Catholic conscience: what is it these Democrats don't get?

A week ago it dawned me in a prior post that liberal Catholics really believe their conscience at any point in time trumps a rightly formed conscience as taught by the Church. They even point to the Church teaching that a person's conscience is primary to everything else

OK, that's right. It belongs to the dignity of every person on earth.

But if you're a Catholic, then there is something else at play simply because you are a Catholic. The Catholic Church claims a teaching authority. It teaches. And as Catholics we are morally bound by those teachings. That's a big reason not everyone can handle being a Catholic.

Were a person to consider joining the Church, that person would be saying the they believe all that the Church teaches, and will ever teach. That takes a special faith and commitment.

The Church only proposes to the world, but teaches with authority from God to Catholics.

So here are 55 Catholic Democrats that somehow don't know this fact of Catholic life. They may be simply ignorant, but really should have checked first before exposing themselves in public.

link

To their mind they are of the world, so that the Church only proposes, rather than of the Church, so that they may be taught.

Again this is a Catholic thing. I can understand why protestants do not want to be taught. And certainly why the unchurched are not interested in being taught. The reason I bring it up is because they identify themselves as Catholic Democrats. Why?

Following their conscience as the Church insists is their duty, should prod them to take their support for abortion outside the Church they claim. Call it the "American democratic catholic church", or whatever... but at least be true to their conscience.

They were doing so well through this paragraph..

The statement is only six paragraphs long, which gives it clarity and focus. After a paragraph on Catholic social teaching about the obligations to "the poor and disadvantaged," the writers get to the hard issue, insisting that "each of us is committed to reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies and creating an environment with policies that encourage pregnancies to be carried to term."

Then they get weird...

"In all these issues, we seek the church's guidance and assistance, but believe also in the primacy of conscience," they write in an echo of Kennedy. "In recognizing the church's role in providing moral leadership, we acknowledge and accept the tension that comes from being in disagreement with the church in some areas."

Acknowledge it, accept it, then go away.

Better to be a prodigal son who we hope will return someday, than a
Judas.

55 signatories

Joe Baca Xavier Becerra Robert Brady Michael Capuano Dennis A. Cardoza Wm. Lacy Clay Jim Costa Joseph Crowley Peter A. DeFazio William Delahunt Rosa DeLauro Mike Doyle Anna Eshoo Lane Evans Charles A. Gonzalez Raul M. Grijalva Luis V. Gutierrez Maurice Hinchey Tim Holden Patrick J. Kennedy Dale E. Kildee James R. Langevin John B. Larson Stephen Lynch Edward J. Markey Jim Marshall Carolyn McCarthy Betty McCollum James P. McGovern Cynthia McKinney Marty Meehan Michael H. Michaud George Miller James P. Moran Grace Napolitano Richard E. Neal James L. Oberstar David R. Obey Frank Pallone Bill Pascrell Ed Pastor Nancy Pelosi Silvestre Reyes Lucille Roybal-Allard Tim Ryan John T. Salazar Linda T. Sanchez Loretta Sanchez Jose Serrano Hilda L. Solis Bart Stupak Gene Taylor Mike Thompson Nydia Velazquez Diane Watson...

Catholic League president William Donohue commented, "The House Catholic Democrats who signed this statement - and 17 of them did not - are trying to convince the public, and especially Catholics, that one can be a good Catholic and differ with the Catholic Church on abortion."

"Perhaps the most convincing evidence that this statement is a sham," said Donahue, " is the fact that Rep. Rosa DeLauro is the point person for this effort. There has never been an abortion she couldn't justify, including the killing of an innocent child who is 80-percent born. Indeed, she previously served as the executive director of EMILY's List, the richest pro-abortion organization in the country. So with her at the helm, the 'Statement of Principle' is nothing more than a 'Statement of Politics.'"