Bishop Morlino speaks on Sen. Biden.
Bishop Morlino talks about Speaker Pelosi and Sen. Biden in a homily today. The bishop starts out with a disclaimer that he isn't talking about Democrats but about specific Catholics who are Democrats. He first gives his critique about Nancy Pelosi and then goes on to talk about what Senator Biden said today. Hat Tip Rocco Palmo.
Here is a of a section of his homily that I transcribed from the mp3.
"Senator Biden does not understand the difference between articles of faith and natural law. Any human being regardless of his faith, his religious practice or having no faith. Any human being can reason the fact that human life from conception unto natural death is sacred. Biology not faith, not philosophy, not any kind of theology; Biology tells us science that at the moment of conception their exists a unique individual of the human species. It's not a matter of what I might believe. What my faith might teach me. What other people might ... Science the best science says at the moment of conception there is a unique individual of the human species. Senator Biden has an obligation to know that and he doesn't know it. Again I believe that after the Council some theologians, probably some priests, and some bishops allowed him to be confused about this matter. It's not pretty. The reason I bring this up is because Speaker Pelosi and Senator Biden are Catholics and there on television and they're giving out their ideas to Catholic people and they are causing confusion. They're suppose to believe in separation of church and state. They're violating the separation of church and state by confusing people. I have an obligation to teach. They're stepping on the Pope's turf and mine and they're violating the separation of church and state confusing God's good people. But why? Because they themselves were confused after the Council and I don't blame them for that. Bishop's allowed it, theologians did it and some priests did it and in Canada even some bishops did it."
I obviously like that the bishop has made the same point on natural law and religious faith that I made earlier today. His mentioning the effects of the aftermath of the Council I think are quite good. This is a nicely charitable look at these two Catholic politicians while still being firm on what they should know.
Known as 
An "Across the Mississippi River Hat Tip" to Bishop Morlino for being so quick out of the gate.
Much as many Bishops would like, this isn't going to go away. & God is definitely going to keep turning up the heat.
1. There is no such thing as separation of church and state. While there is a distinction made in the Constitution, there is no mention of any separation. It is, rather, the words of Thomas Jefferson which refer to "a wall being erected" that have stuck in people's ears.
2. It is precisely that misunderstanding that allows bullies to marginalize people of faith, i.e., inhibiting the free exercise of religion. The 1st Amendment of the Constitution reads: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
As many others had rightly argued, the "establishment" to which the Amendment refers is a safeguard against the establishment of a state church like the Church of England, i.e, giving preference for any single Christian denomination. The understood context, given the plethora of historical contemporary witnesses, was that the United States was/is founded as a nation based on Christian doctrine and the natural law: inalienable rights, for example.
3. When will people realize that politicians like Pelosi and Biden really don't care about the Faith? Are people so intellectually blind they cannot understand that Pelosi and Biden are more concerned with power than morality? It's a joke when these politicians are confronted with "requests for conversations" and verbal chastisements. Given their stated positions, i.e., their obstinacy and prideful tone toward the teachers of the Faith, give them what they truly deserve: recognize that they have put themselves outside the Church, that they have not responded to fraternal correction (did they hear the Scripture readings yesterday?) - so, declare excommunication.
Non-Catholics are not going to allow Bishop Morlino to unilaterally draw the line between what is a religious belief and what is not (and thus can be put into the civil law). Would you let Thomas Monson decide which of the Mormon church's tenets -- like, say, banning caffeine -- is eligible for the civil law and which is not? Before we can persuade the public that abortion is illegal in this country we need to have a consensus that the subject is not a religious subject: and the bishops' overt leadership of the pro-life movement obstructs the path to that consensus.
I believe that Biden is on record as saying that natural law is dangerous.
RP:
So, it must be the popes' fault that we continue to abort our children, right? Because he defends life at all stages, especially the lives of the most vulnerable, and he is the Vicar of Christ, the public consensus that all life deserves respect has been obstructed? RP, you're making no sense. We know that people of all races are human beings--that's not a religious concept, for instance. There are no subhumans. How we treat people is a political issue that asks moral questions, questions whose answers are found in the source of morality...
I think that the bishop's "They're supposed to believe in separation of church and state" meant "They SAY that they believe in separation of church & state." or something.
Joanne,
How did you EVER draw that inference? That is a jumping non sequitur from what I just wrote.
I suggest that those of you who seem want to have a theocracy think seriously about moving to an Islamic country. I am sick of Catholics decrying abortion (which I do as well in most instances)and, at the same time, stating that birth control is a mortal sin. It's like a country refusing to vaccinate its citizens and then complaining about diseases. Didn't Christ say "Render to Caesar's what is Caesar's ..."
Proponents of more birth control sell it as the solution to the abortion problem. Yet, 50% of aborted babies were conceived while the parents were using contraception! From a civic perspective, Catholics don't criticize their use in this society because it is a mortal sin, we do because it doesn't work as sold.
@"reformed":
Catholics decry birth control as a mortal sin because it is a mortal sin, not because it may or may not have a positive consequence vis a vis abortion. We are not consequentialists and have not flippantly abolished the moral object so we're able to actually think straight on this issue.
On the subject of theocracy vs. democracy, let us not forget that within our democratic republic of the USA there are individuals who believe it perfectly 'natural' for an adult to have relations with a child (they're even defended by the ACLU I hear). Do we "live and let live" and "not legislate morality" here? No. We ruthlessly supress and crush these individuals wherever we find them. As we should. They have their beliefs, but their beliefs are simply wrong and count for nothing.
It's not a "theocracy" to suppress and crush evil. It's a moral imperative and a necessity for the survival of civilization. Whatever the merits and demerits of theocratic governance, that's not what's at issue. What is at issue is the straightforward question of the government either banning objective moral evil, as every government everywhere is obligated to do, or bathing itself in the blood of the innocent by cooperating with objective evil.
Regarding the comments of RP Burke.
I think you misunderstand the Bishops intentions. On the whole he is of course hoping that abortion would be outlawed.
However in this particular instance he is trying to correct one sheep, although a politically influencial one, who has wandered off the proverbial reservation. When the sheep makes ridiculous public comments that other Catholics listen to then it is right that the Bishop's comments also be public.
He is not trying to effect political discourse in his correction but rightly and within his jurisdiction, trying to correct Catholic teaching on the subject of abortion.
Mary,
You are right re Pelosi but not re Biden. His issue is what public policy toward abortion should be, not whether there is any nuance in it being morally wrong.