Liberal nuns throwing unborn babies under the bus for celebrity, not surprising . . . Bishop participation in award event not surprising either
Sister Simone Campbell, SSS is a liberal nun who rode a luxury bus to fame. She and a few other liberal nuns of an aging and dwindling population toured the nation as a willing PR tool of Democrats in support of Obamacare and Obama’s reelection. Going along with Democrat political operatives who choreographed her media tour, picking the states for their political value, she was also rewarded with the limelight of addressing the Democrat National Political convention in 2012.
She and her fellow travelers promoted Obamacare in spite of the grave concerns about the legislation by the Catholic Bishops who recognized the legislation’s assault on religious liberty and inculcation of abortion funding. The accuracy of those charges have been confirmed by court cases and clear evidence. It was predictable, and is now incontrovertible, that it is a budget busting bureaucratic monstrosity. Obamacare is also possessed of fearful built-in schemes of health rationing aimed at seniors.
Does anyone seriously believe that these nuns would have received the logistical support from leftist organizations paying for staff and the bus, riding along and promoting the tour, if any significant part of the message was social justice for unborn babies’ right to life?
So it is unsurprisingly to us that Sister Simone will collect the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award from a group of other largely Catholic fellow socialist, pardon the slip, “social justice” liberals. She is definitely one of the cloth of that crowd. It is a group that makes a name for itself, and its award, pretty much by chasing largely leftist or politically correct celebrity.
That Sister Simone will receive the award at the hand of Davenport’s Bishop Amos in spite of her being intimately connected with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, an organization Pope Francis affirmed as having serious doctrinal problems, is not surprising. Bishop Amos not only did not attempt to circumvent, he had no problem personally bestowing an honorary doctorate from St Ambrose University on Maggie Tinsman, a former legislator notorious locally for support of legal abortion, tax payer funding of abortion, opposition to legislation limiting notification to a custodial parent before an abortion on a minor, who opposed legislation to ban human cloning, opposed informed consent legislation, was a preeminent recipient of Planned Parenthood political support and a personal donor to them as well.
The Tinsman honoring was on the heals of his brother bishops admonition that “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”
It is sophistry to maintain that high honors to notorious individuals, the strongest of disclaimers not present and notwithstanding in any event, does not implicate support or aid and abet the honoree’s platform. Such honors inextricably advances their notoriety and public acceptability. In Sister Simone’s case, her notoriety is predicated on being part of opposing or corrupting key positions of the Catholic Church regarding the licity of abortion, religious liberties, traditional marriage and the priesthood.
From the National Catholic Register April 15, 2013:
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has reaffirmed the Vatican’s assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which found it had “serious doctrinal problems” and needed to be reformed . . .
On April 18, 2012, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith revealed the findings of a four-year assessment of the conference, which found “serious doctrinal problems” and the need for reform.
It cited letters from LCWR officers as well as presentations sponsored by the conference which exhibited “radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith” and dissent from Church teaching on topics including the sacramental male priesthood and homosexuality.
The assessment also noted that, while the group adamantly promotes social-justice issues, it largely ignores matters of life, marriage and sexuality, which have played a large role in recent public debates.
As we were taught, ways of achieving social justice, whether health care or economic well-being are considered matters of prudential judgments for sincere believers. Social justice is not predicated on support for schemes or policies involving the government takeover of health care delivery, or the economy. However in Catholic doctrine legal abortion is a crime against humanity, an unspeakable crime against social justice, period. Silence on the matter and being wrapped up in promoting laws or law makers that promulgate it is cooperation with the greatest of evils.
Don’t expect any disclaimer from Bishop Amos or demurral regarding being part of the award. While this is a prominent Catholic recipient, whose notoriety is provided essentially because she is a Catholic nun, don’t expect any letters to the diocese from the Bishop educating and inspiring about the validity and crucial nature of Catholic teachings regarding the right to life, the preeminent social justice failure. Of course this Bishop chooses not to articulate much to the flock beyond announcements posted in the Davenport diocesan newspaper, the Catholic Messenger. Has he ever written a major, or frankly any substantive article for his house organ? Don’t look for him to defend against any confusion wrought by the good sisters’ inextricable political advocacy in support of abortion proponents.
Do expect a dodge from his apparat that the group awarding the “peace prize” is not “Catholic.” In truth something like two-thirds (7 of 11) of the member organizations are officially Catholic. And who is bestowing the award again – the Bishop of the Diocese.
Do expect that the Bishop’s apparat, if ever confronted, will employ the Mother Teresa shield, that is, pointing out someone who is pro-life and also received the award. Of course that was before she had any notoriety as an effective inspirational opponent of legal abortion, loyal to church teachings on all matters. Quoting now Blessed Mother Teresa: “Any country that accepts abortion, is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what it wants.” No Cardinal Bernardin “seamless garment” nonsense from her.
Frankly it does not matter if serious proponents of the right to life were honored on occasion. Support of or indifference to the most egregious assault on social justice, denial of the right to life, should not be tangential or coincidental to serious proponents of universal social justice. By what logical concept of pursuit of social justice does one look past indifference to the right to life . . . or provide tacit support for those who deny it? You cannot be a true champion of social justice and indifferent to the right to life of innocent human beings or promote people who protect the denial of the right to life.
I am not sure if this Bishop is a tool of the leftists in the chancellery apparat, or likes what he sees. I think he is irresponsible and insulting to those of his fellow bishops and to conservative Catholics who believe that social justice is not achieved on the basis of being indifferent or having no standard regarding the legal destruction of unborn children. Given his responsibilities to the community at large it is irresponsible to confuse those who admire the Church and insult those who have joined the Church in its agenda of restoring the right to life and opposing tax funding of abortion through Obamacare. Not being a good Catholic, indeed a fallen one, I nevertheless believe it not hypocritical to expect more from a prelate of a church I admire.
Roger Mall
Note: this article has been added to since the original posting.
Good analysis of hypocritical reasoning on the part of the local diocese to bask in the reflected “glory” of someone who has forgotten her vows.
You wonder why people are leaving the Catholic Church in droves.
Many of the Clergy disobey and defy THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, along with their vows.
The lowest of low, are the pro – choice nuns and priests. They have a special place in HELL waiting for them.