Michael Gaynor
Obama didn't "turn a corner," Father Groeschel
By Michael Gaynor
Catholic clerics, including bishops, need to obey canon law. That means refusing Communion to Speaker Pelosi, Vice President Biden, Senators Kerry and Kennedy and any other "Catholic" pro-abortion politician, regardless of sex, race, color or political affiliation, and excommunicating them if they continue to remain unrepentant.
The latest installment of "Sunday Night Live with Father Benedict Groeschel" on the Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) featured Father Groeschel expounding on what he described as a "war" between President Obama and pro-lifers like Father Groeschel over the right to life of unborn babies.
Wikipedia on Father Groeschel:
"Father Benedict Joseph Groeschel, CFR (born July 23, 1933) is a Roman Catholic priest, retreat master, author, psychologist, activist and host of the television talk program Sunday Night Live with Father Benedict Groeschel, which is broadcast on the Eternal Word Television Network. He is the director of the Office for Spiritual Development for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York as well as associate director of Trinity Retreat and the executive director of The St. Francis House. He is professor of pastoral psychology at St. Joseph's Seminary in New York and an adjunct professor at the Institute for Psychological Sciences in Arlington, Virginia. He is one of the founders of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal."
"On January 11, 2004, Fr. Groeschel was struck by an automobile while crossing a street in Orlando, Florida. He received a head injury and broken bones, and had no blood pressure, heartbeat or pulse for about 27 minutes. A few days later, the trauma triggered a near-fatal heart attack. While he was recovering from his injuries, he collaborated with John Bishop on the book 'There Are No Accidents: In All Things Trust in God,' and he broadcast his first live program on EWTN on October 24, 2004. Although the accident left him with limited use of his right arm and difficulty in walking, he was back out preaching and giving retreats by the end of 2004 and he has continued to keep a full schedule. Many consider his recovery close to a miracle. As he told the New York Times nearly four years after his accident: 'They said I would never live. I lived. They said I would never think. I think. They said I would never walk. I walked. They said I would never dance, but I never danced anyway.' Today he remains a well sought after teacher, counselor, preacher, retreat master, author and spiritual director."
Father Groeschel sadly explained that he had been "appalled" not to be able to vote for President Obama (Father Groeschel having championed civil rights even before President Obama) was born, but he could not vote for then candidate Obama because Obama favored "killing babies."
But later during the program Father Groeschel asserted that President Obama had "turned a corner" by reversing the Mexico City to permit United States funds to be used to support abortion around the world, including forced abortions in China," and that "we did not declare war on Obama, Obama declared war on us."
With all due respect to Father Groeschel, President Obama did not "turn a corner." He was pro-abortion long before he announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States.
As an Illinois state senator, Obama blocked the effort to protect babies born alive as a result of botched abortions.
As a presidential candidate, Obama pledged to sign the so-called Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) removing restrictions on abortion if he was elected.
No, Father Groeschel. President Obama did NOT "turn a corner." He is continuing straight down the pro-abortion path. He's claimed that the number of abortions somehow will be reduced if his policies are adopted, but he supports the court-created constitutional right to abortion.
YOU knew what to expect from Obama as President, so you opposed his candidacy.
Unfortunately, many of your fellow clerics, bishops included, did not.
Now the United States Catholic bishops are unanimously warning that they will close Catholic hospitals rather than have abortions performed in them and you are calling for a post card campaign against FOCA.
But, as you also said during the program, we now have "the most pro-abortion Congress in history" and there is a nearly complete media blackout on pro-life activities, such as the rally and march of over 100,000 in Washington, D.C. to protest the United States Supreme Court's creation of a constitutional right to abortion in the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and the big pro-life demonstration in California last week.
Father Groeschel's hopefulness as a result of President Obama's inaugural address was the result of wishful thinking, not an announcement by President Obama that he had expereinced an epiphany.
Father Groeschel described the actions subsequently taken and to be taken by President Obama and Congress as "a disaster"...and rightly so.
But Father Groeschel's assertion that President Obama and Vice President Biden are "very nice" persons who have been deceived about abortion simply is not credible.
The situation is much worse than that.
It is not a coincidence that the half-dozen "Catholics" in the Obama Cabinet are pro-abortion instead of pro-life.
Father Groeschel commented that "those who vote for pro-abortion candidates should not receive Communion...."
But Father Groeschel did NOT call for excommunication of Catholic pro-abortion candidates themselves.
Tragically, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which long funded an unofficlal arm of the Democrat Party known as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), did not do more to discourage Catholics from tolerating pro-abortion politicians.
We are where we are because pro-abortion politicians, like Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi have not been excommunicated, and New York's Cardinal Egan invited pro-abortion Obama to the Alfred E. Smith Dinner and treated him as acceptable instead of unacceptable.
So long as the Cathollc Church hierarchy tolerates pro-abortion politicians posing as faithful Catholics in union with the Church by receiving Communion, the death count from abortion will continuing to grow rapidly.
In the Holocaust, 6,000,000 Jews were killed.
Since 1973, 49,000,000 unborn babies have been killed in the United States, more than eight times as many as the number of Jews killed during the Holocaust.
In "Holy Communion Should Be Denied to Kerry," posted at www.catholiconline.com on May 25, 2004, I wrote:
"The protection of the Holy Eucharist must be the bishops' paramount consideration today.
"House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, an ardent abortion supporter and nominal Roman Catholic, 'fully intend[s] to receive communion, one way or another,' despite Vatican opposition to the receipt of Holy Communion by persons professing to be both Catholics in a state of grace and abortion supporters.
"Ms. Pelosi explained that receiving Holy Communion is 'very important' to her. That makes good sense politically, since a Catholic who presents herself or himself for Communion thereby represents that she or he is in a state of grace and being in a state of grace (or at least appearing to be) is still a political plus.
"Will America's Catholic bishops cooperate or chastise America's Nancy Pelosi's, Tom Daschle's, Ted Kennedy's and John Kerry's? (Prominent nominally Catholic politicians tend to be Democrats, but there are some nominally Catholic Republicans who share their perverse priorities, such as Maine Senator Susan Collins.)
"That may depend upon which is more important to America's Catholic bishops, the Church's fundamental principles or its tax exemption.
"Canon 915 provides that '[t]hose... who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.'
"Canon 915 protects the Holy Eucharist and prevents the public scandal that would result from ineligible persons receiving Holy Communion.
"Bishops who are reluctant to embarrass prominent politicians need to recall that Jesus had no patience for those moneychangers in the Temple. Protecting the sanctity of the Temple was His paramount consideration then. The protection of the Holy Eucharist must be the bishops' paramount consideration today.
"Averting public scandal is vital. As St. Thomas Aquinas long ago explained, a distinction 'must be made' between secret and open sinners, and 'Holy Communion ought not to be given to open sinners when they ask for it.'"
Catholic clerics, including bishops, need to obey canon law. That means refusing Communion to Speaker Pelosi, Vice President Biden, Senators Kerry and Kennedy and any other "Catholic" pro-abortion politician, regardless of sex, race, color or political affiliation, and excommunicating them if they continue to remain unrepentant.
© Michael Gaynor
January 26, 2009
Catholic clerics, including bishops, need to obey canon law. That means refusing Communion to Speaker Pelosi, Vice President Biden, Senators Kerry and Kennedy and any other "Catholic" pro-abortion politician, regardless of sex, race, color or political affiliation, and excommunicating them if they continue to remain unrepentant.
The latest installment of "Sunday Night Live with Father Benedict Groeschel" on the Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) featured Father Groeschel expounding on what he described as a "war" between President Obama and pro-lifers like Father Groeschel over the right to life of unborn babies.
Wikipedia on Father Groeschel:
"Father Benedict Joseph Groeschel, CFR (born July 23, 1933) is a Roman Catholic priest, retreat master, author, psychologist, activist and host of the television talk program Sunday Night Live with Father Benedict Groeschel, which is broadcast on the Eternal Word Television Network. He is the director of the Office for Spiritual Development for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York as well as associate director of Trinity Retreat and the executive director of The St. Francis House. He is professor of pastoral psychology at St. Joseph's Seminary in New York and an adjunct professor at the Institute for Psychological Sciences in Arlington, Virginia. He is one of the founders of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal."
"On January 11, 2004, Fr. Groeschel was struck by an automobile while crossing a street in Orlando, Florida. He received a head injury and broken bones, and had no blood pressure, heartbeat or pulse for about 27 minutes. A few days later, the trauma triggered a near-fatal heart attack. While he was recovering from his injuries, he collaborated with John Bishop on the book 'There Are No Accidents: In All Things Trust in God,' and he broadcast his first live program on EWTN on October 24, 2004. Although the accident left him with limited use of his right arm and difficulty in walking, he was back out preaching and giving retreats by the end of 2004 and he has continued to keep a full schedule. Many consider his recovery close to a miracle. As he told the New York Times nearly four years after his accident: 'They said I would never live. I lived. They said I would never think. I think. They said I would never walk. I walked. They said I would never dance, but I never danced anyway.' Today he remains a well sought after teacher, counselor, preacher, retreat master, author and spiritual director."
Father Groeschel sadly explained that he had been "appalled" not to be able to vote for President Obama (Father Groeschel having championed civil rights even before President Obama) was born, but he could not vote for then candidate Obama because Obama favored "killing babies."
But later during the program Father Groeschel asserted that President Obama had "turned a corner" by reversing the Mexico City to permit United States funds to be used to support abortion around the world, including forced abortions in China," and that "we did not declare war on Obama, Obama declared war on us."
With all due respect to Father Groeschel, President Obama did not "turn a corner." He was pro-abortion long before he announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States.
As an Illinois state senator, Obama blocked the effort to protect babies born alive as a result of botched abortions.
As a presidential candidate, Obama pledged to sign the so-called Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) removing restrictions on abortion if he was elected.
No, Father Groeschel. President Obama did NOT "turn a corner." He is continuing straight down the pro-abortion path. He's claimed that the number of abortions somehow will be reduced if his policies are adopted, but he supports the court-created constitutional right to abortion.
YOU knew what to expect from Obama as President, so you opposed his candidacy.
Unfortunately, many of your fellow clerics, bishops included, did not.
Now the United States Catholic bishops are unanimously warning that they will close Catholic hospitals rather than have abortions performed in them and you are calling for a post card campaign against FOCA.
But, as you also said during the program, we now have "the most pro-abortion Congress in history" and there is a nearly complete media blackout on pro-life activities, such as the rally and march of over 100,000 in Washington, D.C. to protest the United States Supreme Court's creation of a constitutional right to abortion in the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and the big pro-life demonstration in California last week.
Father Groeschel's hopefulness as a result of President Obama's inaugural address was the result of wishful thinking, not an announcement by President Obama that he had expereinced an epiphany.
Father Groeschel described the actions subsequently taken and to be taken by President Obama and Congress as "a disaster"...and rightly so.
But Father Groeschel's assertion that President Obama and Vice President Biden are "very nice" persons who have been deceived about abortion simply is not credible.
The situation is much worse than that.
It is not a coincidence that the half-dozen "Catholics" in the Obama Cabinet are pro-abortion instead of pro-life.
Father Groeschel commented that "those who vote for pro-abortion candidates should not receive Communion...."
But Father Groeschel did NOT call for excommunication of Catholic pro-abortion candidates themselves.
Tragically, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which long funded an unofficlal arm of the Democrat Party known as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), did not do more to discourage Catholics from tolerating pro-abortion politicians.
We are where we are because pro-abortion politicians, like Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi have not been excommunicated, and New York's Cardinal Egan invited pro-abortion Obama to the Alfred E. Smith Dinner and treated him as acceptable instead of unacceptable.
So long as the Cathollc Church hierarchy tolerates pro-abortion politicians posing as faithful Catholics in union with the Church by receiving Communion, the death count from abortion will continuing to grow rapidly.
In the Holocaust, 6,000,000 Jews were killed.
Since 1973, 49,000,000 unborn babies have been killed in the United States, more than eight times as many as the number of Jews killed during the Holocaust.
In "Holy Communion Should Be Denied to Kerry," posted at www.catholiconline.com on May 25, 2004, I wrote:
"The protection of the Holy Eucharist must be the bishops' paramount consideration today.
"House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, an ardent abortion supporter and nominal Roman Catholic, 'fully intend[s] to receive communion, one way or another,' despite Vatican opposition to the receipt of Holy Communion by persons professing to be both Catholics in a state of grace and abortion supporters.
"Ms. Pelosi explained that receiving Holy Communion is 'very important' to her. That makes good sense politically, since a Catholic who presents herself or himself for Communion thereby represents that she or he is in a state of grace and being in a state of grace (or at least appearing to be) is still a political plus.
"Will America's Catholic bishops cooperate or chastise America's Nancy Pelosi's, Tom Daschle's, Ted Kennedy's and John Kerry's? (Prominent nominally Catholic politicians tend to be Democrats, but there are some nominally Catholic Republicans who share their perverse priorities, such as Maine Senator Susan Collins.)
"That may depend upon which is more important to America's Catholic bishops, the Church's fundamental principles or its tax exemption.
"Canon 915 provides that '[t]hose... who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.'
"Canon 915 protects the Holy Eucharist and prevents the public scandal that would result from ineligible persons receiving Holy Communion.
"Bishops who are reluctant to embarrass prominent politicians need to recall that Jesus had no patience for those moneychangers in the Temple. Protecting the sanctity of the Temple was His paramount consideration then. The protection of the Holy Eucharist must be the bishops' paramount consideration today.
"Averting public scandal is vital. As St. Thomas Aquinas long ago explained, a distinction 'must be made' between secret and open sinners, and 'Holy Communion ought not to be given to open sinners when they ask for it.'"
Catholic clerics, including bishops, need to obey canon law. That means refusing Communion to Speaker Pelosi, Vice President Biden, Senators Kerry and Kennedy and any other "Catholic" pro-abortion politician, regardless of sex, race, color or political affiliation, and excommunicating them if they continue to remain unrepentant.
© Michael Gaynor
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