The bishop said that scandal could arise if the Catholic Church is seen to be involved in honoring such officials.
John M. Dougherty, the Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton, explained Bishop Martino’s views in a Feb. 6 letter to John Keeler, President of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick of Lackawanna County.
Saying that St. Peter’s Cathedral plays “no small role” in the local observance of St. Patrick’s Day, Bishop Dougherty noted that local celebrations often honor elected public officials. This honoring takes place when they are given parade positions or dais opportunities.
“While some of the officials have merited the pride our local people take in them, others have positions and voting records that have contributed to the daily killing of the unborn by abortion,” Bishop Dougherty wrote.
Is the Bishop's action justified? It seems that it is. The story continues:
"According to WNEP-TV, parade organizers say they’ve never honored pro-abortion politicians in their parade and don’t plan to start."
Well, here's a picture from the Scranton Times-Tribune showing Hilary Clinton was there just last year:
"Politicians of all stripes have marched in Scranton’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in the past four-plus decades, from governors to members of Congress to mayors.
But Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presence at the festivities Saturday will thrust the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Association of Lackawanna County Inc. into entirely uncharted territory."
But Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presence at the festivities Saturday will thrust the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Association of Lackawanna County Inc. into entirely uncharted territory."
And today's Scranton Times Tribune reports: Parade will comply with bishop's abortion-rights ban.
Not so tough, was it? He's not only teaching his Archdiocese, he's teaching other bishops!
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
3 comments:
I can see both sides. Woman's health is very important and it should be very carefully dealt with because it is about one's life. At the same time, if you can avoid having abortion, this should be also considered because it is also about a life. Is there any way to accommodate both arguments? I will certainly think about choosing some type of middle ground.
The question here, fejioa, is not about finding middle ground, but what is right and what is wrong. And it comes down to this: when does life begin? When sperm and egg meet, and a new set of DNA is formed, then biologically a new human being has come into existence. As Catholics, we believe that while the parents provide the biological material to this human, God provides the soul which is required for the body to live. This happens at the moment of conception, and from that point on we are talking about a human being, one who deserves the same protection under the laws as a baby, a child, or an adult. When does life begin: that is the only important question. Everything else is secondary. Many laws restricting abortion feature exceptions for the health of the mother, which you mention. But life either begins in the womb or it doesn't--there cannot be a middle ground between those choices.
Dear friend,
The reason for writing this is to direct you to a special site for
prayers and devotions so badly needed for these end times. Remember
the wise words of st. Augustine: understanding is the reward of
faith, so seek not to understand so as to believe but to believe so as
to understand.
www.chapletoftearsofmysorrows.com
Please do recite the chaplets contained therein and heed to the
revelations to that apostolate.
God bless.
Jay.
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