Enough Of The Mixed Signals, Enough Of Trying To Be Everything To Everyone, Enough Of The Ambiguity
It's time to heal with steel

A couple of recent postings dovetail nicely into this one. A few days back, I asked why the recent USCCB statement entitled Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States, which states "The statement explains the necessity of opposing actions that are intrinsically wrong, such as abortion and euthanasia, because these actions involve directly and intentionally ending an innocent human life" was passed just "overwhelmingly" (221-4), and not unanimously?

I also stated that I can't help but wonder who voted against it. And why. Call me old-fashioned, but I find it rather disturbing that four bishops won't even vote in favor of such a basically Catholic position as previously stated.

Well, I think I got my answer via The California Catholic Daily.

The vote on “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” was 221-4. Sister Mary Ann Walsh from the USCCB office of media relations said she was unable to say who the dissenting bishops were. “It was done by secret ballot,” she said.As one commenter stated; "The USCCB is a farce. This pricey group should be disbanded. To my mind, they are a bunch of gutless wonders, pompous blowhards leading us into chaos, all the while hiding behind anonymity." Tell us how you really feel.

Who are those four bishops in question? Purposefully, we'll never know. But speaking of four bishops of questionable Catholicism, check out some of this bit of back-slapping from the Rainbow Sash Movement from late 2004; (emphasis mine)

Press Release
For Immediate Release

The Rainbow Sash Movement: Gay Catholics Act Up with the National Council of Catholic Bishops

The following press release was issued today by the Rainbow Sash Movement:

Earlier this year Cardinal Francis George of the Archdiocese of Chicago made international news for denying RSM members and their supporters Holy Communion at his Cathedral...

However, there is division on this matter among the bishops: Archbishop Harry Flynn (Minneapolis/St Paul, MN), Cardinal Roger Mahony (Los Angeles, CA), Bishop Mathew Clark (Rochester, NY), have welcomed RSM members to Holy Communion this past year. Additionally, Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton (Detroit) has supported our call for inclusion.And the incoming President of the USCCB, Francis Cardinal George, was prominently mentioned (and condemned) in the homo-blurb. And yes, I've criticized some of the episodes that Cdl George has been involved in the past, here, here, and here.

I just can't help but get the impression that His Eminence will defend traditional, orthodox Catholic Teaching only when the pressure is on from Rome. The rest of the time, he's bullied, punked-out, and essentially trying his best to be everything to everyone.

I realize that The Holy Father is moving forward carefully in cleansing The Church of the sewage and pollution that "the fresh breath of air" that is the "Spirit of Vatican II", but we really don't need leaders that have the backbone of a chocolate eclair.

Whether we care to admit it or not, there's a cancer in The Church. And as we all know, we don't deal with cancer slowly and quietly. As surgeons love to say, it's time to heal with steel.