us all take care to search our hearts and vote in November.

I’ve said Obama has been one of the greatest blessings to the Church in the US in ages. And no, that doesn’t mean I’m voting for him (I’m NOT). But faced with this problem (the Mandate) the Bishops are FINALLY rising to their position as teachers. They are FINALLY TEACHING about contraception and life issues.  I’m 52 and I’ve seen such silence from our teachers almost all my life on this fundamental issue. There is a reason so many Catholics don’t understand why we oppose certain things (or to look at it more positively, why we believe certain things… however, they see it only as “opposing”). Finally, we’re getting teaching because the fruits of not teaching have smacked the Bishops in the head.

To Catholics, who give comments on this article: The insights of this article are for us Catholics to unite and courageously stand up to our religious beliefs. But what’s happening now is we are divided in our opinion about abortion and same sex marriage. Some of us are trying to rationalize their concepts of these issues. As authentic Catholics we must embrace the teaching of the Church in its entirety. Others are too disrespectful of someone’s opinion that makes us more disunited. We must stop this kind of attitude and come up with a united front, unafraid to forward our Catholic faith this coming November Election. Let’s all become saints. What else is there?

‘And did you know that under the Bush W. administration abortions actually INCREASED?  That was because Bush appointed an official to the FDA who approved over the counter sale of RU486, the “morning after pill”!’
Paula Marie, please double-check your facts.  RU486 is not the “morning after pill” and I seriously doubt it has ever been OTC anywhere in this country.  Even the 18-year-old girl who died had a doctor’s prescription.
As for Bush, he also stood for the Mexico City Policy and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act.  I used to have a very lengthy list of pro-life accomplishments under his administration specifically for when people made this accusation.  But it doesn’t really matter at this point, because you see, he hasn’t been a candidate in 8 years!
I am not any particular Romney fan, but if people think Obama is any less out-of-touch and doesn’t hold large swaths of people in contempt…pfft.  You’re kidding yourselves.  Remember, we’re ‘clinging to our guns and religion.’  Being around people who actually believe the Church on contraception is ‘like being in a time machine.’

+JMJ+

The majority of our elected officials are more interested in power and money than God! We have the democrats that have a platform that is anti-Christian, pro-murder, and pro-sodomy.  Then there is the republican party whose platform tends to be pro-life and pro-family, but whose members tend not stand against those who tenants oppose this, because it will cost them money, power, or human respect. Treason is the word that comes to mind. 

Most of our elected officials do not care about the people, they care about themselves. The MSM is taking it’s marching orders from the O’ forget it administration.  This election is bought and paid for by those who have no conscience and to make it look like there is a real choice, when in reality, there is no such thing.

I recommend writing in/voting for someone whose platform is Christ centered, and voting out those who support what are considered to be serious sins in our faith.

God Bless,

Posted by Elizabeth Stevens on Saturday, Sep 29, 2012 1:23 PM (EST):I agree with Paula Marie.  It is tough to be a Pro Life Progressive. But I have a reminder for everyone also.  In the United States, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or the free exercise thereof, and that would include Islam. Just last week I was remarking to myself that even the Church of England used to execute people for being Roman Catholics—lots of them.  With prayer and brotherly love, things change.”
**********
I’m not advocating execution of heretics, but the current situation in the UK has progressed to where it is because so few in the Anglcan Church even care about heresy or what the Papists might be up to.It’s not brotherly love so much as lack of zeal & dwindling membership.Even if the Anglican Church reverted its direction, luckliy for UK Catholics, the laws have changed.No more drawing & quartering allowed.
(To be fair,Catholics under Queen Mary did similar damage to Protestants, too.)

“But I am also “pro-life” for the lives already in existence, American, Iraqi, the poor, the elderly, the disabled.” The CC is for life for all the above mentioned including babes in the womb. It amazes me how so many people live a ideological way of thinking instead of being factual. As Bishop Paprocki said: If you vote for evil, it is on your soul and he also stated that the Obama Platform is for evil [abortions, etc]
I take turns riding to church with a Democrat friend. She just feels that no one gives Obama a chance. I gave her the article from Bishop Paprocki and she said “I thought the CC does not tell anyone who to vote for”. I said, True, they don’t tell you, but they can guide you as our Pastor did by the article on abortion in our bulletin…just as Bishop & others have written about it.  If she still reads it and feels justified in voting for abortion, etc. then it is on her soul.  She can always go to confession and be forgiven, but remember forgiveness in Confession has to do with what God knows was truly in your heart, not what you confessed to the priest. From what I have heard, there are many people like my friend and my own sister, who just go along with the flow and don’t read anything of what is going on.  In my mind, they are called “Party People”, instead of voting for who will do the best job.
I just wish someone will tell me how abortion, contraceptives, etc. are for “a woman’s health”. Abortion can affect physical and mental health.  Contraceptives can affect heart, blot clots, etc. There is side affects in all of them.  All these problems started with Roe vs Wade…another government control….before you know it the gov. will control our every move…socialism or worse.

Sue (old) ,
And those elderly & disabled are next on the hit list once healthcare rationing’s in effect.

Just a follow up to my post about healthcare rationing for the elderly: Article I saw on the BBC:

UN warns over impact of rapidly ageing populations

“Japan is the only country at present where 30% of the population are over The world needs to do more to prepare for the impact of a rapidly ageing population, the UN has warned - particularly in developing countries.

Within 10 years the number of people aged over 60 will pass one billion, a report by the UN Population Fund said.

The demographic shift will present huge challenges to countries’ welfare, pension and healthcare systems…”

@Kathleen: Didn’t Pelosi say that now that healthcare is passed we’d find out what was in it. We still do not know all of it. In 1992 I lived in Virginia and met a woman from Canada whose husband was a doctor. She said they loved Canada but her husband said he could not treat his pts. as he would like because of the government.  I moved to N.C. in 1998 and I had to call three doctors before one would take me as a medicare pt. Just this year I met a new friend who needed a doctor, I again called 4 doctors offices for her [as she had an accent] and was informed the doctor had his quota of medicare pts.  As to the amt of aged in the world, the UN spoke of that many yrs ago. My dau. is married to an Englishman and he said he would never go back to England because here your living conditions, food, and medical are so much better. Well, it won’t be for long if Obama stays in. Will Romney do better?....I’d give him a chance because I already know what Obama has done and I don’t approve of it.

Sue (old),
I’m very wary of what’s on the horizon as far as healthcare.I have family in the UK & Canada & truthfully, they’re OK with the healthcare offered there-so far.
I think things will change in the not too distant future, though.Articles from the North of Ireland suggest their hospital system can’t continue the way it is without collapsing & Holland’s warning of a huge “burden” of the elderly on their system & proposals to “re-think” how the end of life is treated.Scary stuff.
Some safety net for those who fall through the cracks is good.But Obamacare-no thanks.

It makes my blood boil to see how the Governments of the United States and various States have decimated our religious freedoms through its Supreme Court decisions and “edicts” coming from various agencies of an overstuffed and overstaffed government population in Washington and other State Capitols -now a Catholic adoption Agency in Massachusetts no longer has freedom to place children in the home that they deem fit - that’s just the beginning - they have made it legal for doctors to murder children in the womb - now we are being forced to pay for women and mens birth control devices etc. for lazy good-for - nothing generations that don’t even want to have children - our military chaplains can’t say the name of Jesus and the list goes on and on and Americans sit there doing nothing! They have all kind of beautifully crafted arguments to explain away all morality and goodness!!!Our government officials change their story to suit their political goals. Example: Families like the Cuomo family are instrumental in passing legislation aiding and abetting abortion and homosexuality, and same sex marriages - This country has butchered their future in hospitals with legalized abortion - over 50 milliion babies - this nation is now damned by Almighty God or will be by what is being done or has already been done!!!!

TO PAULA MARIE: YOU ARE WILLING TO FOLLOW BLESSED JOHN PAUL II WARNING ABOUT THE IRAQ WAR BUT TOTALLY IGNORE HIS GUIDANCE ON ABORTION—AS DOES YOU PRIEST?

For all you militant social justice people…2,759,357 Americans have been killed in America beginning with the War of 1812 to the Vietnam War.  Since the legalization of abortion in 1973, 54,000,000 and counting, American babies have been killed.  Jesus is weeping for all of his killed children. I cannot let the stench of the of killing places in America continue without my loud vocal protest, and I will not face God one day and tell I did nothing to defend the unborn.

Paula, President Obama is evil.
However, you are correct in that we do not know if he will repent and eventually get to heaven.
Your Priest was wrong regarding voting.
Instead of trusting his false judgement, read the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition”.
You may NOT vote for evil politicians, because then you remotely participate in their intrinsically evil crimes - Abortion, Euthanasia, Sodomy (homo-sexual marriage); and against Freedom of Religion.
(There is nothing proportionate in the USA today to the murder of approx 1 MILLION innocent babies each year.)
On the net search: ” What Catholics REALLY Believe Source ” re voting.  There is a link to a statement by Cardinal Ratzingwer (Pope Benedict) on Worthiness to receive Holy Communion (based upon how you vote), and a link comparing the Democratic (Party of Death) and Republican Party Platforms 2012.
Print out this site and share it with your Priest, perhaps he simply does not know.
You and he have an obligation to form a correct conscience.
CCC: ” 1783 Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful.
It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator.
The education of conscience is indispensable for human beings who are subjected to negative influences and tempted by sin to prefer their own judgment and to reject authoritative teachings. “
CCC: ” 1791 This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the case when a man “takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin.” In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits. “

We need our Bishops to stop the SCANDAL within the Church by enforcing Canon 915 or by formal excommunication.
US Papal Nuncio, “Archbishop Vigano, observed that some influential Catholic public officials and university professors are allied with forces opposed to the Church’s fundamental moral teachings on “critical issues” like abortion, population control, the redefinition of marriage, embryonic stem cell research and “problematic adoptions.”
He said it is a “grave and major problem” when self-professed Catholic faculty at Catholic institutions are the sources of teachings that conflict with Church teaching on important policy issues rather than defend it.”
Will the HHS Mandate finally get all US Bishops to understand this ? ? ?

“I am a Democrat and a practicing Catholic.  My confessor said it is not a sin to vote Democrat.  I vote my conscious on ALL the issues and pray on the ones with which I disagree.”

Paula Marie Bernadette, not only is it a sin to vote for the Democrat Party, it is a sin to be a registered member of that organization based on Catholic teaching of the 5th Commandment.  “In Life In Christ - Instructions in the Catholic Faith” (published 1958) and in an updated edition, “A Catholic Catechism for Adults” (published 1995), it says in response to the question - “Are religious and racial prejudice against the fifth commandment?”  The answer is “yes.”  And it elaborates, “To deny him his rights is a sin against justice as well as charity.  This is particularly true in the case of joining an organization which promotes segregation or ANY OTHER DENIAL (my emphasis) of human rights.” 

In the newer version it says, “To deny any person her or his rights is a sin against justice as well as charity. This is particularly true in the case of JOINING AN ORGANIZATION (my emphasis)(such as the Nazi Party or or the Ku Klux Klan) which promotes racial, ethnic or religious hatred.”

I recently asked a well known and well respected Cardinal if the above comment from the 1958 edition of “Life In Christ” is still the teaching of the Church and he answered, “Yes, that is still the teaching of the Church.”

Then, that being the case, how can joining the organization called the Democrat Party NOT be a sin against the 5th Commandment since that organization promotes abortion and is solely responsible for abortion-on-demand remaining the law-of-the-land? Furthermore, since the newer edition names names, “such as the Nazi Party and the Ku Klux Klan,” how can the mere promotion of racial and religious prejudice be a sin, and “particular so by joining such an organization;” and not be a sin to join the Democrat Party which is responsible for the continued murdering of unborn babies now totaling 55,000,000?

@Paula: Your priest said that you can vote democrat….I believe he said that.
In the church I attend: the priests “know” people who are co-habitating and go to Communion and nothing is said. The Dem.Convention was held in N.C. and they voted three times to leave God out of its platform. In my church, S.C. we had one letter from the Bishop about the sin of abortion, etc. Was in our bulletin once before the convention. Nothing about the teachings of the CC on abortion has ever been mentioned in a sermon until last week, we had a visiting priest who just touched on it. Me thinks he put the cart before the horse as the saying goes.
Abortion is killing. Thou Shalt Not Kill is one of God’s Commandments. Why cannot the Democrat Catholics understand this. Over 50% of the democrats voted for abortion.  To me, that is sinful, just as sinful as the things Hitler did.
Oh, by the way, our Parish is building a new church building, will be finished by Easter.  I am guessing that our priests do not want to make bad feelings because the money coming in will stop.  Yes….I truly believe this….money before the teachings of the CC.  Where we have Mass now is very suitable, very comfortable and they start a new building while so many are out of work.  My democrat friend, like Paula, keeps saying how excited she is about our new church and when I tell her it is not a Church until the Blessed Sacrament is in Repose there and the people attend Mass….she ignores me. She also ignored me when I spoke of the Bishop’s letter saying: “I thought they could not tell you how to vote” I told her true, but they can sermonize on abortion, etc. Tomorrow we have a blessing of the bells…the priests are so excited abt. it. My democrat friend said that if a Catholic has an abortion it is on their soul not hers. I am wondering about the souls of the priests who did not speak on the evils of killing a babe in the womb.  Maybe I am being unfair, but had to get it out of my system. By the way: Am I my Brother’s Keeper?  Please explain that to me. I felt I had a right to tell my friend where she was wrong about God’s teaching.

“I am pro-life.  But I am also “pro-life” for the lives already in existence, American, Iraqi, the poor, the elderly, the disabled.”

Paula Marie Bernadette, you said you are “a practicing Catholic;” then you go to Sunday obligation Mass. How important is your own word to you?  If you willingly say something in Mass, do you really believe it?  Do you believe God is the creator of life?  When you “profess to believe” in the “Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,” do you really believe that?  When you are standing before Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and are praying the Our Father, the only prayer Jesus ever taught us so we would know how to talk to the Father, do you really believe what you are praying for - that God’s “will be done on earth?  And to “not be lead into temptation?”  “And delivered from evil?”

Do you believe God is the creator of life?  Does He create life to be aborted?  Is not abortion, evil? Is God in contradiction with himself;  or are Catholics who give their name identification and support to a political organization that is diabolically opposed to what they profess to believe and pray for?  Is the feeling of moral superiority too much of a temptation to resist?

You don’t fight evil by contributing to it and endorsing it with your name.  If your own word isn’t any good, no matter how much pray, you are relying on God’s mercy.  But God’s mercy, according to the pastor at this morning’s Mass, “is for those who are remorseful and repentant.”

If Catholic Democrats really believed what they profess to believe and pray for in Mass on Sundays, they would remove their names from that organization and stop supporting it until the party reversed its position on abortion, and now, same-sex marriage.  They don’t have to become Republicans; just stop being Democrats and supporting them.  Being Catholic is enough; I know, I’m a former Catholic Democrat from south Chicago. 

As a young man I registered with the party to which I thought I identified with more. I remain so registered in order to have some voice in my “progressive” city. My first presidential vote was also my last for a democrat because, I beleive, I became enlightened.  While individuals make mistakes, whether they be priests, teachers, or politicians, true philosophy must be examined when we struggle with decisions of significance such as, on who to support politically or whether the “Church” remains worthy of our support. Continuing to be true to our teachings and our Church despite the wrong decisions of men committed in her name is vital to her existence and needs to emphasized.  Actually voting for candidates whose core philosophy supports ending life despite the science it tells us we ignore is, in my view, ignoring truth.  Voting for candidates who belong to a party that has made serious mistakes may well be the only thing we can agree everyone who has ever voted has done. Looking back on mistakes made by the GOP is not sufficient excuse to ignore a platform that denies God, and a philosophy that is anti faith of all kinds,  outright antagonistic of ours, and is complicit in allowing the unrestricted death to the unborn. Still distressed from the outcome of the latest election, I pray that it’s not too late for our nation, our Church, my city, all people of faith, and Paula.

I just listened to a 11/29 recorded copy of The World Over, with a Archbishop Lori speaking on religious liberty and the HHS Mandate. No where did the Archbishop refer to contraception as a grave sin. NO WHERE DO WE EVER HEAR that the use of contraception is a grave sin.

I thought the focus on the HHS mandate as an attack on religious liberty was a good one before the election. But now, would someone plead with the Bishops and explain that the reason people don’t think of the HHS mandate as a big deal, is because the use of contraception in general is thought to be no big deal.
We need a Prophetic Voice! Instead all we are getting for the most part is a mambe pansy rhetoric.

My wife and I have lived in the same Diocese for 20+ years, and in that time we have visited many Churches in the area and we have never heard a Homily on the use of contraception! Never, ever!
If it were not for the Real Presence, I would not know how to manage.

Why don’t the Bishops who do not speak or instruct their priests to teach on contraception -come out and say “Let the abortions, emrbyonic stem cell research, “gay” marriage, legalized suicide (barely defeated in MA) continue!”
Because in NOT actually saying anything about contraception, it’s pretty much the same thing.

I have spoken abt. my friend who drives to church with me every Sunday, who is a Democrat and who voted for Obama. I also gave her the article Bishop Paprocki wrote on this Register. So one day I asked her [in a very nice way] that since she seems to be a devout Catholic, was a charismatic at one time, etc., why she and 50% Catholics voted for Obama when he supports abortions and is giving the CC a hard time and that the CC has 40 suits against the Obamacare. Before she could really answer me I said that I blamed our priests in our Parish because they never spoke abt. abortion until a visiting priest spoke on abortion 3 weeks AFTER THE ELECTION. Her answer to me was “our priest did say something” I asked what and she said “our Priest said to be careful when you vote”. Big deal! Then she said “I pray the Rosary, go to Church and read my Bible.” What other people do is not my business. So, I will ask someone on this blog again EXACTLY WHAT DOES MY BROTHERS KEEPER MEAN. I would think it means our priests should teach us about the Teachings of Christ over and over again. As to myself, I felt I did my duty by giving my friend Bishop Paprocki’s message about the Democrat Platform being evil.
Today is Recognition of Aids Day [Dec.1st] Why is Obama so concerned with “women’s health” that he promotes abortion and the pill for women. [which has side affects] I never realized that being pregnant was an illness.{sarcasm]
If they want to cut down on Aids, [which is a terrible disease] then why doesn’t he speak on giving men free condoms.  That to me would make more sense.  Following the rules/laws of the CC is difficult, but when one REALLY thinks about it, it is for the betterment of mankind. This country is really losing it and our Church is bending to society.

@DavidWS: I am convinced that the Church is afraid of losing parishioners if they say anything about abortion/contraception. I do remember back in the sixties when a priest told the Women’s Club that you could use contraception if you do it with a clear conscience. I really believe they still think that way. I personally know a woman who is cohabitating, the priest knows it and she still goes to Communion., Yes, it is between her the Priest and God, but it sets an example as does the Priests who give Pelosi Communion. I guess the Priest feel that she is still better off being part of the Church. It just is not consistent, just as a parent who is not consistent when teaching their child. They get mixed up.  So, in the end, we just have to ignore what is going on in the Church and just live according to our Catechism and Bible.  I will agree that so many people in Church today are not Catechized, especially the ones who have gone through public schools.

@Sue (old),
My children have attended public schools but they are catechized, simply because my wife and I practice what we preach. The priest that spoke to your woman’s group in the sixties misled people towards believing that the Church was in Error and not the Voice of Christ on earth. I’m not judging him, but that is what he did.
That mindset is still prevalent today with older priests.

What’s needed now is teaching on the evils of contraception and the benefits of NFP also called feetility awareness method (FAM).

I tell anyone who I might meet, because I love them. I see so very little everywhere else. This focus by the Bishops on only religious liberty must end. They must present FAM, the evils of contraception AND religious liberty. Their eternal destination may depend on it.

I will forgive a Catholic that votes for a liberal because they might not know any better.  I will not forgive a nun, priest or bishop because they SHOULD know better.  They can’t possibly be telling us how to live when they think this way.  This is why many of the so called good Catholics are beginning to doubt the Catholic faith.