Bishop "AMDG" on The Election, Catholics and Faithful Citizenship

VOCAL  - Here is a Bishop's hope for all Catholics.  The question I asked him was about handing out Voter's Guides as in elections past; non-answers regarding the Intrinsic evils, this year no mention of them, and Cardinal Bernardin's "seamless garment", which is giving equal moral values, although the "Seamless Garment" theory has been in existence since social activism began, it was first applied to pro-lifers in 1976 by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin in Dallas.  The election of 2016 seems to have morphed the seamless garment of old by mixing up all the evils and assuming they have the same value.  This has been observed by many.

From Bishop AMDG: 

"In some ways we need not worry since both CA and OR are so deeply ingrained in the culture of death that there is NO possibility that our vote will turn the tide. The heart of pharaoh was 
hardened and I sense that the hearts of our Catholic people are hardened as well. 

This calls for, not more INFORMATION, there is plenty of that, it calls for prayer, mortification and penance that the heart of the unrepentant will be converted. I am not a believer that more or better voter guides would miraculously convert the hearts of the unrepentant. Are some people truly ignorant (that is, do they really(?) not know).

The Battle of Lepanto - Our Lady's Victory

                The present voter guide, Faithful Citizenship, is written in such a way that only the devious and the intentionally corrupt could misread it or interpret it so say that there is an equivalence of issues.

The liberal left will intentionally misinterpret even the Catechism of the Catholic Church calling it nonbinding guidelines. If they do that with the Catechism does this prove that the Catechism is what they say it is? 

Yet, if we say back to them, 'Gee, we were so sure but we see that you are right' then we abandon this sure and true document in favor of their warped interpretation. 

We tend to do the same with Faithful Citizenship. 

Is it perfect? Certainly not. But if we read it with the right heart and spirit then it is entirely accurate. 

Does the left intentionally and maliciously misinterpret it? Absolutely!

What then do we do? Wring our hands and say 'o, only if the bishops were more clear, etc. etc.' 

yet, even if it was as clear as the fifth Commandment, thou shalt not kill! they would still find a way to get around it.

Thank God for His Creation..simplicity in prayer.

They would then argue that the document lacks moral authority, that it is not infallible, that the Bishops when they speak as a body lack the authority of the Pope and the Pope has not issued any such document.

The document is intended as a guide for the faithful not a club for the faithful to try to beat into submission those who would not believe even if one would rise from the dead. 

This is why the document is more than adequate for those who are faithful but will never stand as convincing 'proof' for those who have no openness of heart or any genuine desire to know the truth.

This is why what we require is prayer, fasting, penance for these are suitable weapons 

and faithful citizenship will never substitute for these!"

"Carolyn: If people read FC with a faithful heart then I do believe it meets proper moral standards. Can it be misinterpreted? Absolutely. You may share my remarks acknowledging that imperfection is a part of our present human condition."

God Bless +"AMDG" *   

“The man of conscience is he who never succumbs to indulgence, wellbeing, success, public prestige and the approval of public opinion at the expense of the truth.” John Henry Cardinal Newman

                                                                                                         

*VOCAL - name pseudonym

          

Guest Article: How Our meeting went at the Chancery regarding the Public School's desire to push their immorality on Catholic chlidren and inviting Satan in.

VOCAL.  Some Oregon Catholics are seemingly censored by the Pastoral Staff and the Catholic Sentinel.  It is sometimes hard to get your experiences addressed. When things bring children into the mix, we are there too.

 From a reader:

"A couple of months ago, I and a good friend had a meeting with Todd Cooper and Jason Kidd. We are members of a group called Parents Rights in Education. You may recall we stopped the Adolescent Sexuality Conference (among other things).2015 Adolescent Teen Sexuality Conference at Seaside CANCELED. Videos for Adults Only

Often at our meetings, we are asked by our Protestant associates what is the Archdiocese’s position on this or that issue pertaining to the state’s invasion of privacy regarding parent’s rights in sexual matters. (Deep down they really do think the Catholic Church has Authority). We often have to say that we will find out. That avoids us having to say that they have no position or at least publicly stated position on these matters ( for example, School Based Health Centers dispensing contraceptives in elementary schools). 

Our meeting was about the time that the Oregon Department of Education announced its very pro-transgender “guidelines for Oregon public schools”. Most Oregon Catholic children attend public schools. So why doesn’t the Church speak out?  It is frustrating. So we contacted Todd Copper and arranged a meeting for lunch with him and Jason Kidd.

We actually thought we might get some help from the Archdiocese or the Archbishop or someone in the Chancellery. After about two hours, we left to return to the coast. We could not get an answer out of either Cooper or Kidd as to how the Archdiocese could help Catholic parents whose children were being subjected to the State Department of Education’s propaganda about transgender “rights”. 

Riding back to the coast, we finally looked at each other and said “Did we just very smoothly get sandbagged?”. It was like talking to a politician. Nothing substantive was ever uttered by either person although I felt Kidd was more sincere. (He has only been employed by the Chancellery for about two years). All they wanted to talk about were “processes”.  I think Cooper is just a  bureaucrat. I still have no idea what his convictions about the issues that were important to us were. Nice salaries, health care, pensions, hob nob with the in-crowds, etc. but not really accomplishing much to help Catholic parents stand up to the propaganda of the State of Oregon or the Federal Government.  The Chancellery just seems to be a small version of the USCCB. “ArchPrincess” Mary Jo may be gone but the stable still needs cleaning. 

 A recent example: A Satanic organization is now organizing to have a number of Satan Clubs in Oregon’s elementary schools. One is being organized for Nehalem Elementary School which is located in my town. What is the Archdiocese’s response or position to this group’s targeting of elementary children in Oregon? Don’t hold your breath. 

One of the reasons why Oregon is such a mess is that the Chancellery won’t confront issues such as these. Oh, they will tell you that they are waiting for something bigger to stand up to and they don’t want to “waste” resources.

If you recall, when Rudy Giuliani became Mayor of New York, he instituted a program of targeting small crimes, in effect nipping aspiring criminals when they were beginning to stray from being good citizens. It worked. During his eight years, crime dropped dramatically. Those tempted to commit crimes knew they could not get away with breaking windows much less stealing cars, etc. 

The Archbishop needs to take this approach. The immoral crowd running the Oregon public education system and the State of Oregon have no fear of losing the Catholic vote because there is no Catholic vote anymore. Up until the late 1960’s Catholics were a force to be reckoned with in our country. 

Then the USCCB began its love affair with Federal money.

Maybe the Catholic Church in the United Church should stop feeding at the Federal trough.  Then if some bureaucrat or agency or politician proposes something that violates moral laws or imposes such on Catholics and their children, thunder can again come out of Chancelleries with nothing to lose!

Many of us Catholics would stand up and cheer. 

Nothing is going to change with the Todd Coopers as the “firewall” between us and the Archbishop."  

James Welch

 Nehalem

Election 2016 Part Two - Email from 2004 and NOW - Between Todd Cooper and VOCAL

Part I

  "And it Begins -The Election of 2016"
 
Part II

Several years before the 2008 election, I had an email exchange with Todd Cooper who was the special projects director for Archbishop Vlazny. 

My concern as a convert was that Todd confused me by something he said, paraphrasing him, "We believe in a different Catholic Church  in Portland".  I knew in my heart, that this had to be an erroneous statement. I could see what he was thinking, but still feel it's wrong.

At that time the Archdiocese of Portland did not know who Priests for Life were.  So Father Pavone sent Catholic materials to Oregon Right to Life (ORTL) during the 2008 election, where I worked. and I passed them out to Oregon Catholic churches and some Protestant ones too.  Due to health issues had to retire from ORTL in 2010, and part of my job was Catholic Church liaison. Catholic education is the church's responsibility and I believe ORTL has stepped away from taking on this mission.

However, during 2008 was Catholics for McCain/Palin-Offical Oregon Campaign Blog was formed. (Click on the link and for a walk down memory lane.) ORTL was greatly involved and VOCAL began
 

Catholics for McCain/Palin 2008

as a political focal point since many Oregon Catholics were concerned about religious issues and had no place that seemed to listen during the election season.

The same question was asked of Todd Cooper in 2004 regarding the "seamless garment" that Archbishop Vlazny agreed with, it seems. In 2016 the same question of "seamless garment" was asked to Todd Cooper who is the agent of Archbishop Sample.  

In 2016, Todd didn't answer the "seamless garment" question" nor acknowledge or say the words themselves.  He didn't answer my last email, but I don't think we speak the same language.

Here are the emails.

FROM 2004 - (Yes, I kept it for twelve years. Also it was written in run-on sentences with no paragraphs.  These were added by VOCAL for easier reading.)

Subject: Catholics and voting
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 18:37:11 -0700
From: tcooper@archdpdx.org
To: carolynwendell@hotmail.com

Dear Carolyn,

 
Thank you for the extended conversation this morning.

 
You asked for clarification on the question of whether or not it is morally acceptable for a Catholic to vote for a political candidate who is pro-abortion, particularly if there is a pro-life candidate alternative.
The answer of the Church and of Archbishop Vlazny is "Yes, it is morally acceptable so long as the Catholic is not voting for a candidate precisely because that candidate is pro-abortion, and so long as the Catholic has proportionate reasons for doing so."

You seem to be arguing that there are no proportionate reasons.  However, according to the Church, a Catholic in good conscience can conclude that there are proportionate reasons.  The Catholic Church preaches a consistent ethic of life, a "seamless garment" based on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching which have their foundation in the dignity of the human person.  Any violation of that dignity is a moral offense. 

We make distinctions between grave offenses and lesser offenses.  Abortion is a very grave offense - it is intrinsically evil.  In some way, however, sin cannot be qualified.  Christ himself noted that "if a man looks lustfully at a woman, he has committed adultery with her in his heart".  We can break this down and say that a look of lust is a venial sin, while outright adultery is a mortal sin. 

The point, however, is that in some real way, a sin is a sin.  A "lesser" sin still requires the Cross.  We live in a world fragmented by sin. 

Abortion is a more serious sin than striking someone.  However, both are attacks against the dignity of the human person.  How can we truly separate the right to life from the right to eat?  From the right to receive proper care? 

We cannot.  And yet we do.  And we must, because we are not angels.  Sin has fragmented us and divided us.  But God cannot be divided.  The truth cannot be divided. 

How can a "pro-life" politician also be in favor of the death penalty? Or homosexual unions? Or "pre-emptive" war? Or no health care for "aliens"?  It doesn't make sense - it is not consistent.  It is not a consistent ethic of life.  Are these issues as grave as abortion?  Not in a fragmented world.  However, they are all cut from the same cloth. 

There are many "pro-life" politicians who do not have a consistent ethic of life and who are not even standing clearly and purposefully against abortion.  There have been 3 Republican administrations in the last two decades and abortion has hardly even been limited.  What is my pro-life vote changing?  It is not making the difference that it should.  

That is why a Catholic in good conscience and with proportionate reason can vote democrat.

I hope these comments are helpful.

 

Sincerely,

 
Todd Cooper
Special Projects Director
Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
(503)-233-8386

 

Election 2016

  

NOW - VOCAL's return email to Todd Cooper.  Finishing up our email exchange 

from written in late September 2016.  "And it Begins -The Election of 2016"

 

Todd,

Thanks for explaining why Bill Allen was not the go-to-guy to ask questions about the Oregon Catholic Conference.  It would be really helpful if perhaps the Archdpdx, OCC webpage was a little more comprehensive and transparent.  Having the members, I'm sure there are more than you offered, listed would be helpful for Oregon Catholics.

The laity needs to see that the Archdiocese has a cross-section of political views. We know the Church should be non-partisan, however in Oregon and especially in Portland, that might be very difficult when even putting together a webpage.  

By the way, the information in the USCCB website regarding Faithful Citizenship would be confusing for people new to politics. 

They need to know that "the seamless garment" meaning abortion, euthanasia, homosexual "marriage" (that they didn't say out loud) isn't equal in moral equivalent to the "sin" of littering.

Also, learning that Cardinal Bernardin's seamless garment isn't in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, should be mentioned.  

The loss of a person's soul isn't mentioned as something to worry about when voting.  That would part of the voting decision.

"The challenge for Catholics is to allow their Catholic faith to inform their politics.  In the case of many, it is their politics that inform their Catholic faith."   Your words are of interest and most people don't want "politics to inform their Catholic faith that is why I'm writing.

We all need help especially in this election.  

"If people read FC (Faithful Citizenship) with a faithful heart then I do believe it meets proper moral standards. Can it be misinterpreted? Absolutely. You may share my remarks acknowledging that imperfection is a part of our present human condition."

 Bishop Robert F.Vasa                                                                                                         

 “The man of conscience is he who never succumbs to indulgence, wellbeing, success, public prestige and the approval of public opinion at the expense of the truth.” John Henry Cardinal Newman

God bless,

Carolyn

After the 2nd Debate on Sunday - EWTN's "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing"

Saul Alinsky and the Catholic Church:
Still carried on in Catholic Campaign for Human Development


Buy or Rent "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing"

Archbishop Sample's First Pastoral Letter to the People of the Archdiocese of Portland

       
 
  
I am pleased to announce the release of my first Pastoral Letter to the people of the Church in the Archdiocese of Portland.

"A True and Living Icon" are my reflections on the reading of Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, in light of Church teaching.

I pray that you are uplifted, educated and inspired by this document.
http://archdpdx.org/documents/2016/10/PASTORAL%20LETTER%20A%20True%20and%20Living%20Icon%20FINAL-1.pdf