I do find it intriguing, though, that the critics of the Obama column were more offended by my writing than the fact that the President is using their tax dollars to destroy unborn children.
Bishop Tobin responding to complaints about his previous column.
4 comments
Wholeheartedly agree, with Bishop Tobin, and dare to venture a call to all similarly heartbroken by the lack of focus in this scandal from USA Catholics.
What focus? Not the useless enlightening of prideful Jenkins, but asking LOUDLY TO Rome (by a massive mail appeal) to intervene. The Vatican seems entangled in the to be or not to be tiny archaic spaced out bishops that were pro-Nazi (extinct sect for all practical purposes).
Instead the FOCUS should be: THE MILLIONS MISLEADED INTO THINKING THAT ABORTION IS OK BY NOTRE DAME’S bishop D’ARCY (Jenkins’s boss, the ONE RESPONSIBLE, along with the DC Nuncio).
On this lack of priorities, read the following mockery just published in PerezHilton: >With so many problems in the world, we find it funny the Vatican has time to focus on this nonsense! Tom Hank’s latest flick, Angels & Demons, based on the best-selling novel by Dan Brown, is receiving strong opposition from the Vatican. According to Avvenire, the Vatican’s official newspaper, the church “cannot approve” the film…
How tragic, upsetting, and unnecessary!
Many “progressive” Catholics seem to believe that charity is the most important virtue and the epitome of Christianity. While it is indeed important, they always seem to forget that there are other, equally important ones. Then they get bent out of shape when some of us, especially our bishops practice a little prudence, justice, or fortitude…
Fr. Jenkins belongs to a religious order, so technically his ‘boss’ would be his superior, not the diocesan bishop.
The local bishop should, of course, have oversight of all Catholic ministry in his diocese. Unfortunately Bishop D’arcy was only informed of the matter after Mr. Obama had accepted the invitation. (On top of the outrage of the invite itself, the fact that the local Ordinary was only informed after the fact is yet another insult. ) Bishop D’arcy has already made his position clear by his public statements and his indication that he will refuse to attend the commencement. I would think that these are the warning shots, to give Fr. Jenkins the chance to repent. (The event is scheduled for May, after all. ) I’d think the bishop would save the big canonical guns until Fr. Jenkins has shown that he will not return to the path of righteousness.
Many of the responses to this column that I’ve read PROVE the Bishop’s point–we DO need a “conscience transplant”. Bishop Tobin, by standing firm in the truth of the Gospel despite every criticism and threat, is doing more to change hearts and minds in RI than anyone I know of. And since he is our appointed shepherd, that’s a great sign for the Church!
You would be amazed at the fervor of the people who “come around” to the Truth after spitting out every objection to it. I’m one of those people, and I have my bishop to thank for it, as well as God’s great mercy in sending us such a fine defender of Truth and life.
Thank you for posting this, Jeff. It encourages countless people to know that our bishops are standing up for the little ones!
I do hope that people read the entire column, though, otherwise it would seem that Bishop Tobin was saying that Jesus was uncharitable, at times. The last two paragraphs of the column are important. Still, I admit that in the earlier portion “Doesn’t sound too charitable to me” might have made a clearer point if ‘charitable’ in that refrain had been replaced with ‘nice’.
But, who am I? I am the person whose thank you letter for his support of the pro-life mission is about six months late. My goal is to get it to him by his birthday, at least. April 1, for anyone who’d like to send him a “cod”.
Some lighter words from our good bishop:
“I’ve learned that Rhode Islanders like to send fish to their friends and neighbors to mark special occasions, for example, a birthday cod, an anniversary cod, even a sympathy cod. (I know, they’re really ‘cards,’ but it doesn’t sound like it. I know, too, that you have to put up with my Pittsburgh accent that sneaks through once in awhile.)”
🙂