[Photo of Bishop Michael Saltarelli]Senator Joseph Biden is a life-long Roman Catholic. He belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware.
You would think that the Wilmington diocese would be immensely proud of the fact that one of its "sons" was not only a United States senator but now the Democratic nominee for vice president of the United States.
Ah, sadly, that is not the case.
You see, Senator Biden is pro-choice when it comes to abortion. Understand, please, that does not mean he supports abortion or thinks that abortion is a good thing. It simply means that he is convinced that the woman actually carrying a fetus, not the government, nor a hide-bound religious institution run by celibate old men in dresses, should make decisions related to the potential life growing inside her.
Sound reasonable? Not if you're a Roman Catholic poohbah or one of the rabid, extremist Protestant fundamentalists. These clowns think they have the right to dictate what a woman should do with her body. And they base that on two things: 1) They know the mind of god, and 2) god has told them that semen deposited in the vagina is sacred. That's why not only is abortion bad, but so is contraception. It's not just that they believe god believes that life begins at conception, but that god believes the semen is potential life and therefore must not be interrupted on its way to create another little god-like creature. [I've never heard how they explain nocturnal emissions.]
Not only is the Roman Catholic diocese of Wilmington not proud of its senator and vice presidential candidate, but is refusing to allow Senator Biden to speak at Roman Catholic functions or in Roman Catholic schools!
The bishop of the diocese, Michael Saltarelli, wrote in a 2004 statement on "Catholics in Public Life," that "Our Catholic institutions will not honor Catholic politicians who take pro-abortion legislative positions or invite them to speak at our functions or schools."
A spokesman for the diocese confirmed that even if Biden becomes the Vice President, he will not be welcome at Wilmington's Catholic schools!
While Saltarelli does not come right out and say that Biden would be denied communion in Wilmington's parishes, it is clear that he wishes Biden would not present himself at the altar. The Archbishop of the Denver diocese, however, had no such compunctions. When Biden took communion at his home parish of St. Joseph on the Brandywine, Archbishop Charles Chaput told the Associated Press he should not do that because he was an abortion supporter.
Liberalslikechrist.org notes that "Many of the critics of the Roman Catholic Church fault it for being too strict. But the real problem is that ... the Catholic Church tends to be very strict where its perception of the wrongdoing of others is concerned, while being very lenient when it comes to its own wrongdoing.
"Millions of American Catholics are still reeling from the discovery that, over the years they have had a 4% chance of being assigned a priest who might use their church's sacristy or rectory to sexually molest their children and pretty close to a 100% chance that when their celibate, childless bishop found out about such crimes, that he would do everything in his power to defend the reputation of the 'One, Holy, Catholic Church', rather than the dignity of their innocent children."
The Roman Catholic diocese of Wilmington, Delaware is no exception to this scandal or to priestly sexual abuses. Numerous cases have surfaced over the past several years and the diocese has had to pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars in "reparations." The diocese even has a website for persons who have been molested by clergy serving in the Wilmington diocese.
Now, I don't give a rat's ass what the Roman church believes about anything. But down through history, the Roman church has resorted to almost any tactic to impose its beliefs on the general population. When the Roman church has a majority, it can and does effectively enforce its beliefs on a nation. The Roman church is not a democracy and does not understand how a democracy works. It is a theocracy, and in a theocracy, dissent is not allowed. A theocracy, by definition, defines the word of god and demands obedience to that word.
Thus, the Roman church lives in certain and constant tension amidst the diversity that is the United States.
But, from John F. Kennedy to Joe Biden, it has failed spectacularly to rein in those politicians who cling to its ragging, fading robes out of duty, a sense of family or in hope the moribund institution will change someday.
It has failed spectacularly because it is a spectacular failure. Child molestation has become the signature of the Roman church. Thousands of clergy have been involved. Hundreds of bishops have been complicit in covering up their crimes. Tens of millions of the faithful's dollars have been paid out in reparations to those abused.
And still...this tattered and battered hypocritical and dysfunctional institution dares call Joe Biden a sinner because he believes a woman has the right to choose when it comes to dealing with her own body!
Read more about clergy abuse in Wilmington here.
1 comment:
I guess Catholics must decide what to do about such things. You raise an interesting thought re semen not used to create life. Many Catholics, including priests, have apparently sent their semen out with no thought of creating life; some did it purposely and others inadvertently. What should be done about the wasted semen? If collected properly it can be used to create life. That is not for me to decide. It is for the Church and I do await their thoughts.
I do wish they would allow their members more free choice and not deny their disciples anything that might better their lives. It sounds like blackmail to me but I do not know enough about the subject. One can easily see why the Founding Fathers did not want religion to be involved in the affirs of state. Not all Christians agree with all the edicts, policies, or thoughts of the Catholic Church, which is ruled by the Pope from a foreign land. He is not an American and does not always have America’s interests at heart. He has different responsibilities. It is an argument that had validity in the days before Kennedy became President. I regret that it could become an issue again, as many good people in the government are Catholic. If they must choose between their church and the state, that can not be good for America. I feel the same way about the Protestant preachers that try to control the actions of other good people. It carries over to Rabbis, Mullahs, etc. You can pick which religious leaders you want to be President. I do not like the thought at all. I wish Biden luck in finding a way to be a good Catholic and a good American, representing many that are not Catholic.
What a time to raise such a divisive concept!!!!!!
Bob Poris
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