Politics and the Church, cont’d….

Politicians who are members of the Catholic Church and also public supporters of abortion may have gone largely unchallenged in the relatively recent past, but not this year.

The Catholic vote is the focus of attention for politicians and the media. Faithful citizenship is the focus of the bishops.

This just in from Portland Archbishop John Vlazny:

It has come to my attention that Governor Ted Kulongoski will be hosting a NARAL Pro-Choice political gala two days before our Respect Life Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. This is a source of embarrassment for our church and a scandal for the Catholic community.

For a Catholic governor to host an event of this sort seems a deliberate dissent from the teachings of the Church.

(See….”seems” leaves open the benefit of the doubt. Just in case there is any confusion. Which is the reason for the bishops to issue statements like this.) 

As I wrote in the Catholic Sentinel in August “the very core of all Catholic moral and social teaching is respect for the dignity of everyone. Ours is a rich heritage of social teaching which forms the basis of what it means to be a faithful citizen as a Catholic.”

(Here’s that column.)