The American Spectator

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Allow me to begin by making a distinction Signorina Fabrizio does not: John Kennedy may have been the first Catholic presidential candidate to make the point that "...being Catholic might be detrimental to being a good American," but the presidential election of 1928 was replete with commentary that claimed the election of a Catholic president was incompatible with our liberty and the U.S. Constitution. What is beyond cavil, however, is that Kennedy's victory in 1960, along with the changes in Church policy and leadership, or lack thereof, unleashed the forces that we see in play nearly a half century later with public officials who call themselves, "Catholic."

It is simply unthinkable that any "Catholic" politician prior to 1965 would have done what Kennedy, Cuomo, Kerry, Biden et al. have done since, viz., consider one's personal beliefs as trumping the Magisterium of the Church on matters of faith and morals. Had they so acted earlier, they would have been visited by the local bishop, or one of his surrogates, informing our "Catholic" public servant of the likely consequences of his decision. Since 1965, however, the overwhelming number of U.S. bishops have been unwilling to call to account those of their flock, especially politicians, who have seriously strayed, but continue to label themselves as "Catholic."

As a result, the appeal to individual conscience, another unintended consequence of Vatican II, now can, and is, used as a fig leaf to cover the Catholic politicians' derriere, because they know that there are no serious consequences to their apostasy. The "I'm personally against..." mantra is a ready, man-made excuse, which, along with the MSM's stilted reporting supporting the politician, makes a mockery of traditional Catholic beliefs. It boggles one's mind to read of the number of politicians who will, gladly, sell their souls to get favorable stories from the NYTimes or Washington Post.

Our author has, rightly, mentioned Bishop Burke, formerly of St. Louis, but currently serving in the Vatican, as one of the stalwarts in making Catholic politicians fess up to their actions. Another is the Archbishop of Denver, Bishop Charles Chaput. In their quest to show how religiously diverse they are, the Democrats invited a host of religious figures to speak at their convention, but, somehow, the good bishop was not amongst those to get the call. Perhaps he was unavailable...perhaps. Might it be that the convention's organizers thought that the good bishop would be inappropriate presence on the stage where the "Catholic" V.P. nominee is to speak? But not to worry: there is always room for the Rev. Michael Pfleger from Chicago.

p>Pax tecum br> -- Vincent Chiarello br> Reston, Virginia /p> p> NOT A PUNISHMENT br> Re: Robert Stacy McCain's Cheerleader Caucus : /p>

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