PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The bishop-elect of the Worcester Diocese wants to make certain every priest, parishioner, and Catholic politician in the county understands precisely what it means to be a Catholic.<\/p>\n
“Rejecting that teaching can have certain spiritual consequences,” said Bishop Robert J. McManus, who views his new role as a way to help solidify authentic Catholic identity.<\/p>\n
McManus said he also wants local Catholic politicians to know when they stray from church teaching, especially on issues that have the highest “moral valence.”<\/p>\n
“The most fundamental human right is the right to life, and it is most obviously attacked by abortion,” McManus said. “You become complicit in doing evil, and that’s a very serious matter.”<\/p>\n
During the 1984 presidential election, he said he watched as some “rabidly pro-abortion” Catholic politicians, such as Geraldine Ferraro and Mario Cuomo, called into question their commitment to the church. <\/p>\n
McManus traveled to the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and wrote a 500-page thesis on the relationship between the church and Catholic politicians in America.<\/p>\n
His conclusion: For a public official to say he or she is “personally opposed” to an issue, such as abortion, but promote any policy that deviates from that belief, is “absolutely unacceptable.”<\/p>\n
McManus, 52, is the auxiliary bishop of Providence, and will be installed on Friday to replace retiring Bishop Daniel P. Reilly, 75.<\/p>\n
He said during an interview in his native city that he hopes to inspire the faithful in the diocese by encouraging “psychologically and emotionally sound men” to enter the priesthood.<\/p>\n
…McManus also said it’s even more important for priests to follow and support the church’s teachings.<\/p>\n
“You wouldn’t be hired by IBM if you didn’t believe in the quality of the product,” he said.
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