Another Day, More Lame Excuses

Here is an article about some of Florida’s Catholic politicians.

MIAMI — As a practicing Roman Catholic and legislator, state Rep. Tim Ryan tries to balance his personal faith with his duties to his South Florida district.

The Dania Democrat has voted to support abortion rights, putting him – along with some other Catholic lawmakers in Florida – into a national debate on whether Catholic politicians who break with church policy should receive Holy Communion.

Ryan says he will continue to receive Communion "if I am allowed," but needs to serve constituents with a broad range of religious beliefs.

"Why should I use the power that I have as an elected official to impose upon many people’s faiths my church’s doctrine?" Ryan said.

I think what annoys me the most about this debate is how intellectually vapid the excuses are and that these same excuses are used by countless people who say them as if they actually mean anything.

..Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate who supports abortion rights, declined to say whether he would no longer receive Communion, calling it "personal."

The parents of two children, Penelas said if he and his wife conceived another child, "we would choose to accept that child. But that’s my own personal belief and that doesn’t mean I’m going to impose my own personal beliefs on someone else."

I am open to life, buy hey if you want to abort yours – well I wouldn’t want to impose my personal belief.

For state Rep. Susan Bucher, D-Royal Palm Beach, the debate over abortion has contributed to her decision to no longer attend Mass. Bucher said she received a letter from a diocese last year denouncing her votes on abortion-related issues. She tore it up.

"I resent that the Catholic church wants to get involved in my politics," Bucher said.

Bravo to her diocese for writing her, It obviously struck a nerve. Hopefully one day she will understand why this angered her so much and that maybe her faith in abortion on demand isn’t as strong as she thought.

…Some Catholic elected officials who oppose abortion rights said the decision on whether to confront Catholics at the Communion line should be left to the church.

"I like the fact that there is very little movement with the times in the Catholic church," said Gov. Jeb Bush, who converted to Catholicism after his 1994 bid for governor. "While it is not absolute and there have been some changes, it’s about as timeless as one can get in one’s faith."

It is nice to have a Catholic Governor who actually seems to be on the right side of most pro-life issues. His fight to help save Terri Schiavo has been laudable. Now if only he come to a fuller Catholic understanding of the use of the death penalty and retire Old Sparky.