Archbishop Curtiss weighs in on the election (implies Catholics should not vote for Obama)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10475391

Published Saturday November 1, 2008
Archbishop Curtiss weighs in on the election
BY CHRISTOPHER BURBACH
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

With Election Day just around the corner, Omaha Archbishop Elden Curtiss is weighing in on the battle for the Catholic vote with a letter that implies Catholics should not vote for Barack Obama.

Curtiss' letter, to be read at Masses or inserted in church bulletins at parishes this weekend, does not mention Obama, John McCain or any other candidate by name.


Archbishop Elden Curtiss


The Rev. Joseph Taphorn, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Omaha, said the letter is not an endorsement of any candidate or meant to tell parishioners how to vote; rather, it is guidance to local Catholics on the principles of their faith as they apply to voting.

Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, supports a woman's right to make reproductive decisions and supports keeping abortion legal. McCain, the Republican nominee, opposes allowing abortions except in cases of rape, incest or a threat to the life of the mother and believes that Roe v. Wade — the 1973 Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal — should be overturned, though he opposed overturning Roe v. Wade during the 2000 primary campaign.

Curtiss' letter says "the very first right we must protect, if all human rights are to be protected, is the right to life for the unborn. Those who do not understand or accept this basic human right are unworthy of our trust."

Taphorn said Curtiss was not available for comment for this article. The archbishop said what he wanted to say in the letter, the chancellor said.

FULL story at link.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Thrill]

2. Some of these people are continuing to show they are bigots.

Never seen them go out of their way against a Democratic candidate.

I wonder why now? hmmmmmmmmm

[The Magistrate]

3. The Man Needs To Start Budgeting For Taxes On The Arch-Dioscian Real Estate, Sir

It used to be that Catholics and their clergy in this country made a point of insisting their votes in our democracy were the acts of independent citizens, and not directed by priests and bishops....

[Chloroplast]

10. As a Catholic, I support that measure wholeheartedly.

If the Church (or any other religious faction) wants to preach politics from the pulpit, get ready for Uncle Sam to get his portion of the collection plate. I'm tired of so-called Christians doing exactly what the Bible warns us against: 'Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and render unto God what is God's.' How so simple a phrase is ignored or just not understood boggles the mind. I'd love to see some of those smug priests have to declare the thousands in gifts they receive every year.

[The Magistrate]

11. Your Comment, Ma'am, Is Much Appreciated By This Hard Old Infidel

It is hard for me to imagine a good man like the late Cardinal Bernardine engaging in this sort of thing....

[Hansel]

4. McCain is a war monger. Waits til babies are born which is

apparently much better to this jerk.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Joe Bacon]

6. time for the Archbishop to start paying taxes

We'll listen to you once YOU pay your taxes. Do that "render unto Caesar" shit, fool and get off of welfare!

[regnaD kciN]

7. Is this the same right-wing loon...

...who, a number of years ago, ordered his priests to refuse to marry any couple that had been "living together" unless they first separated for three months? (Most clergy will react to such a situation with relief that the couple is "finally doing the right thing.")

If not, well, maybe Omaha gets stuck with wingnut bishops on a regular basis.

[Justitia]

9. Well, he directly tried to hide a pedophile priest from the law who was "like a son" to him

And continues to defend, apologize and protect him today:

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news3/2002_06_10_Olson_ProsecutorWont_Robert_Allgaier_8.htm

[Missouri Girl]

8. He's preaching to the choir in Nebraska - no effect.

Having said that, I will not be going to Church this weekend. Guess what that means - no money in the collection basket. I wish all Catholics and any other denominations would do the same. The collections are after the homilies or sermons. If they talk politics - do not donate. Make your statement there.

[juno jones]

12. Tax 'em all, Let the IRS sort 'em out n/t

[rvablue]

13. You know why is it OK on DU and in most progressive circles to bash Catholics

I'm sick and tired of it.

I'm a Catholic and the comments on this thread offend me.

What if I posted something like this but it was about a Jew or a Muslim -- I would get flamed all day long and the thread would probably get locked.

Catholics are voting for Obama. And to say horrible things about our Pope or call them "child rapists" when there are many, many great and wonderful priests in Catholocism is just down right nasty and bigoted for that matter.

We went on and on and on here on DU about the McCain comment to that crazy old lady and how it wasn't sufficient enough because he should have told her there was nothing wrong with being an Arab. We've said the same again and again on here about Muslims and how badly they as a group have been treated in the U.S.

But you know what. The people who killed on 9/11 were Muslims. The people killing our service men and women in Iraq are Muslims. My point is some Muslims do some bad things, but we have the brains here on DU to figure out that of course, that does not apply to them as an ethnic/religious group.

PLEASE HAVE THE SAME RESPECT FOR ME AND FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH!

[nyc 4 Biden]

14. Thank you RVA!

I agree 100%. The anti-religion (especially ant-Catholic) bigotry on DU is appalling.

And by the way "Obama holds a commanding 59% to 31% edge over McCain among Catholics nationwide."

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/la-oe-rutten29-2008oct29,1,3091816.column

[The Magistrate]

16. No One, Sir, Holds The Excesses Of A Clergyman Against The Parishoners

To their credit, the people in the pews mostly think for themselves and ignore statements like this Arch-Bishop has made.

But statements like this, and some elements of Catholic teaching on various social concerns, are going to come under well deserved criticism in a forum dedicated to left and progressive views.

[nyc 4 Biden]

21. Sir, I am not agreeing with this Archbishop at all,

Nor am I accusing the OP of anything. I don't think anyone in the Catholic hierarchy should be telling parishioners who to vote for. And I am obviously against anyone who protected child-molesters. What I am appalled at are the du'ers making broad-stroke attacks against Catholics daily. Well-deserved criticism is fine, but I would say most of the hit and run attacks are hateful and ignorant.

ETA: Thank you for deleting those hateful posts above by the way.

[The Magistrate]

24. It Did Not Seem To Me That You Were, Sir

When broad-brush attacks come to our notice, we remove them.

This sort of thing can work both ways, you understand. People cross the line in attacking the Church broadly over statements like this, and people coming to the defense of the Church sometimes cross the line in accusing legitimate criticism of being mere smear and expression of bigotry, seemingly in an attempt to shut down any criticism at all.

[nyc 4 Biden]

28. I agree with your point, and commend the job

you and the other admins are doing to hamper the baseless attacks.

[bulloney]

27. "Obama holds a commanding 59% to 31% edge over McCain among Catholics nationwide."

I think it's a sign that Catholics are fed up with the hypocrisy of their church's administration. They hide the pedophiles, hoping things blow over before the offenders are exposed.

I've had a hard time figuring how single, celebate men can project themselves as authority figures over things such as reproductive rights and marriage. It's the height of arrogance in my opinion. I've always felt that experience is the best teacher.

I've wondered if, the day occurs in which priest may marry, if there would be so many of them taking the far-right positions that they take during election season.

[Omaha Steve]

15. JFK was a Catholic

I didn't expect this post to go the way it did. I too ask the DU to remember this is the DU. Let us have courtesy and respect with our fellow members.

[olegramps]

29. The majority of Catholics didn't support Kerry.

I will wait and see what percentage of Catholics support Obama. Catholic Bishops who de facto support the defeat of Obama are fair game, just like the nitwit evangelicals and fundamentalists. These bishops are not only supporting McCain, but encouraging a vote against the Democratic candidate while they endorse a bastard that deserted his crippled wife. He broke a solemn vow that the choose to ignore. As far as I am concerned, by their support of Bush they endorsed a war in which ten of thousands of Iraqi men, women and children have been murdered and over four million driven from their homes. I lump the Catholic bishops that do this to being little more than hypocrites. As far as the abuse of children by priests, it isn't a rare occasion but it was a massive problem that they attempted to hide and has led to the bankruptcy of several dioceses. Check the statistics and you will find that its Catholic women who are in the top percentage of women having abortions. Seems they have failed miserably to be able to convince their own flock.

I was born and raised a Catholic and I even attended seminary where I did my undergraduate work. When my wife had two still born children, thank God our first child lived, it was discovered by our incompetent Catholic doctor that she was Rh- and I Rh+. This good Catholic man even tried to hide this fact from us. He was more concerned about being sued than my wife's wellbeing. Since the church opposed contraception, I got a vasectomy and left the church. I could no longer see being a member of something that I disagreed with so vehemently. My wife still attends faithfully. We have an agreement that she can contribute to the church and I will contribute my share to charities and during elections to defeat of Republican liars.

[regnaD kciN]

17. Uh..

And to say horrible things about our Pope or call them "child rapists" when there are many, many great and wonderful priests in Catholocism is just down right nasty and bigoted for that matter.

Just where are you seeing such things on this thread?

FWIW, I'm an "Old Catholic" priest, so not affiliated with Rome. Nonetheless, I've been pretty vocal about the amount of Christian- and Catholic-bashing that goes on on DU. But, to my relief, I haven't seen any of that in this thread -- it seems to be directed specifically against one cleric as opposed to the Church as a whole.

P.S.: It's spelled "Catholicism."

[The Magistrate]

19. You Will Note, Sir, Two Deletions Above

The characterization of them in the post you replied to is accurate.

[rvablue]

23. Thank you for your post, Father

but the reason why you don't see the things I was referring to on this thread is because they have been deleted by the moderator. Those were the "bashings" I was railing against, not the OP. I have no issue with criticizing things that the church or some clergy may do or say, it was the specific things that I mentioned that were said downthread that now have been removed.

Look upthread, Father, and you will see two deleted posts.

And thanks for the spell check, I was miffed and posted too quickly without checking first myself.

[The Magistrate]

18. 'Catholic Bashing', Ma'am, Is Not 'OK' On This Forum

As you can see above, comments that do so are removed when they come to our attention.

However, statements like this one highlighted in the O.P., and clergymen who make them, are certainly liable to criticism here, and that criticism is well deserved.

[rvablue]

25. I have ZERO issue with the OP, the thread you removed were the ones I questioned

thank you.

and I'm sorry if my post seemed to question the intent of the OP.

I think the OP was fine, it was the things that you deleted being said downthread that I found to be highly offensive.

[The Magistrate]

30. I Appreciate That, Ma'am

Since I was active on the thread, I thought it might be helpful to clarify matters a bit, if possible. Where feelings run high on all sides it can get a little muddied.

[Overseas]

20. Singing about bombing another country is just fine though, eh?

No conflict with Catholic life-affirming there?

[nyc 4 Biden]

26. Who are you talking about?

Bomb bomb bomb Iran? McCain? He is a Southern Baptist not a Catholic. So does that mean all Southern Baptists believe bombing is ok? He's white too, so I guess all white people believe that? Smarten up.

[The Magistrate]

31. If The Bishop Prefers A Vote For McCain, Sir, He Is Accountable For That Little Dittie

And how he squares preferring the man who sang it to SEn. Obama, and putting the man with the attitude it displays into command of the country's military instead of Sen. Obama, with Catholic teaching as a whole, would be, shall we say, interesting to see. It is hard to suggest how an honest man could do it....

[rucky]

22. Just another single-issue voter

with a collar.