Msgr. Maniscalco (took over pastor-ship from Msgr Lisante at St Thomas) Tries To Balance the Equation
I think it's worth taking a second look at this disturbing statement of Msgr. Frank Maniscalco in his recent explanation of the Kennedy funeral in The Long Island Catholic:
First of all, fairness demands pointing out the many areas of agreement between Senator Kennedy’s public policy positions and Catholic social teaching. Undoubtedly his dissent on the respect for life is a most serious matter, but we cannot disregard the Lord’s own emphasis on feeding the hungry and welcoming strangers. He tells us that all persons will be judged on our response to those facing these kinds of needs (see Matt. 25:31-46.)
Is Msgr. Maniscalco really saying what I think he's saying---that Senator Kennedy's fervent 30-year advocacy of legalized abortion was mitigated by the late Massachusetts legislator's political support of state-controlled public assistance for the poor and needy???
Is he saying, in other words, that, as bad as it is that Senator Kennedy did all the following:
voted consistently to legalize abortion for three decades,
worked tirelessly to block the nominations of pro-life Supreme Court Justices,
voted for public funding of Planned Parenthood and, most egregiously,
voted several times against banning partial-birth abortion,
fairness demands that we include his other legislative efforts in the equation when assessing the sum total of the man's public career?
Our clerical commentator seems to be suggesting that although Sen. Kennedy deserves a big minus sign for his 100% pro-abortion record, he also earned some plus signs for his other public acts. In the end, then, after tallying things up, the public Kennedy balance sheet comes out pretty even.
Wrong, Msgr. M.!
Senator Kennedy's longtime and enthusiastic public support of abortion has resulted, as Rick Hinshaw tells us in his article, in the merciless execution of tens of millions of unborn children. This is in a moral category by itself, and, on the scale of human actions, is objectively way up there with the very worst crimes against humanity in the history of the world.
The late Catholic Senator was a vaunted champion of the pro-abortion movement, a true NARAL and Planned Parenthood hero---and objectively speaking, his immoral voting record on this issue alone was a most heinous sin in the eyes of God and His Church.
Msgr. Maniscalco should be ashamed for suggesting that the late lawmaker's concern for issues like the minimum wage, increased public school funding, and affirmative action somehow compensated for his long and passionate crusade for legalized child-killing, and most especially, his approval of the most savage and unspeakable practice of partial-birth abortion.
Msgr. Frank, I'm afraid your proportionalist accounting just doesn't add up. The killing of even one innocent life cannot be mitigated by supporting all the social welfare programs ever devised by man.
Sadly enough, it would seem that "the abortion mentality" which Mr. Hinshaw described so effectively in his editorial on the same page has at last pervaded the minds of some of our own clergy.
Posted by Julie
(Which is why Catholics today judge themselves, and do not see the need of going to confession. "Why should I go to confession, when I did this, to make up for the sins I have committed?" Not showing ,that the leaders of the Church DO NOT CONDONE, AND
WILL TAKE ACTION AGAINST POLITICIANS WHO FURTHER THE CAUSE OF ABORTIONS, IS WRONG! This only shows that politicians will not be held responsible for their actions, which will further, and cause, more and more fetal murders.
Bishops have the responsibility to publicly speak out on matters of our religion,
in concert with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Abortion is wrong, and those
that pass ABORTION laws, should be voted out of office by every true catholic.
REMEMBER THIS THE NEXT TIME YOU GO TO VOTE!)
