Bishop orders Catholics be informed of...

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
11/2/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

The danger of voting against the Church on non-negotiable issues.

At least one Bishop isn't taking chances with his parishioners, ordering his priests to read a letter of warning to the faithful. Peoria Bishop Daniel Jenky made clear that politicians who support abortion also reject Christ.

Bishop Jenky has some serious words for parishioners this Sunday.

Facebook Delicous MySpace

Twitter Stumble Digg

More Destinations

PEORIA, IL (Catholic Online) - "By virtue of your vow of obedience to me as your Bishop, I require that this letter be personally read by each celebrating priest at each Weekend Mass," Bishop Jenky told his clergy.

That letter explains in very plain terms that Obama as well as a majority of US Senators will not reconsider the mandate that would compel religious employers to pay for morally objectionable procedures.

Last year, the Obama administration ordered that businesses would have to pay for contraception and sterilization services as well as abortifacients. This edit puts all religious people, not just Catholics, under persecution because they must either comply with the law and become a party to the murder of unborn children, or face severe punishment.

The assault on religious freedom is "without precedent" Bishop Jenky wrote.

Bishop Jenky made clear that those who support this edict also reject Christ.

"Today, Catholic politicians, bureaucrats, and their electoral supporters who callously enable the destruction of innocent human life in the womb also thereby reject Jesus as their Lord.They are objectively guilty of grave sin."

The Church is not anti-Democrat, as Bishop Thomas Paprocki pointed out in the Springfield Diocese Newspaper. "There are many positive and beneficial planks in the Democratic Party Platform, but I am pointing out those that explicitly endorse intrinsic evils," he wrote.

"Again, I am not telling you which party or which candidates to vote for or against," he added. "But I am saying that you need to think and pray very carefully about your vote, because a vote for a candidate who promotes actions or behaviors that are intrinsically evil and gravely sinful makes you morally complicit and places the eternal salvation of your own soul in serious jeopardy."

And that is what must be made plain. If a faithful Christian will not vote their conscience in accord with life, then possibly they will vote by virtue of self-interest. Those who vote for politicians that promote evil become complicit in that evil.

It simply shouldn't be done.

This is not to say that Republicans do not also support positions which the Church finds objectionable. The Church has frequently criticized the right wing of US politics for supporting wars and endeavoring to reduce vital aid and services to the poor. However, these positions are more questions of politics and practicality and are much more morally gray than issues such as abortion.

In other words, the positions typically espoused by Republicans are up for contention, while issues regarding life and marriage are non-negotiable.

As the world holds its breath waiting for the outcome of Tuesday's election, it is hoped and prayed that every Catholic will vote their conscience at the polls and that at the moment of truth, they cast their ballot for righteousness and freedom.

� 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Jenky, Catholic, voting, Obama, HHS, mandate, election, guide

NEWSLETTERS »

Rate This Article

Was this helpful to you? Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All

Would you be interested in more articles like this? Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested

Rate Article

1 - 5 of 5 Comments

Locksley Robinson
6 months ago
Bishop, based on your suggestion to vote by conscience, Catholics should not vote at all. The Catholic Church is the church of Christ and neither party fully embrace her teachings. The parties are simply not the Church and there are learly issues on both sides that contravene Catholic teaching.
I believe that we need to fast and pray that our Catholic brothers and sisters activly live and remain faithful to the teaching of Jesus. By our example alone will we combat the emerging evil and convince the world that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Jake
6 months ago
Bishop please beware of your vote putting "your soul in jeopardy". Here an excerpt from a letter to Paul Ryan from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops...

"The Ryan budget does not address debt nor fiscal responsibility. What it does is take care of the very wealthy at the risk of the middle class and people who are poor. That is contrary to Catholic teaching."

Praying for all involved and please, no politics from the pulpit.
DLL
6 months ago
As a person of Faith,I believe that life is love. "God so loved the world so that He gave us His only begotten Son,so that whoever believes in Him cannot die but are reborn unto eternal life". Life is God,in time and in eternity. Love is a constant. We can know this through the perfect example of love which is Christ Jesus. The Father and the Son are of one mind. The Holy Spirit is one with the Father and the Son,that transcends all time and every generation,the Holy Paraclete,that redeems and purifies humankind,so that through obedience to God and in a Spirit of Divine Love,recreates all,so that all souls can be also one with God forever and in eternity. Life is precious,all life! Death is the final enemy to be done away with. Death is the penalty of sin. Abortion is the death of a human soul. Death is not love. Death is the tragedy of life. Sin is death. To be redeemed is to be prepared to Iive forever in love,in unity with The Most Holy Trinity. To love another is to love one self and God. The Divine formula results in a perfect essence for all that is and that is defined by the Great "I Am",God,as God is LOVE. Life is an energy of beginnings,renewals,conversions and confirmations that love is meant to be for all and in all,the very meaning of God being all in all. Death is the end of time,an end to evil itself,with no part in eternity. Faith is to trust in God. Abortion is quitting to commit to love and to the love of life. Abortion is resignation to futility. Every baby represents hope for redemption and that love is the ultimate possibility for human existence,in creation,as procreation is for the Glory of God.
vance
6 months ago
It is too bad that the Bishop of my dioceses is not doing the same thing.
maried
6 months ago
Thank God for Bishop Daniel Jenky!

Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.

Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.

This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.

We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.

We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample

Post Comment