Ignited by President Obama's War on Christianity, Catholic leadership in America is preaching that Christians must vote in concert with Biblical principles, such as supporting candidates who are pro-life and who defend marriage from attack by the Gay Agenda. New Jersey Archbishop John Myers says that Catholics who vote contrary to Church teachings must refrain from receiving Holy Communion.
For background, read Pope Says Gay Agenda & Abortion Dooms Society and also read Catholic Bishops Throw Down Gauntlet: Obama War on Christianity as well as Christians OK with Romney, Non-religious Prefer Obama
Previously, the Minnesota Archbishop told Priests: Support Marriage or Be Quiet
Related: Religious Liberty & Anti-Christian Totalitarianism
UPDATE 10/1/12: Illinois Catholic bishop slams Democrat platform as evil - abortion and Gay Agenda
-- From "Archbishop urges Catholic voters to defend marriage" by Philadelphia Inquirer Staff and Wire Reports 9/26/12
In a pastoral statement Tuesday, Archbishop John Myers said equating same-sex marriage to marriage as "it has traditionally been understood" damages the institutions of marriage and family. He says redefining marriage would "enshrine in law a nonoptimal way to raise children as equivalent to that which is best."
Myers said Catholics who disagree with church teachings on marriage should refrain from receiving Communion.
The archbishop said he was not endorsing a political party but said he wanted Catholics to exercise their right to vote in defense of traditional teachings on marriage.
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From "Newark archbishop urges voters to defend marriage, life" by Abbott Koloff, Staff Writer, The Record (Northjersey.Com) 9/25/12
Myers said he had been thinking about issuing a statement on the subject for about a year. He acknowledged that portions would be considered controversial and said he expected a “heated discussion” about the statement, which will be published online today. Parishioners in churches across the archdiocese, which covers Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Union counties, will be handed letters at church this weekend telling them about the statement and directing them to where it can be read.
He said he doesn’t believe polls that show a majority of Catholics support same-sex marriage. According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 53 percent of American Catholics favor same-sex marriage, and the number rises to 72 percent among those between the ages of 18 and 34. But Myers acknowledged that a large number of Catholics seem to be at odds with church teaching, and that he wanted to reach out to them with his statement.
“No one has said things clearly to them for years,” he said.
Myers, 71, said modern culture and the media have led to the social acceptance of same-sex marriage. Homosexual acts are a sin, he said, but homosexuality is not. He wrote that it is possible for gay people to be married to members of the opposite sex and live “good, faithful and even joyous married lives. It is a lie to say that they are living, or have lived, a lie.”
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From "Archbishop Gomez: Faith Should Guide Catholic Voters" by Catholic News Agency 9/25/12
Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles has called on Catholics to achieve a “unity of life” and let their faith form their political decisions as they prepare to vote this November.
When Catholics go to the voting booth, he said, there are non-negotiable aspects of Catholic social teaching that they should recall. Abortion and euthanasia and families based on a marriage between a man and a woman are among those non-negotiables. These issues cannot be disagreed about among Catholics who have formed their consciences with the Church, he said.
But many issues are debatable among Catholics who have well-formed consciences. Archbishop Gomez pointed to issues such as taxes, government spending, how to deal with immigration and helping the poor as examples of topics that are matters of prudential judgment.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Catholic archbishop to host event opposing same-sex marriage" by Annie Linskey, Baltimore Sun 9/25/12
Baltimore archbishop William E. Lori is set to co-host an event in Baltimore Wednesday night to oppose Maryland's new same-sex marriage law.
Lori was installed as the head of the Baltimore's archdiocese in March, the same month that Gov. Martin O'Malley signed a law allowing gay couples to wed. Opponents gathered enough signatures to trigger a referendum on the law in November.
When Lori took over as the leader of the roughly 500,000 Catholics in the archdiocese, he pledged to fight the same-sex marriage law. "The church has clearly and consistently taught the greatness of marriage between one man and one woman," Lori said at a March news conference. "Certainly, I will continue that teaching as a bishop and will be working on this issue as the referendum unfolds."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Maryland Eighth State for Same-sex 'Marriage'
