Do
you say you are a Catholic,
that you are living your Catholic
faith, but will vote for an
openly pro-abortion candidate?
When there is a clear pro-life
alternative? As a Catholic,
have you considered how the
lives of millions of unborn
children will be decided by
your vote? Are you for murder,
which abortion is?
I
am sure you want to live your
Catholic faith, to be a faithful
and holy Christian, to be a
true follower of Jesus. But
then you need to follow him.
And Jesus speaks through the
authentic teaching of our Catholic
Church. What part of "abortion
is a grievous sin" and
"active support for the
culture of death is a grievous
wrong" do you not understand?
You
say you are a Catholic. Please
make sure it is authentic, and
not a sham.
God
bless.
frank
Phoenix
Bishop Publishes "Catholics
in the Public Square" in
Time for the Election Season
By
Kathleen Gilbert
PHOENIX,
AZ, October 9, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com)
- Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix
has published the second edition
of his "Catholics in the
Public Square," a booklet
available nationwide outlining
the privilege and duty of Catholics
to engage the social and political
sphere in light of their Catholic
faith.
The
booklet, part of the Shepherd's
Voice series and published by
Basilica Press, was originally
written in 2006. Parishes througout
the diocese of Phoenix will
receive over 100,000 copies
of the booklet, including 7,500
Spanish copies.
In
the booklet, Bishop Olmsted
helps lay Catholics recognize
their unique call to holiness
in the public forum. He warns
that the
infamous, "'I am a Catholic
but...' syndrome" cannot
interfere with the integrity
of life lived according to faith.
"If
one's faith does not impact
on one's whole life, including
one's political and social responsibilities,"
writes the bishop, "then
it is not authentic faith; it
is a sham, a counterfeit."
Bishop
Olmsted also addresses the areas
of political discussion that
are non-negotiable for Catholics,
and reminds the faithful of
how cooperation
with grave evils such as abortion
can cause Catholics to be banned
from Holy Communion.
"If
a politician is actively supporting
and furthering the culture of
death, he is not only causing
scandal; he is sinning,"
writes the bishop.
In
an interview with ZENIT about
the booklet, Bishop Olmsted
answered the question, "Why
is the Catholic voice struggling
to make itself heard in the
public square?"
He
answered, "With the influence
of modernity and Enlightenment
philosophies, many voices in
secular society today contend
that religion is pure subjectivism
and has a role only in people's
private lives.
"If
we let our faith impact on the
way we practice a profession,
engage the culture, or become
involved in political struggles,"
said Olmsted, "then we
are accused of imposing our
faith on others. ... These contentions
are often based on false understandings
of the First Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution, which in
fact protects the practice of
religion from coercion by the
state, rather than limiting
the religious voice."
When
asked how this attitude could
affect the faith of practicing
Catholics, Olmsted responded
by quoting St. James: "Faith
without works is dead."
"When
Catholics are afraid to express
their beliefs in public, they
begin to travel down the path
that divides faith from life.
Faith begins to be purely spiritual,
with no impact on other dimension
of their lives.
"Then,
it becomes impossible to live
a life of integrity. For faith
needs to express itself, as
Jesus makes clear. ...
"Notice
how often Jesus tells his followers:
'Be not afraid,'" said
the bishop. "It takes both
courage and wisdom to engage
our culture and be involved
in the public square. We are
called to exercise both faith
and reason, being careful to
inform our conscience on the
basis of objective truth."
The
Phoenix bishop has earned a
solid reputation since his appointment
in 2004 for his leadership in
advocating pro-life and pro-family
values.
Bishop
Olmsted's booklet is currently
available for purchase online.
See
Related LifeSiteNews.com articles:
Arizona
Bishop Calls Catholics to Uphold
Marriage in November Vote
New
Phoenix Bishop Shows Impressive
Leadership - Dares to Directly
Address Homosexuality
"For to me life is Christ,
and death is gain." (Phil
1:21)