I fear that this may give the Democrats wavering about the health care bill because of abortion the religious cover they need to vote in favor of the health care bill.
Here is an article in the WaPo.
Catholic nuns urge passage of Obama’s health bill
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 17, 2010; 10:14 AMWASHINGTON — Catholic nuns are urging Congress to pass President Barack Obama’s health care plan, in an unusual public break with bishops who say it would subsidize abortion.
Some 60 leaders of religious orders representing 59,000 Catholic nuns Wednesday sent lawmakers a letter urging them to pass the Senate health care bill. It contains restrictions on abortion funding that the bishops say don’t go far enough.
The letter says that "despite false claims to the contrary, the Senate bill will not provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions." The letter says the legislation also will help support pregnant women and "this is the real pro-life stance."
The Catholic Bishops need to rise up as a man and do something about this act of defiance from the LCWR.
Here is the text of the letter the sisters sent to Representatives forwarded to me by a staffer for a member of the House:
Subject: Catholic Sisters for Healthcare Reform
Dear Representative,
We write to urge you to cast a life-affirming "yes" vote when the Senate health care bill (H.R. 3590) comes to the floor of the House for a vote as early as this week. We join the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA), which represents 1,200 Catholic sponsors, systems, facilities and related organizations, in saying: the time is now for health reform AND the Senate bill is a good way forward. [So this is effectively liberal women who say they are Catholic who are effectively doing what they can to pave the way for funding for abortion even though they claim that that is not what they are doing.]
As the heads of major Catholic women’s religious order in the United States, we represent 59,000 Catholic Sisters in the United States who respond to needs of people in many ways. Among our other ministries we are responsible for running many of our nation’s hospital systems as well as free clinics throughout the country.
We have witnessed firsthand the impact of our national health care crisis, particularly its impact on women, children and people who are poor. We see the toll on families who have delayed seeking care due to a lack of health insurance coverage or lack of funds with which to pay high deductibles and co-pays. We have counseled and prayed with men, women and children who have been denied health care coverage by insurance companies. We have witnessed early and avoidable deaths because of delayed medical treatment.
The health care bill that has been passed by the Senate and that will be voted on by the House will expand coverage to over 30 million uninsured Americans. While it is an imperfect measure, it is a crucial next step in realizing health care for all. It will invest in preventative care. It will bar insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. It will make crucial investments in community health centers that largely serve poor women and children. [NB] And despite false claims to the contrary, the Senate bill will not provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions. [Prove it!] It will uphold longstanding conscience protections and it will make historic new investments – $250 million – in support of pregnant women. This is the REAL pro-life stance, and we as Catholics are all for it. [No kind of Catholic I recognize. Right in the eye of the Catholic bishops. No?]
Congress must act. We are asking every member of our community to contact their congressional representatives this week. In this Lenten time, we have launched nationwide prayer vigils for health care reform. We are praying for those who currently lack health care. We are praying for the nearly 45,000 who will lose their lives this year if Congress fails to act. [WHAT?] We are also praying for you and your fellow Members of Congress as you complete your work in the coming days. For us, this health care reform is a faith mandate [?] for life and dignity of all of our people.
We urge you to vote "yes" for life by voting yes for health care reform in H.R. 3590.
Sincerely,
Marlene Weisenbeck, FSPA LCWR President Leadership Conference of Women Religious Leadership Team Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Leadership Team Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Joan Chittister, OSB Co-Chair Global Peace Initiative of Women Erie, PA Sr. Mary Persico, IHM President Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scranton, PA Sr. Susan Hadzima, IHM Councilor for Missioning and Community Life Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scranton, PA Mary Pelligrino, Marguerite Coyne, Rosanne Oberleitner, Carolyn Bodenshatz Leadership team Sisters of St. Joseph Baden, PA Sr. Helen McDonald, SHCJ Province Leader Society of the Holy Child Jesus Philadelphia, PA Vivien Linkhauer, SC Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, United States Province Greensburg, PA Ruth Goodwin, OSF Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia Sister Barbara Hagedorn, SC Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Mt. St. Joseph, Ohio Marilyn Kerber, SNDdeN Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Canonical Representative, Ohio Province Sisters of St. Francis Tiffin, Ohio Leadership Team Sisters of the Precious Blood Dayton, OH Nancy Conway CSJ Congregation Leadership Team The Congregation of St. Joseph Joan Saalfeld, SNJM, Provincial Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary U.S.-Ontario Province Jo’Ann De Quattro, SNJM Sisters of the Holy Names U.S.-Ontario Province Leadership Team Josephine Gaugier, OP Adrian Dominican Sisters Holy Rosary Mission Chapter Prioress Adrian, MI Kathleen Nolan, OPAdrian Dominican SistersOffice of the General Council Joan Mumaw, IHM – Vice President On behalf of the Leadership Council Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Monroe, MI Corinne Weiss, Servants of Jesus Leadership Team Saginaw MI Beatrice Haines, OLVM President, Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters Huntington, IN Eileen C. Reid, RJM Provincial Superior Religious of Jesus and Mary Washington DC Sister Cecilia Dwyer, O.S.B. Prioress Benedictine Sisters of Virginia Sr. Dorothy Maxwell, Councilor Sisters of St. Dominic Blauvelt, New York Adrian Dover OPPrioress Dominican Sisters of Houston, Texas Francine Schwarzenberger OP Dominican Sisters of Peace Denver, Colorado Rose Mary Dowling, FSM President Franciscan Sisters of Mary Margaret Byrne CSJP – Congregation LeaderTeresa Donohue CSJP – Assistant Congregation Leader Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace Sr. Carmelita Latiolais, S.E.C. Sisters of the Eucharistic Covenant Sheral Marshall, OSF Provincial Councilor Sisters of St Francis The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes Sister Joann Sambs, CSA General Superior The Leadership Team of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis Sister Jane Blabolil, SSJ-TOSF Sister Michelle Wronkowski, SSJ-TOSF Sister Dorothy Pagosa, SSJ-TOSF Sister Linda Szocik, SSJ-TOSF Sr. Mary Genino (RSHM), Provincial Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary Western American Province. Debra M. Sciano, SSND Provincial Leader Milwaukee Province, School Sisters of Notre Dame Sister Liz Heese School Sisters of St. Francis US Province, Milwaukee, WI Marlene Weisenbeck, FSPA, President Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration La Crosse, WI Sharon Simon, OP President Racine Dominicans Maryann A. McMahon, O.P. Vice President Dominican Sisters of Racine, WI Agnes Johnson, OP Vice President Racine Dominicans Pat Mulcahey, OP Prioress of Sinsinawa Dominicans Theresa Sandok, OSM Servants of Mary (Servite Sisters) Ladysmith, Wisconsin Sister Maureen McCarthySchool Sisters of St. FrancisU.S. Provincial TeamMilwaukee, WI Dolores Maguire Sisters of the Holy Faith Northern California LCWR Region XIV Patricia Anne Cloherty, PBVM Leadership Team, Sisters of the Presentation, San Francisco Pam Chiesa, PBVM President Sisters of the Presentation, San Francisco Gloria Inés Loya Leadership Team Sisters of the Presentation, San Francisco Gloria Marie Jones, OP Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose Congregational Prioress and Council Mary Litell Provincial Councilor Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity St. Francis Province Sr Claire Graham SSS General Director Sisters of Social Service Encino CA Sr. Gladys Guenther SHF Sisters of the Holy Family Congregational President Fremont, CA Sister Patricia Rayburn, OSF, Provincial Minister, Sisters of St. Francis, Redwood City, CA Sisters of St. Louis, California Region Marianites of Holy Cross Sr. Suellen Tennyson, MSCCongregational Leader New Orleans, LA Sister Clare of Assisi Pierre, SSF Sisters of the Holy Family New Orleans, LA Congregation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Sister Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, O.Carm. Sister Andree Bindewald, O.Carm. Lacombe, Louisiana Sister Marla Monahan, SNDProvincialSisters of Notre Dame(St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead, KY and St. Charles Care Center in Covington, KY) Sr. Mary Elizabeth Schweiger, OSB Subprioress Mount St. Scholastica Atchison, KS Janice Cebula, OSF President Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa Mary Rehmann, CHM President Congregation of the Humility of Mary Davenport, IA
UPDATE 1557 GMT:
Check CMR‘s entry "Nun of the above"
"The sisters point to the many good things the bill may accomplish. But you can’t caveat evil. It’s still just evil."
There it is.
UPDATE 1619 GMT:
The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (the "matter" to the LCWR "anti-matter") issued a statement of their own, very different from the dissenting pro-abortion stance of the LCWR.
UPDATE 1734 GMT:
At least one bishop has a clear statement. Read what Bp. Finn has to say.
UPDATE 2022 GMT:
Biretta tip o{]:¬) to the youthful papist and I like his title: "How did a few hundred nuns become 60,000?"
10-048
March 18, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEClarification
Washington—A recent letter from Network, a social justice lobby of sisters, grossly overstated whom they represent in a letter to Congress that was also released to media.
Network’s letter, about health care reform, was signed by a few dozen people, and despite what Network said, they do not come anywhere near representing 59,000 American sisters.
The letter had 55 signatories, some individuals, some groups of three to five persons. One endorser signed twice.
There are 793 religious communities in the United States.
The math is clear. Network is far off the mark.
Sister Mary Ann Walsh
Director of Media Relations
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
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I saw this article this morning in my inbox…..had to have a good laugh. Could somebody PLEASE shut these people down? Will they have to literally hold satanic rituals or something before it will become clear to everyone that these are not Catholic groups?
And these women don’t understand the need for the Vatican visitations.
Our congressman, whose policies toward the left I don’t like, is a strong pro-life Catholic. He has come out officially as a No. I have been calling and emailing him since last year and broadcasting the need to do so on my blog. I’d like to think that our work had something to do with his decision. Good on Jerry Costello for deciding to go with no. [I am amazed that 3 IL Dems are going No against the pres from this state. 2 pro-life; 1 for illegal aliens. The state pols on the Dem ballot aren’t looking to good. These guys may want to distance themselves from the whole party at this point.]
In advance of tomorrow’s solemnity, I pray to St. Joseph, guardian of our Savior and protector of the Blessed Mother.
The people running the visitation will find the names on this list quite helpful
signed by
“Leadership Team, Sisters of the Precious Blood, Dayton, OH”.
They don’t have the guts to sign their name. Why am I not surprised, deeply saddened but not surprised.Their original Motherhouse is only 3 miles from me, now the National Marian Shrine of the Holy Relics.
http://www.mariasteincenter.org/pages/mschistory3.html
I was taught by these Sisters 40 years ago, how far they have sunk. They used to be such a holy and proud order, a post on how they used to be, the picture brings back memories:
http://germanegyptian.blogspot.com/2010/01/proper-nuns-or-good-habit-to-keep.html
Now totally polyester, The visitation cannot come soon enough.
Our bishops put out this statement yesterday:
TO THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO
In the past two days, congressional leaders and the White House have brought tremendous pressure on prolife Democratic members of Congress to support a fatally flawed Senate version of health care reform.
Regrettably, groups like Network and the Catholic Health Association have done a grave disservice to the American Catholic community by undermining the leadership of the nation’s Catholic bishops, sowing confusion among faithful Catholics, and misleading legislators through their support of the Senate bill.
Do not be fooled. Nothing has changed. The Senate bill remains gravely flawed on the issues of abortion funding, conscience protections and the inclusion of immigrants. Unless seriously revised to address these issues, the Senate version of health care is unethical and should be firmly opposed.
+Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Denver
+James D. Conley, S.T.L.
Auxiliary Bishop of Denver
The problem for the bishops is that they have (for years in fact) bought the ‘government needs to reform health care’ mantra, when in fact it is the government that has made the mess. This prevents them from “manfully” opposing the bill which is little more than a gigantic pork and regulatory boondogle to benefit the insurance companies and empower the federal bureaucracy.
All they can do is holler about abortion – because at the level of fundamental principle they have no objection to anything else.
But let’s say that they could have whatever qualifying clauses they desired on abortion. Can any serious observer make the case that such qualifications would not be removed within a few years?
Government control of health care means: Government funded abortion, Government coercion of health care providers on matters of conscience now or later. It also ultimately means Government mandated euthanasia down the road.
Ceding the high ground to the twits who prepared this letter renders the Catholic Bishops unable to provide a coherant opposition. And they will continue to fail until they make a principled opposition to all of the ‘prevailing wisdom’ on grounds of solid teaching. Subsidiarity anyone?
I remember that when Mother Angelica, a nun who really takes her vows seriously, simply defended the Catholic faith, bishops threatened to take over her TV station. This forced her to cede authority to a lay management group, which in my opinion has tried too hard to be ‘cool.’
The nuns urging the passage of the proposed health bill ought to be severely rebuked. I mean, Mother Angelica did nothing wrong and yet these liberal (habit-less) nuns are supporting abortion.
Besides, the bill totally violates subsidiarity principles.
How sad is it that our American churches have fractured to this point? I realize dissent isn’t anything new, but it’s still disheartening. Hopefully the Holy Spirit invigorates our bishops to reclaim what’s been lost over the years.
All I can say is “WOW!”. The “Deception”, We must stand and say “No” for our sisters. They have been deceived. PRAY.
A national rebuke like the one from Arch. Chaput and Bp. Conley would be a good start.
And please please please if only a bishop or two would expel offending sisters from his diocese! THAT would make an impression and provide a teaching moment for Catholics throughout the US.
Well this is a helpful roadmap for those of us who contribute to Womens’ religious orders. Now we know which ones NOT to donate to.
What harm and confusion these ‘Sisters’ are creating. God help them. May God protect the lives of the innocent, un-born children in their Mother’s wombs whose lives are in mortal danger, more so if this ‘Health’ care bill passes.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle..
Fr. Z.;
I thought the same thing when I read of the liberal sisters’ letter. This will our politicians’ excuse to fold. I am not happy with our bishops stance on the bill. Even if it passes with a Hyde amendment to the tenth power, it’s still a lousy piece of legislation!
I sent this to the Cincinnati Enquirer this morning concerning the latest one to flip- flop.
Editor;
In my opinion no politician should vote for any bill that contains almost 3000 pages or for that matter, one that is endorsed by nuns who are in opposition to their Bishop’s Conference. “Health bill gains key holdout” As far as Rep. Kucinich’s vote is concerned, he has let the people of Ohio down big time. If that vote was worth 300 Million dollars in 09, surely he could have gotten at least 500 million bucks for our state in 2010.
Tom Lanter
This Health Bill will begin to completely transform the United States into a Socialist country. Don’t be fooled. The Democrats have admitted that this bill, in whatever form, is just the beginning. It doesn’t even matter what’s in it – Pelosi has said we need to pass it and then we can see what’s in it. The President said yesterday on national news that he doesn’t know what’s in the bill. It is sadly true that the President has surrounded himself his entire life with radicals and Marxists, and that continues to this day. He promised (a few days before he was sworn in) that he would radically transform the United States. He has said he wants total state control of Health Care (single payer system) and total state control of student loans. He wants pass Cap and Trade, which he said would make electricity rates skyrocket. It’s all about redistribution of wealth, a concept which he has also stated in no uncertain terms that he supports. Redistribution of wealth is nothing more than Marxism. He has stated that America is no longer a Christian nation. The State apparently must fill the void. Do not buy into this – it is so sad that so many women religious have bought into this agenda. History, the Popes and Our Lady herself have shown us the evils of Marxism. Why would any Catholic accept this radical agenda? The Bishops, indeed all True Catholics, need to speak out now and try to stop this transformation. And above all, we need to fast and pray for the Nation.
I question their notion of “the real pro-life stance.”
My Lord-what a list of names.
Come on, Bishops, stand up and be men for once! Do something about these women! Excommunicate them, boot them out of your dioceses!
I don’t want our country to become Socialist-and this so-called ‘health care’ bill will make it one if it is not defeated! Our so-called ‘representatives’ will not listen to us, so we can expect no help from them; only God can help us now!
Mary Immaculate, help America! St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!
Putting aside the doctrinal scandal, this is just about as sloppy as “journalism” ever gets. The “story” has been picked up as reflecting a sea-change in Catholic thinking when, in reality, some lazy journalist reported a press release by a small fringe Washington lobbying group. The ENTIRE story is “news” of a web posted press release here:
http://www.networklobby.org/press/3-17-10HealthcareSistersLetter.htm
but, not only has just about every large US paper has picked up this as reflecting Catholics and Nuns as a whole, even the Vatican (Osservatore Rom.) has had to come out to say the obvious, that the Bishops are the best source (I know, I know) of ACTUAL doctrine.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/mar/10031711.html
After seeing the list headed by none other than Joan Chittister, I thought, “Let me look to see if I know any of these groups.” Sure enough, the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt were listed. These ladies taught in my elementary school in Poughkeepsie, NY and to be fair, were very nice ladies. However, they have since dropped their habits, pulled out of the school, for they do not have the personnel to support it, and their numbers are dwindling. I decided to take a look at their current web site, where they link to organizations such as “The American Friends Service Committee”, which promotes Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans gender “rights”, “affirms diversity in our lives” by questioning the value of man-woman marriage, well, you get the point. Your basic nightmare. I would imagine that if I wasted more time looking at the other names on the list, I would find more dissidence with the Catholic Church than I would find agreement with it. So, as these communities dwindle away, we must be there to know love and serve God.
When there has been little if any leadership, little if any insistance on obedience, and little if anything in the way of consequences for willful acts of disobedience for over 40 years what do we expect? The Church in the USA has made inclusiveness, diversity, and social justice its gods. What we are seeing is the effect of worshiping false gods.
Any dissident individual or group (such as these “nuns”) needs a smack down. But I doubt there are more than a half dozen Bishops in this entire country with the ability and guts to take firm action. Leadership is not taught in the Church. As a consequence the vast majority of Bishops are not leaders.
We made our bed and now we must lay in it. If this health care bill passes the Bishops will probably defensively say “we did all we could to oppose it”. Hogwash. The bill should never have boiled down to just abortion. It should have been opposed much more aggresively because it is immoral for a lot of reasons that go beyond abortion.
Mother Clare, are you taking notes?
This is scandalous. Cannot the bishops put these “religious” under a canonical interdict of some sort? It’s time for the gals to go. Remove the canonical statuses of these communities and just let them go! The sooner the better.
Pray that our bishops have the fortitude to rebuke these orders. Many are here in the Cincinnati area. I have taken the opportunity to e-mail my friends and parish priest about this letter and highlight the orders who are here.
I agree with EXCHIEF (except on his estimate of the number of bishops willing to stand up and be counted). But, I would also say that it is a sad day when Catholic laypeople in the United States need to await the approval of the bishops before determining whether a proposed piece of legistlation “smells” right or not (if that is what we are seeing, which may not be the case). It is about abortion and conscience rights (true moral issues), but it’s not just about them.
Could that be a result of USCCB committees testifying on behalf of the Catholic Church on just about every single piece of legislation imaginable (even foreign policy questions, of all things), such that it all becomes a spectator sport for the laypeople, but a participatory democracy if you wear a purple yamulka, (or used to wear a habit)?
The purpose of law is order: the purpose of canon law is to foster order in the Catholic Church (yes, I know, in furtherance of the salvation of souls). Does Canon Law (as a witness to the authentic Magisterium) say that only bishops get to think about national issues and policies? Or, does it say that the laity have the primary role of ordering society according to the Gospel?
I think we are seeing a phenomenon similar to that of the boy who cried wolf: eventually, people just ignored him, and the wolf ate him up.
There is additional deception in the WaPo article. CatholicVoteProject/American Papist points out that:
1. There are 59,000 women religious TOTAL in the US. LCWR DOES NOT REPRESENT ALL OF THEM!
2. Even among those orders that “belong” to the LCWR, not all of the women religious in those orders agree with the statement put out by the leadership.
3. There are at least 10,000 women religious whose orders are affiliated with another organization, The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, and this organization has released its own statement which says, in part:
“Recent statements from groups like Network, the Catholic Health Association and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) directly oppose the Catholic Church’s position on critical issues of health care reform.
The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, the second conference of Major Superiors of Women Religious in the United States, believes the Bishops’ position is the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church.
Protection of life and freedom of conscience are central to morally responsible judgment. We join the bishops in seeking ethically sound legislation.”
Reference: http://www.catholicvoteaction.org/americanpapist/index.php?p=6426
And sadly, now the Emeritus Bishop of my Diocese has endorsed the Senate bill. :(
My dad, who is not Catholic, will be gloating about that for a while.
It’s ironic, as the fact that he, a non-Catholic, buys into all the deceptions pushed by the LCWR crowd (The Senate bill is really pro-life, Catholicism should be determined by a majority vote, Bishops shouldn’t have authority because they’re all a bunch of men, etc.) shows how non-Catholic that worldview really is.
I suppose I’m mostly upset because the CHA and Bishop Emeritus have broken the solidarity that strengthened me to stand up for the truth. I wish influential Catholics would realize the personal impact their decisions have on many Catholics, as well as of course the eternal impact.
If anyone has any time, please pray for me, my family, and my Diocese.
My wife and children and I are praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy daily from now until the Health Care vote takes place. Please join us in imploring God’s Divine Mercy in this time of danger for our Nation.
The real problem here is that the sisters offer no support for their position.
What really bothers me is that the sisters claim that “This is the REAL pro-life stance.” Not even simply just their opinion or something. Which would be disobedient enough. But to claim that “This is the REAL pro-life stance” is to set themselves up directly as an alternate magisterium. For this they need to be censured. It really is time for the hammer to come down.
So are there any problems in health care the government should work on or just back out of it completely? I’m worried about socialized medicine but then what should the role of the government be, if any?
Boston Globe article online today: “Catholic opposition to health bill fades”
The article starts with this:
“WASHINGTON — Roman Catholic opposition to the health care overhaul package is crumbling, with some church officials and lawmakers concluding that their long-sought goal of health care overhaul trumps the desire to adopt the severest restrictions on abortion funding.” http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/03/18/catholic_opposition_to_health_bill_fades/
Enemies of the Church will use any chance they get to justify their positions against the Church – unfortunately these decieved nuns are playing right into the Enemy’s hands.
Elly
There are plenty of areas in which a responsible Congress could enact legislation that would improve health care. Unfortunately few of those areas are even touched on in the pending bill. If BHO could put aside his unbelievable ego and his “legacy” perhaps he would heed the “let’s start over from scratch” suggestion made by many. I think few people would argue that there is no need for any health care reform. But there is clearly no need for the immoral bill (not to mention the illegal process) BHO and Pelosi are trying to ram down our throats. A good start would be tort reform, expanding health care insurance markets across state lines, a reputable regulatory agency to establish fair market (instead of grossly inflated) value of medical procedures and prescription drugs….and on and on.
To try and make any sense of this is pointless.
The sane will never understand the insane.
In my life the first harm done by the “spirit’
of Vatican II was to our Liturgy…and the second
harm done was to our nuns. Satan decimated our
numbers but we are now by God’s Grace being
replenished. All things are restored in Christ.
Here in NYC (aka The Belly of the Beast) the
true servants, our true nuns ,The Sisters of Life
are making their lives the sign of contradiction
in this culture of death, this culture of Obama.
The Catholic Bishops need to rise up as a man and do something about this act of defiance from the LCWR.
Yes, that is what is required. But don’t hold your breath. I do not think they will act because, imo, the USCCB can easily be intimidated for two reasons:
1. They are a group of political males, not men.
2. The President of The USCCB, Francis Cardinal George, and the Vice President of The USCCB, Bishop Gerald Kicanas, both have records of promoting and protecting a known predatory pervert priest, Dan McCormack (now laicised)who is so dangerous the State of Illinois would not release him from prison back into the community.
http://www.childprotectionprogram.org/newsletter/vol6_iss7.html
These facts are not unknown my a substantial number of people therefore, in my estimation, making The USCCB subject to threats if they act with masculine fortitude.
The President and V.P. of The USCCB do not have the decency and humility to resign and their Brother Bishops will not demand that they do resign and so I think that there is such a high level of tolerance for such execrable acts of perversion inside of The USCCB that, by comparison, the claims of these Nuns seems mild.
Once again, a real cleanup hitter. Thanks for pointing out his talk.
I think this bill will probably pass.
If citizens would do their constitutional homework then they’d understand that Obamacare is a scandal. Here’s why Obama, Reid and Pelosi are in contempt of the Constitution that they have hypocritically sworn to defend. They are unthinkingly basing their so-called constitutional authority to make healthcare legislation on perversions of the Commerce Clause by pro-big federal government justices in the 1930s and 40s.
Eight of these justices were nominated nominated by FDR, an enemy of the Constitution, and caved in to perverting the Commerse Clause to give the green light to illegal spending legislation inspired by FDR. The justices did so by scandalously ignoring state sovereignty statutes like Article V and the 10th Amendment when deciding cases which tested the limits of Congress’s powers. But here’s what’s really going on.
Given that the federal Constitution is silent about public healthcare, the 10th Amendment automatically reserves government power to regulate healthcare to the states, not the Oval Office and Congress.
In fact, the USSC has already decided that Congress has no business sticking its big nose in the medical practice.
“Direct control of medical practice in the states is obviously beyond the power of Congress.” –Linder v. United States, 1925. http://supreme.justia.com/us/268/5/case.html
So presuming that they really know that they don’t have the constitutional authority to make healthcare legislation, Obama, Reid and Pelosi are criminally ignoring the following.
Article V requires Reid and Pelosi to rally Congress to propose a healthcare amendment to the states for ratification. And should the states choose to ratify such an amendment, then Congress would have the power to make Obamacare legislation.
On the other hand, the states can always choose not to ratify such an amendment, in which case Congress remains without constitutional authority to regulate healthcare.
In the meanwhile, Obama, Reid and Pelosi are treasonously basing Obamacare legislation on constitutionally nonexistent federal government powers.
The bottom line is that Constitution-defending patriots have a big mess to clean up in DC in this year’s midterm elections.
B Johnson
So if Obama care passes do you expect that the Supremem Court would, on its own, enter the fray and rule that it is unconstitutional as a violation of the 10th Ammendment? Several State AG’s seem willing to make that argument.
B Johnson
So if Obama care passes do you expect that the Supremem Court would, on its own, enter the fray and rule that it is unconstitutional as a violation of the 10th Ammendment? Several State AG’s seem willing to make that argument.
Marlene Wiesenbeck, FSPA, former CHANCELLOR of the Diocese of La Crosse(prior to Bishop Raymond Burke), still based in La Crosse. Time to change my screen name…
This bill is going to pass. There’s nothing we can really do about it. If every man, woman and child in the US protested it, it would still be passed. Too many politicians owe to many rich people/companies too many favors.
My advice to all of you. Take care of your families and yourselves. DON’T GET SICK!
Contact Marlene Weisenbeck FSPA who signed the document TWICE http://tinyurl.com/yz3cxkl
Another important update on CatholicVoteAction.com — http://www.catholicvoteaction.org/americanpapist/index.php?p=6433
It seems the signatories to that CHA letter represent only a few hundred nuns. And one of them signed twice.
So it isn’t 59,000 nuns. That number is way too high, possibly by a factor of 100x.
Time to write some editors.
Sadly, I know two of the nuns and the orders to which they belong. I tried to work with them years ago, but found I could not support the radical feminist philosophy behind their decisions. Many of those who signed the petition do not want a male hierarchy. They also want women priests and a democratization of the Church. Some of them taught in Catholic high schools and colleges, spreading their radical Gospel which was and is contrary to the Gospel of Christ and His Church. Do not kid yourselves or think the list is humorous. I would guess that for each name listed, hundreds of Catholic youth had their education tainted by these ladies, who do not deserve the name of nun or sister.
God forgive us. Those Catholics who voted for the present president learned their anti-Catholic views, modernism and socialist philosophy under these sisters and nuns.
I have been watching this falling off happen since the 1970s, and especially saw the heretical views gaining ground when I was at Notre Dame for six years. I was personally involved with such sisters, as I lived with nuns for sometime and learned that the feminist Gospel was not something I could live with as a sister myself.
How many vocations were lost in the 70s and 80s because of the defection of so many of the religious? My question has always been, in the face of these trends, why have not the bishops spoken against such radical feminist views in the last thirty years? Many of us laity knew which side of the aisle the sisters stood, and nothing was ever done to correct the teaching of these errors.
The chickens have come home to roost, or roast….
Shame on them. Continued public dissent and scandal such have we have had to deal with since Humanae Vitae.
I highly suggest that the orders of those listed should not receive one penny from the faithful at this point. Many elderly people still will entire estates to the orders who taught them, not understanding the sea-changes which have happened in the orders. Some of the orders listed above have “endowments”. One listed will inherit millions of dollars of prime Midwest farmland owned by the family of one of the sisters in the same convent as the signature sister. These same sisters actively supported our present president in the last election and support the health bill openly. They teach at colleges and universities in the area. Wake up, lay people, and do not pretend this is the early 1900s, when orders where obedient. I repeat,this disobedience grew up in the 1970s. The sisters at my alma mater allowed NOW to have an office as early as 1971, an office on campus. Some of us students were appalled. The order is on the list above….
How many of us good Catholics have had sisters in our own families who have held onto the feminist Gospel without reproach?
I think we are heading for a civil war. I want to live in one of the 37 states which will sue the Federal Government once the bill is passed. The dear sisters and nuns on the “ick list” can move to the other 13 states which want the bill. Let us then see who gets decent care in their old age or those who get euthanasia. That is the irony of these Catholics who support an anti-life bill. It will come back to bite them…
Have the ladies on the “ick list” read this on another bill, but in the same anti-life mode? Further bills will follow and make this health care bill go down in history as the door to the greatest culture of death in modern history-America. I think that Catholics who support this bill are short-sighted, even dull, if they do not realize the “murder monster” the government will become with our money. And, I am convinced that the sisters support this out of pride, not wanting to be obedient or submissive-the primal sin and for the sake of false compassion, dooming others to hell for their own warped ideals:
Congressional Bill Would Allow Creation — Then the Murder — of Clones
Article by FRC
(2 Days Ago) in Society
Despite all the problems associated with cloning, there are still congressional leaders who want to legalize it and stick you with the bill!
Earlier this month, Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Michael Castle (R-Del.) filed new legislation, H.R. 4808, that would give scientists the green light to make all the human clones they want for experimentation, so long they as kill them when they’re through.
The members claim this legislation “bans human cloning,” when H.R. 4808’s official definition blatantly redefines the cloning process!
While the duo calls it a stem cell research bill, there’s no sugar-coating the fact that Americans would be paying for a process that creates embryos with the express purpose of killing them.
I was thinking along the same lines as TJerome above; ie. I know now which orders not to support.
Would there be any left ??
As was stated elsewhere, the charity (not necessarily monetary) of those on the correct side of this needs to EXCEED the charity of those institutions or people who are not. I think the reason why this stuff is tolerated is because that is not the case. Gray seems to be the favorite color of the man downstairs.
..Joan Chittister, OSB Co-Chair Global Peace Initiative of Women…(Never mind using that old ‘Sister’ tag..)
That’s super. Peace. Except when it comes to what should be the safest, most peaceful place in the world..
The un-born child in his or her own Mother’s womb.
Signed,
Hell’s shopping list.
There is absolutely No evidence this bill will Not provide funding for abortion, nor have the good sisters been able to provide any. They are willing to wait until it’s passed and then worry about getting the kinks out. They are delusional.
Our good Catholic Nancy Pelosi called a girls only summit (I believe it was yesterday). Lots of female politico reps and who knows maybe 60,000 nuns. Did I say 60,000 nuns??!! Such an exaggeration. I find the timing suspicious.
The Bishops must find the courage to do what’s right. They have the power to beat down this Evil.
so many of these orders are from my area… it makes me so sad. what responsibilities do we as laypeople have to getting bishops and such to do something about these women? to whom do we write and express our opposition [especially us in the young-and-broke crowd who have no money to withhold?
Ah yes, once again: Aging catholic sisters caught lying their polyester-upholstered a&&e& off in public for a totally immoral & dissident cause. Ain’t the post Vatican II period grand?
The only good part about this is the fact that at least if they have to lie like felons with megaphones, they’re not doing it dressed in black-&-white habits while waving rosaries. That’d be a nightmare.
60,000 nuns? Hah. I bet she meant 6.5 senior citizens who think they’re nuns. Pelosi wouldn’t know the difference anyway.
I want to make it clear to everyone. . .Dominican sisters (as opposed to the cloistered nuns) are NOT under the authority of the Master of the Order. IOW, they are not responsible to the Order of Preachers, the General Chapters of the Order, or the Order’s Constitution. OP sisters function as local communities in association with the Order, but they do fall within the juridical purview of our canons. This vital canonical distinction has been blurred in recent decades by the use of the term “Dominican Family,” a term that leads many to believe that all OP’s operate under the authority of the Master.
Fr. Philip, OP