Does the Catholic Community in your area support the war?

[funkybutt]

It has been brought to my attention (by a devout catholic who is anti-war) that the catholic archdiocese in the New Orleans area, at least, is in support of the war. This is in spite of the Vatican's stand on the issue. I sometimes wonder if the catholics in our area even KNOW what the Pope has said about this war. It was also suggested that it could be a funding issue. Is that the case in your area? Any catholics feel free to chime in on this one b/c I'm confused.

[Beer Snob-50]

my Catholic church DOESNOT support the war.

never has, never will.

[ElectroPrincess]

6. Good For Your Parish!

Unfortunately I belong to the Parish in the "Bible Belt." In fact, our ONE Parish is the only one in the entire county. Most Churches are (surprise surprise) Baptist. Seriously, the vocal ones in my Parish appear to be ultra-right wing folks who don't show signs of supporting the war, but are totally deluded into loving *.

Most Americans, in general, need to read credible news sources and stop tuning into FOX cable news. Unbelievable that the American Catholic Bishops drank the Protestant Evangelical koolade. :(

[Beer Snob-50]

7. the koolaid drunk by most of these is the republican

love of the unborn and the moral values they spout but don't practice.

[havocmom]

1. They say they do, but nobody has enlisted so far.

:shrug:

[Zenlitened]

2. Not sure. They seem to be too busy assaulting gay and lesbian civil rights

That is, when they're not busy tossing fellow catholics out of their own neighborhood churches.

An institution in disarray, to say the least.

[Padraig18]

3. My diocese does NOT support the war-- at all.

Our bishop was threatened with arrest for leading our anti-war march on the state capitol 2 years ago this month.

[Democrats_win]

4. Live and Let live Catholics in Colorado.

They think that Denver Archbiship Chaput's efforts in electioneering were stupid.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

5. No, not at all

Our diocese seems very liberal and our priest is anti-war. Many of the members of our church have family in Iraq, but I'm not sure what their opinion of the war is.

[Catchawave]

8. Not sure about the war......

...but they love Bush for his pro-Life stand.

Hypocrites.

Sidebar: I'm a non-practicing Catholic since I disagree with about 98% of the teachings of the church. Hell, I agree with Bill Maher when he says modern religion is a corporate scam ! Televangelists prove that :)

[Bridget Burke]

9. Latin was being used back when I was a Good Catholic....

But I checked the website of the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston. In fact, the Diocese just got its "promotion"--we're now splitting the state with the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Archbishop Fiorenza gave a homily at the Mass of Elevation: (Pope John Paul II) has been the primary evangelizer of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the unmatched defender of the sacredness of the human person and the promoter of the human rights of all, especially, the poor, the oppressed and the immigrants. His gospel of life protects the unborn from abortion and the convicted criminal from capital punishment. He teaches that war is always a defeat for humanity and that peace is the only sane path for the world to follow.

www.diogh.org/BishopPastorals/bishop1other-020105.asp

Yes, he's still against abortion. (He's an Archbishop--what do you expect?) However, he placed that doctrine in a consistent pro-life context.

[funkybutt]

10. Seems to be a lot of "don't knows" and "not sures"

seems odd that someone could deliver a surmon every sunday without even mention the state of the world. Maybe the American catholics are keeping quite on this one, due to funding, as I mentioned before. Still seems odd that it's so unclear where they stand. I wonder about other denominations.

[CatholicEdHead]

14. Petitions are for peace every week

but I would bet that many vote Republican over the abortion and gay marriage issues, as almost every week there are also petitions about those. The priest usually keeps stuff like this out of the sermons and sticks to the readings.

There is lots of word parcing in the petitions. An attempt is being made to ride a fine line.

It is not active anti-war, but you do not hear any pro-war gun ho material either, though you do get that if you just vote on the anti-abortion and gay marriage issues anyway.

[LibDemAlways]

27. "seems odd that someone could deliver a

sermon every Sunday without even mentioning the state of the world."

That's exactly what happens in my parish. Week after week the priest drones on about nothing. Or they get a parishoner up there to talk about money and why the parish needs more.

I take my elderly parents every week, and basically use the time to sit and meditate. Anyone interesed in issues of peace and social justice is in the wrong place.

On edit. During the petitions there's always one about, "Pray for our leaders, including our military leaders, who are trying to bring peace to the world." Just shake my head at the lunacy of that one.

[saltpoint]

11. Kittywampus from a friend's house are Catholics --

-- who are vehemently opposed to Bush's Iraq war.

I love these people.

Next door to them is a family of hyper-Protestants, of the Hallowe'en is Evil variety.

I'm not so crazy about them.

Bush might have listened to the Vatican when the Pope asked him to please reconsider his idiotic and violent decision to attack before diplomatic avenues were exhausted.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

12. my St Francis Parish does NOT NOT NOT support the war

[MaineDem]

13. Our local parish has a Peace and Justice group that is very active

I can't say most people are supportive of the war. More the reverse.

[Zynx]

15. Our priest was pretty clearly opposed.

I can't speak for the congregation.

[alcuno]

16. I'm curious. How does the Archdiocese in NO support the war?

In order for this to be true, wouldn't there have to have been an official statement about it? I'd like to know what they say when asked this question.

[funkybutt]

26. As would I

The Catholic that I got this information from strongly believes this to be the case. I don't believe that they have released a statement about it but the silence is deafening.

[DuaneBidoux]

17. I think there is a split developing in American Catholicism

Between the "conservatives" (in this case, those who actually stand for values of social justice) and the branch that is essentially turning into a radical evangelical Protestantism. This is certainly not new for American Catholics. The American church has a history of going it's own way in spite of what Rome decrees. They long ago did this on birth control. Sometimes it has seemed like a good thing, but I detest the direction now.

[CatholicEdHead]

19. Already exists

most "Catholic" media is of the quasi-born again style. Most of the hosts are Catholics who converted late in life (most within the past few years) from a "born-again" Protestent sect.

Examples are Relevant Radio, EWTN, Ave Maria Radio.

It was a hidded fault line until last year when the GOP pushed the split with Kerry. Since then it is much harder to near impossible to find common ground once some stances come out.

Other examples are to compare the Catholic News Service vs Catholic World News

and

National Catholic Reporter vs National Catholic Register.

[Jacobin]

18. Lake Charles Diocese

Teaching in the Catholic school religion classes is as follows:

1) Invasion of IraqNam is cool. Pope is only infallible on biblical matters, not secular matters and war is a secular matter. Blow up RagHeads, even though the Pope says not to.

2) Pray to end abortion and vote ONLY for anti-choice candidates.

3) Pray for the state to end executions of convicted murderers because the Pope says so. (I guess this is a 'biblical matter' on which the Pope is infallible, unlike war? :shrug: )

4) George Bush* is a wonderful president and students should pray for him every morning.



I kid you not.

[Tinoire]

22. Wow. Stunning. n/t

[Tinoire]

20. Nope. Clearly against and they discussed it at length

I'm frankly shocked that any Catholic diocese would support this war. It goes against everything Catholics believe. Is that an official stand by the archdiocese or an informal stand by some members?


You go without God". Don't know how much clearer the Pope could have made it... And that was just some of what was publicly released.

Sadly, too many Sunday Catholics barely know where the Church stands on much anyway. Or for that matter, even care.

[ArtVandaley]

21. NO. Great line by my priest:

My priest spoke out against it on several occassions before the war started.
He actually had a great line that I thought was hilarious. He said:
"God's doctorine says that we should love and forgive our enemies and work to spread peace throughout the world. This conflicts with the US doctorine that says 'we have to fight back and be tough. We need to get even.' Get even? They already live in caves? How is bombing them going to make us even?"

[ArtVandaley]

23. Also . . .

I was a cspan clip last summer of Bush addressing the Knights of Columbus (d-bags) and talked about how he met with the Pope and it was a moving experianced and they talked about their shared passion for preserving life.
What he DIDN't mention is that at that meeting the Pope spent the majority of the time criticizing Bush's stance on Iraq. Also, the Pope personally called Bush three times when he was govenor to plead with him not to put certain people to death, I believe the ones he called about were either under 18 when they committed the crime or mentally retarded. Bush didn't listen on either occassion and killed them anyway.
No good Catholic is a friend of Bush, just the conservative ones who use religion to give their wicked beliefs a look of legitimacy.

[CatholicEdHead]

24. Also want to add

that at my parent's church. The priest is a former Army Chaplin, and he has made his anti-war views heard in multiple sermons. Usually mixed in with the "good-old boys" network bashing that covers much of the Vatican hierarchy.

And he is in rural Minnesota, in one of the most Republican voting areas (by percentage) in the state. Of course he still packs the pews from all around.

They figure his past in the servicve makes him more creditable to speak out in their eyes.

[zulchzulu]

25. Yeah...Catholics that are pro-war and "pro-life" make me sick

A special place in Hell for these mental lightweights...