Very disconcerting

Yes, this drives me crazy. His basic stance is "I get to say whatever I want and if you say anything, well, you're just MEAN."

Only HE is supposed to talk about his faith--because it's "personal" you know. But he won't keep it personal when he thinks it might be useful for promoting his agenda: "See, we can be personally Catholic but leave it at the door politically."

No.

I just read the bishop's words that led to this. I actually thought they were very kind--he simply laid out what it means to be Catholic. I don't think that is something that very many Americans understand--too many of us are simply "cultural Catholics". And it's really different (speaking as a convert, here) from being most kinds of protestant--where you just have to kind of "feel like" one of them.

Obligation, when it comes to religion, is not something that most Americans actually GET. How many of our Catholic brothers and sisters attend Sunday mass? And if you cannot even do that one small thing, how can you possibly assent to the rest????

Yes, this drives me crazy. His basic stance is "I get to say whatever I want and if you say anything, well, you're just MEAN."

Only HE is supposed to talk about his faith--because it's "personal" you know. But he won't keep it personal when he thinks it might be useful for promoting his agenda: "See, we can be personally Catholic but leave it at the door politically."

No.

I just read the bishop's words that led to this. I actually thought they were very kind--he simply laid out what it means to be Catholic. I don't think that is something that very many Americans understand--too many of us are simply "cultural Catholics". And it's really different (speaking as a convert, here) from being most kinds of protestant--where you just have to kind of "feel like" one of them.

Obligation, when it comes to religion, is not something that most Americans actually GET. How many of our Catholic brothers and sisters attend Sunday mass? And if you cannot even do that one small thing, how can you possibly assent to the rest????

Yes, this drives me crazy. His basic stance is "I get to say whatever I want and if you say anything, well, you're just MEAN."

Only HE is supposed to talk about his faith--because it's "personal" you know. But he won't keep it personal when he thinks it might be useful for promoting his agenda: "See, we can be personally Catholic but leave it at the door politically."

No.

I just read the bishop's words that led to this. I actually thought they were very kind--he simply laid out what it means to be Catholic. I don't think that is something that very many Americans understand--too many of us are simply "cultural Catholics". And it's really different (speaking as a convert, here) from being most kinds of protestant--where you just have to kind of "feel like" one of them.

Obligation, when it comes to religion, is not something that most Americans actually GET. How many of our Catholic brothers and sisters attend Sunday mass? And if you cannot even do that one small thing, how can you possibly assent to the rest????

This is the same blowback I got for criticizing a Protestant blog commentator who supported Obama despite O's stand on abortion- that it was wrong for me to publicly question his faith.

Well, then don't publicly support pro-abortion candidates. I told him he is not his own but that he was bought with a price by Christ.

The thing is that the Kennedy family has caused PUBLIC scandal for about 40 years. (All of the) Kennedy's stance against certain beliefs of the Church are well known and well documented and a matter of public knowledge. To insist that "in this case" (when he/they is FINALLY being challenged by a member of the clergy) the matter should be kept private is hypocrisy.

You know, although I am aware of the need to be careful when making judgements about others' spiritual standing (that's not our job), I think it is long past time when our pastors and Bishops started to tag folks out when they are caught off base.
Especially in this instance...abortion is an "intrinsic evil"...there is no gray area. It's not like arguing about minimum wage, type of government, and stuff like that. This is a big deal.
Christ told us that all teaching would come through His Church...He said that!! You cannot deny the validity of His teaching and yet profess to be His follower.
A lot of our Clergy have been AWOL on these issues for political expedience...just look at Notre Dame's fiasco. It's about time some of our guys "man up" and call it the way it is. I realize that Maureen Dowd of the NYT may not like it, but I guess we'll have to deal with that.

Please read my interventions in this scandalous matter, posted in The American Papist:

(Said Tobin): "scandalous to many of our members. It absolutely diminishes your communion with the Church".

THE UGLY TRUTH: If Kennedy was a modest electrician in a surgical abortion, would be automatically excommunicated, but he is USA royalty, and with USCCB refusing to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, LONG AGO with Canon 915 confronting LAWMAKERS, rejoices in a "diminished" communion, and so the horrendous most grave scandal pales, and induces MILLIONS of ignorant Catholic in USA to believe abortion is OK or venial sin. Shame, shame!!

SDG posted:
Guillermo, if you mean to imply that Kennedy s/b considered automatically excommunicate, I'm not sure that's correct (I say: OF COURSE NOT, I'M ACCUSING THE USCCB. SDG follows): I can agree that the long-delayed implementation of Canon 915 is a cause of scandal, but certainly Bishop Tobin is moving heroically in the right direction here.

My answer to SDG:
"I can agree that the long-delayed implementation of Canon 915 is a cause of scandal, but certainly Bishop Tobin is moving heroically".

Our notions of "moving heroicaly" are opposite, and I can't agree to disagree, here. THIS IS THE ROOT OF SCANDALOUS EVIL.

Cordially.

Bishop Tobin indefinitely postponed a planned Thursday meeting...

Matthew 8:22
But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

Matthew 7:6
Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

Revelation 22:11
Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.”

http://heyitsjustablogman.blogspot.com/2009/11/cino-not.html

I had read elsewhere that it was Kennedy who cancelled, not the Bishop.