USCCB responds to politicians' complaint about pope

During Pope Benedict XVI's recent trip to Brazil, he reminded Catholic politicians of their responsibility to not shelve their faith when dealing with moral issues in the political arena. Eighteen Catholic Democrats in the House issued a response, essentially telling the pope to butt out of politics and that he just doesn't understand how democracy in America works. Here's the full statement.

The USCCB released a response to the letter on May 18. Among the points made:

To suggest that the Church should not clearly voice its teaching and apply it in a pluralistic society is to attack freedom of speech and freedom of religion. The Catholic Church always will and must speak out against the destruction of innocent unborn children. The right to do so is guaranteed by the Constitution that all legislators are elected to uphold. Speaking and acting against abortion is not a matter of partisan politics. It is a matter of life and death.

It's the same 'ol tired point that 55 Catholic Democrats tried to make last year in a "historic Catholic statement of principles" -- They want the Magisterium to stay out of their decision-making process. So my question is... if the Magisterium doesn't mean anything other than just another set of opinions, why are you Catholic? When one says they are Catholic, you are implying that you adhere to the teachings of and are obedient to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. You are forming your conscience with the teachings of the church, not using the world as the reason to dissent from those teachings. I can imagine the confusion that converts must feel when they come into the church and embrace the teachings of the church only to see so many longtime/cradle Catholics mock the Magisterium by picking and choosing what they want to believe and then discounting the rest.

For sure, both major political parties in this country are not saintly in their adherence to magesterial teachings of the church. The problem shows today in finding a solid presidential candidate that Catholics can rally around. But these kinds of statements are ridiculous and an insult to Catholics who are trying to stay faithful and trying to carry their crosses with Christ each day.

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Politics, Abortion and the Eucharist... again

Pope Benedict XVI stirs the waters again in the popular debate over whether bishops should deny Communion to (or possibly excommunicate) politicians who support abortion rights. During his plane ride to Brazil today, he was asked about Mexican bishops who are threatening excommunication for Catholic politicians who voted for recent legislation that legalized abortion in the country.

Asked whether he agreed with the excommunication penalty, the pope answered: "Yes, these excommunications were not something arbitrary, but are foreseen by the Code (of Canon Law). It is simply part of church law that the killing of an innocent baby is incompatible with being in communion with the body of Christ," he said.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, told reporters that the pope was not announcing a new policy on Catholic politicians. He also noted that the Mexican bishops had not announced the excommunication of anyone.

"And if the bishops haven't excommunicated anyone, it's not that the pope wants to do so," Father Lombardi said.

He said the pope was only reiterating the teaching that Catholic legislators who promote initiatives like the legalization of abortion exclude themselves from the conditions needed to participate fully in the Eucharist.