Father Trigilio's Response To 18 Democrats

[Katholikos]

Here's the answer. Has anyone seen the document from 18 Democrats that Father Trigilio is responding to?

Whatchathink?


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Response to 18 Democrats

5/22/2007 - 11:42 PST

Dear Legislators,

MARYSVILLE , PA , MAY 22, 2007 - Your letter of May 10th is self-incriminating. While criticizing the Pope for doing his job as supreme pastor, you yourselves betray your own duplicity as Catholic lawmakers. The supreme pastor of the universal church has jurisdiction over every Catholic Christian in the world. Canon Law makes it clear that every baptized Catholic is under the authority of the Church in matters of faith and morals. Hence, when the Roman Pontiff upholds and enforces the Divine Positive and the Natural Moral Laws, he is not interfering with man-made civil law, rather, he is reminding you of its subservience to the higher laws to which it must conform for the common good of all.

Canon 1398 states that "a person who actually procures an abortion incurs a latae sententiae excommunication." Anyone who supports abortion is a formal cooperator in evil while those who "personally oppose abortion but uphold a woman's right to choose abortion" are material cooperators in evil. When he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict sent a letter to the US Bishops in 2004 which said "a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate's permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia." He also said that Catholic politicians who consistently campaign and vote for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws are formal cooperators in evil and they are "not to present themselves for Holy Communion." Our words and actions make us worthy or unworthy. Church law merely ratifies our decision by telling us to refrain from Communion when we should not be taking it

The Pope has the right, the obligation and the duty to enforce the moral law, which is superior to all municipal, state, federal or even international law. The Nuremburg trials proved that when Nazis were convicted of the heinous evil and injustice of genocide despite the apparent civil legality at the time. The government enacted immoral laws which society and decency said should never have been upheld or enforced.

Your letter insinuates that the Bishop of Rome is interfering with American jurisprudence. He is not. Pope Benedict is merely reminding Catholic Americans that their first and foremost loyalty is to God and the common good. Any and all civil laws which contradict the Divine and/or the Natural Law are invalid and have no obligation upon anyone. If that were not the case, then slavery, segregation and anti-Semitism would have to be tolerated if some legislature or court upheld laws supporting these atrocities. Thankfully, even the evil of apartheid is finally gone though it had been legal for centuries in South Africa .

Learn from history and remember that it has usually been religious people of faith who have convinced lawmakers and judges that immoral laws must be abolished no matter how "constitutional" they may appear. Our inalienable rights do not come from any document, not even the Constitution nor are they bestowed upon us by any government. The right to life comes from the Creator and once given, it cannot be unjustly taken away. The unborn children murdered by abortion have had no due process yet their civil rights have been denied them. Even though they are in their mother, the unborn are no more "property" than was any slave. No one owns another human being, whether in the womb or out of it.

On the one hand you state "advancing respect for life and for the dignity of every human being is, as our church has taught us, our own life's mission," yet you remonstrate the spiritual leader of our one billion member church simply because he reaffirms the innate evil of abortion. How can you advance "respect for life" and the "dignity of every human being" without a complete and total ban on all abortions? Reducing abortions and providing moral alternatives, like adoption, are very laudatory, but they are not enough.

All abortions must be outlawed and Roe v. Wade needs to be overturned once and for all. Would abolitionists and African-Americans been satisfied if slavery had merely been "reduced" rather than abolished? Of course not. Though shamefully our nation legalized slavery at one time, limiting and reducing an immoral evil and a civil injustice was not enough. Even though the Supreme Court issued their infamous Dred Scott and (1857) and Plessy v. Furguson (1896) decisions, slavery and racial segregation remained unjust, evil and immoral, despite their apparent "legality" by the highest court of the land. Likewise, Roe v. Wade (1973) may have "legalized" abortion across the land, but its inherent injustice to the unborn human child remains a moral and civil evil upon our country.

Catholics, whether politicians, judges or voters, need to act responsibly. If they give direct and proximate material cooperation in evil, from abortion to euthanasia, then Divine Law, Moral Law and Canon Law say they are ineligible for Holy Communion. You do not need an official excommunication, either. Hopefully, more bishops and pastors will remind their people and enforce this so as to discourage any and all cooperation in these moral evils.

Rev. John Trigilio, Jr.
President

Contact: Confraternity of Catholic Clergy
[url="http://www.catholic-clergy.org"]http://www.catholic-clergy.org[/url] PA, US
Father John Trigilio - President, 717 - 957-9309
Keywords: Democrat Catholic Pope Response

Note: edited to remove computer code and insert quote marks in the text to make this easier to read. Likos

Edited May 24, 2007 by Katholikos

[Didymus]

I haven't seen the letter, does anyone have a link to a copy? Good words, however, by Fr. Trigilio.

Edited May 24, 2007 by Didymus

[thessalonian]

Evidently it's with regard to this story back on 10 May when the Pope was going to brazil.

[url="http://closedcafeteria.blogspot.com/2007/05/18-house-democrats-repudiate-pope.html"]http://closedcafeteria.blogspot.com/2007/0...diate-pope.html[/url]

I don't think it is a letter or document but one of those statements where they gather at the steps of the capital and give a speach. The USCCB responded as well.

[url="http://www.evangelical-catholicism.com/2007/05/usccb-responds-to-18-catholic.html"]http://www.evangelical-catholicism.com/200...8-catholic.html[/url]

I like the good fr.'s response better.

[Katholikos]

Here's the statement that provoked Fr. Trigilio's response:

(don't have the url; a friend sent me the text)

[b]Catholic Members of Congress Express Concern

Over Church Sanctions [/b]

Washington, D.C. Catholic members of the U.S. House of Representative, including Representatives Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3), Joe Baca (CA-43), Tim Bishop (NY-1), Joe Courtney (CT-2), Anna Eshoo (CA-14), Maurice Hinchey, (NY-22), Patrick Kennedy (RI-1), James Langevin (RI-2), John Larson (CT-1), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4), Betty McCollum (MN-4), Jim Moran (VA-8), Bill Pascrell (NJ-8), Tim Ryan (OH-17), Linda Sanchez (CA-39), José Serrano (NY -16), Hilda Solis (CA-32), and Mike Thompson (CA-1) issued the following statement in response to Pope Benedict's warning that Catholic elected officials risked excommunication from the Church and should not receive communion for their pro-choice views. The majority of these Members also supported the Statement of Principles issued on February 28, 2006 , that expresses the signers' commitment to the dignity of life and their belief that government has moral purpose.

We are concerned with the Pope's statement warning Catholic elected officials that they risk excommunication and would not receive communion for their pro-choice views.

Advancing respect for life and for the dignity of every human being is, as our church has taught us, our own life's mission. As we said in our Statement of Principles, "We envision a world in which every child belongs to a loving family and agree with the Catholic Church about the value of human life and the undesirability of abortion; we do not celebrate its practice. 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. That is precisely what some of us are doing with our initiative "The Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act“ which includes policies that promote alternatives to abortion, such as adoption, improve access to children's healthcare and child care, as well as encourage paternal and maternal responsibility.

The fact is that religious sanction in the political arena directly conflicts with our fundamental beliefs about the role and responsibility of democratic representatives in a pluralistic America; it also clashes with freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution. Such notions offend the very nature of the American experiment and do a great disservice to the centuries of good work the church has done.

END QUOTE
[b]
[color="#FF8C00"]If any of you live in the districts represented by these Democrats, I urge you to write to them and express your opinion about this action they have taken against our Church and Holy Father. [/color][/b]

[b][color="#A0522D"]If anybody knows of other Dems who supported this action or signed this statement, please post the info. [/color][/b]

[Budge]

So they are excommunicated or not?

Most catholics I know IRL away from the internet, are pro-abortion {"pro-choice"}

[Groo the Wanderer]

YAY Fr. T!


Budge - reread the actual statements by Fr. T and the USCCB and the Pope...the answer is in there for ya already....if you choose to see it anyway.

you hang out with some wierd 'catholics' then. I don't know any that are pro abortion...thankfully. Must be something in yer local water supply, cause I know you wouldn't refuse to associate with true catholics, huh?

[Akalyte]

Wow! That was Dope!

[Budge]

[quote]you hang out with some wierd 'catholics' then. I don't know any that are pro abortion...thankfully. Must be something in yer local water supply, cause I know you wouldn't refuse to associate with true catholics, huh?[/quote]

I hate to tell you but that is the majority at least by my experience:

I have a Catholic friend from college, who is basically a Univeralist and is very pro-abortion {she calls it pro-choice} Politically we are on like night and day.

I once had a debate with 15 relatives on stem cells, they are all Catholics or non practicing Catholics--never join other church, and I was only one in room who stood up for NOT destroying embryos and that it was nasty. They were shocked, one disabled aunt of mine even yelled..."dont you want me to get better!"

A Catholic pal of mine {she knew I had left} in my old town, actually belonged to Catholics for a Free Choice-Kisslings outfit.

Then there are all the life long Democrat Catholics I know, the majority of family and Catholic college friends.

Sure Ive met the prolife variety of Catholic, but theres a lot in the other category.

To be fair, theres plenty in other churches joined with them.

Edited May 28, 2007 by Budge

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='Budge' post='1282525' date='May 28 2007, 01:44 PM']I hate to tell you but that is the majority at least by my experience:

I have a Catholic friend from college, who is basically a Univeralist and is very pro-abortion {she calls it pro-choice} Politically we are on like night and day.

I once had a debate with 15 relatives on stem cells, they are all Catholics or non practicing Catholics--never join other church, and I was only one in room who stood up for NOT destroying embryos and that it was nasty. They were shocked, one disabled aunt of mine even yelled..."dont you want me to get better!"

A Catholic pal of mine {she knew I had left} in my old town, actually belonged to Catholics for a Free Choice-Kisslings outfit.

Then there are all the life long Democrat Catholics I know, the majority of family and Catholic college friends.

Sure Ive met the prolife variety of Catholic, but theres a lot in the other category.

To be fair, theres plenty in other churches joined with them.[/quote]

That's very sad that those are the Catholics you know. Sounds like they need prayers in this.

[Didymus]

you should tell 'em: you can't be Catholic and pro-choice!

[Katholikos]

Budge,

A Catholic, by definition, is one who believes the teachings of the Catholic Church. "Pro-abortion Catholic" is an oxymoron.

Likos