Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Were vocal pro-life bishops heard before the election?

Some recent polling statistics would suggest that Catholics in Missouri and Pennsylvania were less likely to vote for Barack Obama than they were for John Kerry in 2004. Recall that several bishops, especially Bishop Finn of Kansas City, MO and Bishop Martino of Scranton, PA actually made headlines in local papers.

In the link is audio of Bishop Finn just before the election. He just picked up the phone and called in to a local radio show. The Host, Chris Stigall, gave His Excellency a good opportunity to be heard with this unscheduled interview. In it, Bishop Finn told his flock to consider their eternal salvation explaining in detail how it could be affected.

Who can forget Bishop Martino crashing a forum in which some members of the faithful were attempting to persuade other Catholics that they could vote for Obama with a clear conscience. Martino made it clear it wasn't happening on his property. That alone made headlines across the US. As a great followup, Bishop Martino spoke up loud and clear at the USCCB's General Assembly on the matter, as Rocco reports:


In the public session, this past campaign cycle's most-forthright hierarchical voice said that his confreres would one day have to deal with their collective "reticence" on the question of Catholic politicians who support abortion rights in defiance of church teaching.
Go read more from the National Catholic Register in, "Did US Bishops Sway Catholic Voters?"

As of this morning, I'm still waiting for the "on demand" video from the USCCB's lively afternoon session, in which Bishop Martino made his point, to be uploaded. I'll look again tonight.


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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!