On the Laura Ingraham show today she had Raymond Arroyo on again and they were talking about the election and the Bishop’s meeting that he attended.
Laura Ingraham: Here is the problem, how many of the bishops voted for Obama.
Raymond Arroyo: …The bishops I spoke to say that maybe half of their brother bishops if not more voted for Obama. Because they thought the symbol of Obama would overcome racism and be a great healer and unity.
This of course is total hearsay and not verifiable. If true, which I suspect it is than it certainly explains a lot. How in the world can we be surprised if 45 percent of Mass attending Catholics voted for Obama if that percentage or more of the Bishops did. Though even if this was ten or five percent it would still be scandalous.
Though to look on the bright side maybe the number of Catholic bishops voting for a pro-abortion candidate is down from previous years. The Bishops were certainly much more vocal this year with a large segment making statements on the election. Though as Raymond Arroyo also said we can’t really expect the statements to make much difference when they come out just before an election and the animals have already escaped the barn with people being indoctrinated with culture of death beliefs from the time they are a child.
But I don’t want to be all whinny about the bishops when some have been quite active and forceful in what should be our reaction to protecting life. American Papist covers some of the statement here.
Cardinal George’s address to the USCCB was an excellent response in addressing these issues.
Though creating a true culture of life is certainly not on just the bishop’s shoulders or the parish priests either, but on all of us to live the faith and to defend life.
32 comments
I hadn’t even considered the possibility that the Bishops voted Dem… A few radical priests maybe, but bishops?! What then is a statement from the Council if not a public statement of Church teaching as it relates to the issues of the day? To publish and then ignore is, indeed, scandalous.
With all due respect Jeff, but “Cardinal George’s address to the USCCB was an excellent response in addressing these issues.”?
Blablablablaaaaaahhh: “On this issue, the legal protection of the unborn, the bishops are of one mind with Catholics and others of good will … The bishops are single-minded because they are, first of all, single-hearted… This statement is written at the request and direction of all the Bishops….”
Is this “Faithful Citizenship” all over again?
Do you keep in mind the HOURLY BUTCHERED here?
Or is this a JOKE? An open mockery of Rome’s Gospel of Life?
Pleeeeease!!! The USCCB do talk the talk, but NOT walk the walk of excommunicating the “Catholic” abortion lawmakers.
RESULT: MILLIONS (just check the numbers) of “Cafeteria Catholics” bought the actual non-negotiable genocide as trivial.
When will the USCCB have the spine to… bomb the murderers nest (USA Congress), via PUBLIC excommunication (Rome’s Law) of lawmakers direct-formal co operators of abortion?
How will the USCCB be judged historically (not by you or me), down the road?
Best regards
Were their any Bishops who wrote articles expressing views based upon Church teaching which they felt justified voting for Sen.Obama?
Where can they be found on the internet?
I must say that the thought that any of the bishops would vote for Obama never occurred to me either. I guess that I am very naive…very sad and very naive.
The only way anybody could know if any bishops voted for Obama would be for those bishops themselves to tell someone. Perhaps they did, but it’s really impossible to know for sure. The statement by Arroyo is hearsay.
If they did, however, that is a very sad commentary on the state of the Church today.
May Pope John Paul the Great intercede for our bishops!
I can recall many instances in the past few years when pro-abortion politicians were given homage at Catholic institutions, either with the local bishop’s blessing or him looking the other way. Three names come to mind.
The possibility of bishops actually voting against the clear teaching of the Church by voting for Obama never occurred to me. I hope the Sacrament of Reconciliation was available at the Conference, in that case. How could bishops agree that Catholics supporting abortion should not present themselves for Communion if they, themselves, voted for a pro-abortion candidate?
Hmmm…I’m hoping that Arroyo is way off on this one. It just doesn’t make sense. (I could understand a wolf or two…say, one out of 12, even, quietly doing his own thing for what he sees as “justifiable” reasons, but if the true number was 1/2 or more, I would have thought there would have been more censure than unified stance on abortion at the Conference.)
Hey, wait a minute! That’s my bishop quoted there on AMP!! Yikes. Quite a quote, too. He lent us his prophetic voice on the sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood during our 40 Days For Life campaign this year. (Thank you, God, for our apostle, whom we greatly need in RI!!)
To put his quote in context, it might be helpful to remember that he has stood against abortion and in defense of the little ones consistently and clearly all along. And yet, most Rhode Islanders, despite our Catholic majority, voted for Obama. (As he tells all of us who gather to listen, he simply cannot do this alone. We, also, need to speak, teach and act in defense of the defenseless.)
A young abortion escort at a clinic last week even held Obama’s “Audacity of Hope” over her chest for protection.(Does she think he can save her soul?)Perhaps the book should be renamed “The Audacity of Evil”.
I don’t think that the prophetic voice referred to is to equal Obama’s false prophecies, but would be using the Truth as a sword to overcome the worst evil of recent generations.
The prophets didn’t split hairs and worry about offending people. The apostles spoke, taught, and lived the truth…they challenged others to do the same. Our bishops have begun to stand, even though it took the horrific results of certain errors to prompt many of them to their feet. Honestly, I don’t think that many of them understood who they were talking to, or how deluded the people had become. We’re at the point where we need deliverance, not persuasion.
“A consistent life ethic”, which is mentioned in churches as a petition in lieu of “the millions of innocent unborn children who will die this year if we continue to do nothing.” could well be the cause of many brutal deaths and many “millstones”.
I don’t mean to sound like a jerk, but how can anyone be surprised that half the bishops may have voted for Obama? Sure it’s hearsay, but if you analyze the behavior of the bishops and how ineffective and silent they are on a host of issues it should not be shocking. So many chancerys are full of those who water down or ignore Church teachings. “Respect Life” has simply become background noise in many places. I know from personal experience that many priests voted for him. They all seem to be of “that generation.”
Maybe the concept of sin is different for the laity than it is for the clergy. After all they hear our confessions, we never hear theirs!
Well, I figure Bishop Gregory and Cardinal O’Malley voted for Obama but the others? Probably but we can’t be sure.
Well, I figure Bishop Gregory and Cardinal O’Malley voted for Obama but the others? Probably more than half.
As everyone is rightly aghast at the possibility of Bishops (or anyone else who values life for that matter) voting for Obama, there is plenty of finger pointing to go around. Solid catechesis is the answer –is everyone on these blogs involved in your parish in RCIA, CCD and every other area of Catholic education at home, parish and Catholic school? Are you writing articles for the Diocese newspaper? Bible and Catechism study in your home? Spreading the word of orthodox Catholic teaching is a job for the laity AND clergy. They have their job, but we have ours as well. We are all called to evangelize. The fault for this mess is ours as well.
to have voted for Obama means that you do NOT know who JESUS is.Many people are in danger of going to an eternal after life in hell.
Dymphna,
I’m not exactly sure where you get off saying Cardinal O’Malley voted for Obama given a very public interview with the Boston Globe in which he said he found Obama and his abortion-on-demand-presidency “horrifying.”
Maybe in the future you won’t presume to attribute actions to people you have no evidence whatsoever for.
Jeff, You’re such a great optimist!
“to look on the bright side maybe the number of Catholic bishops voting for a pro-abortion candidate is down from previous years.”
Got keep looking on the bright side!
(and keeping a sense of humor, albeit, gallows humor!)
Fr. Tom did another excellent job summing things up in his latest newsletter:
http://www.hli.org/sl_2008-11-14.html
I was going to jump on that idea of Cardinal O’Malley voting for Obama, Thomas. That sounded absurd to me, too. He’d have to have multiple personalities in order to have done that. 🙂
But Dymphna, why would you think that he had? I’ve never known him to be wishy-washy on life issues.
Did you read Cardinal O’Malley’s interview about being a teenager in DC after MLK was assasinated? He talked about the racism he saw and marveled at America’s progress. He didn’t come off as being sad about the election at all.
Right, there is no apostasy here folks. The Church is not in ruins. The only dangerous bishops are the traditional ones that like latin and dogma. Don’t pay attention to half of the American bishops who cooperated with evil, are heretics, and apostates. Remember, springtime people, springtime.
Such a statement of Mr. Arroyo’s shows a complete lack of charity, and may consist in detraction. His words, as quoted, make him sound not only inconsiderate, but snide. Whether or not someone agrees or respects a bishop, let us please at least treat the office of bishop with respect.
Antonio, sorry for this rant but I have to let it out! I live in California were prop8 passed, thank God! but the radical homosexual groups and supporters are harrassing people and organizations who supported prop8 and they even shoved an elderly woman in Palm Springs the other day which I saw on Fox news. Yes, I even got a nasty letter on my car which was parked in my driveway and my McCain Palin bumper sticker was stolen off my car at a local store. I get mean looks and today my father was harrased by a lady in the neighbor hood for voting for McCain Palin.
I am sick and tired of the scare tactics people use by calling people uncharitable and are detracting bla bla…You sound like the Obama cult members.
By their fruits you shall know them! We have a Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI that has warned us against secular humanism and Holy Fathers of the past that warned against communism etc… We are in for big trouble here in the USA with Obama as president. Thank you lukewarm bishops, priests and laity for the destruction of this country. Communism / marxism entered into many sectors of the Church. It was here in this country via the democrat party . All it needed was many church members and leaders in their camp. Starts with hooking the laity with artifical birth control, filling the seminaries with false heretical teachings, communists/marxisits (read 1025 anti-apostle by Tan books, I didn’t want to believe that book but I sure do now!) and stock them with practicing homosexuals ( read ‘goodbye goodmen’ book), destroy the nuns with new age/ pagan beliefs, teach false teachings and watering down Catholic teachings in schools and universities, and destroy the Liturgy! I could on and on. Wake up, but it is probably too late now! I will be clinging to “my Religion and guns”, because I will have to defend my family against Obama’s civilian security force aka Gestapo or Hitlers brown shirts. Yes, Barack Obama has said it himself! Iam so disgusted with the church in the USA for their suport of ACORN through Campaign of Human Developement. Like many bishops didn’t know of the marxists left wing projects it supported!! It is all very sick and disturbing. Come next week in my diocese when they ask for money to support CHUD, I will tell them go and ask your president ” messiah” Obama for the money he seems to be rolling in the dough! I gotta go and pray that The Sumpreme court will rule Obama is not a USA natural born citizen so it would invalidate his election as the president. God Bless you and May God have mercy on The USA.
Dymphna,
Did you read the whole thing? If I wasn’t too tired and lazy to look for it I would, but I am tired. He went on to use it his experience to make a point at how even though racism is an important issue personally to him, the life issue trumps the racial one.
Aw heck, I looked anyway. Here it is:
http://amywelborn.wordpress.com/2008/11/11/the-cardinal-interviewed/
My joy, however, is tempered by the knowledge that this man has a deplorable record when it comes to prolife issues and is possibly in the pocket of Planned Parenthood which in its origins was a very racist organization to eliminate the blacks, and it’s sort of ironic that he’s been co-opted by them. However, he is the president, and everyone wishes him well, and we will try to work with him. However, I hope he realizes that his election was not a mandate to rush ahead with a pro-abortion platform. And the fact that in states like Florida and California, where he won, the referendums on marriage showed that the people who were more socially conservative voted for him, but voted for him for other reasons than for issues like this.
ONLY half? Wow, things are improving in the episcopate.
That would mean perhaps that half are indeed faithful shepherds who folow the Church’s teaching and that would be a big increase over what has been inflicted on us in past decades.
Dear Susan,
To quote a recent pontiff, and the Savior of the World, be not afraid. I neither support Mr. Obama as a candidate for the office of president of the United States nor do I belong to a cult, at least the pejorative meaning of the word cult you used, for I could be said to participate in the cult which is that of Latin Rite of the Catholic Church.
It seems to me that no matter who you disagree with, nor how strongly you disagree with them, there is always the responsibility to treat them with Christian charity and the respect due to all mankind.
Perhaps if we prayed for our bishops instead of just grumbling about their fallen human nature, God would be induced to animate that weak human nature with the strong stuff of His grace.
One can argue that Pontius Pilate overcame racism by sentencing Jesus to death. Scripture says that he and Herod became friends.
“My joy, however, is tempered by the knowledge that this man has a deplorable record when it comes to prolife issues and is possibly in the pocket of Planned Parenthood which in its origins was a very racist organization to eliminate the blacks, and it’s sort of ironic that he’s been co-opted by them.”
POSSIBLY? Ok, I have to admit that Cardinal Sean must not have viewed Obama’s speech to Planned Parenthood,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUl99id2SvM
If he has, and his “joy” is not changed to trembling at the just wrath of God, I will worry, as well as pray, for him. Do you think he ever has time to read, as well as post to, his blog? Cuz if so…maybe we should send him the youtube evidence of PP’s bulging pockets?
Hopingforheaven, “Only half” was my first thought too. When I remember that, among all the Catholic bishops in England at the time, only one–John Fisher–refused to sign Henry VIII’s mandatum, I’m not surprised by this number. I am surprised, however, that Arroyo succombed to passing along this bit of gossip…that’s all it could possibly be, like Sr Lorraine said above.
🙂 ahem 🙂
From Cardinal Sean’s keyboard:
http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/
There is nothing here to indicate that he has not given the life of the unborn priority over other issues. His concern about other issues is not any sort of proof that he would have supported a pro-abortion candidate.
I agree with Cardinal Sean that most Catholics who voted for Obama probably did not do so because of his pro-abortion stance, but I disagree about why they voted for him. From what I hear around me, they were charmed by the candidate, and many still are.
Here, though, is an interesting phenomenon: in the same states where Catholics were running around for the last six months with their fingers in their ears, terrified lest someone should try to dictate their vote, people are now complaining in loud “shocked” voices that, “we were never told we couldn’t vote for Obama.”
Maybe this means some have finally removed their ear plugs, opened their eyes, and are preparing to wake up? Please keep up the prayers. At least if they wake up now they can fight FOCA. And be sorry for their dip into idolatry. God is merciful.
Bravo Susan! You go girl!
You sound like you’ve done your Catholic homework well!
Raymond Arroyo is the EWTN host of “The World Over Live”. For those of you in Rio Linda, that’s the Catholic Global Television Network founded by Mother Angelica (Eternal Word Television Network). Raymond is a veteran news commentator and anchor……but much UNLIKE Dan Rather, he sticks to the Catholic facts, and has very close ties & friends with the Bishops and Church hierarchy. Anyone who has watched Raymond on EWTN through a few Popes knows that he has his sources; and gets the “inside story”. His commented related a factual discussion he had with several Bishops, where the bishops said probably half of them voted for Obama. That would also be Bishop Mahoney too.
Susan is corrected, in that this watered down faith began when the Kennedys and Rockafellers (sp)offerd (bought out) Notre Dame with millions of dollars in grants many years ago, if they would soften their stand on use of contraceptives by Catholics. The predictions of Pope Paul VI too…..and the rest is history.
If you even read the letters on the Priests for Life website, you see that even Fr. Pavone has given up on the clergy, in advocating that the laiety take up the lead in the Pro-Life movement in their Parishes, and help their priests if the pastor supports a pro-life agenda.
The sheep will become the shepherds…because some of the shepherds have become the wolves in devouring our souls! In his time on Earth, Jesus called them a “brood of vipers” – still now more concerned with the Parish $$income and power.
The scripture tells us that because of The Truth, father will be set against son, and mother against daughter! It is time for the laiety to ACT! We are to call our brothers and sister to reject their sinful ways; then if they don’t listen, we bring several believers to confront them; if they reject that, we laiety must openly and publically confront the sin! This is our duty! Read the documents of Vatican II – maybe that’s the part some liberal Catholics don’t like! It that is “harsh” and “uncharitable”, so be it!
We are talking sin and the fate of our mortal souls here! Time to be a modern martyr!
I have no more idea when the end times are than Jesus did.
I do not purport to know the mind of God.
It may well be that things have consistently been this bad throughout history.
YetI wouldn’t be shocked if it should turn out that we literally are, in actual earth years, close to the 2nd coming.
I read these articles and think of the biblical comment of whether, upon coming again, He will find any faith left in the world?
Then again, there are many pockets and remnants of the good and faithful left. Hence, the attacks by the media upon them, so maybe we are a long way off yet…
So 220 Bishops signed the statement on closing down all Catholic Hospitals over the FOCA issue. How many of the bishops were available to vote? Is that about half of them? If so that would make sense that about half voted for Obama
It’s incorrect to say that Church teachings would preclude someone from voting for Obama. The fact that half the bishops voted for him ought to clue you guys into that fact.
Instead of assuming that half the bishops have ‘fallen’ and thrown out Church teaching, perhaps you should instead examine your own conscience. Or are you now all protestants?