Kerry Scolds Vatican Over Gay Marriage

[Khephra]

BOSTON -- Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry scolded the Vatican Friday for saying Catholic politicians like himself have a "moral duty" to oppose laws granting legal rights to gay couples.

"I believe in the church and I care about it enormously," said the Massachusetts senator. "But I think that it's important to not have the church instructing politicians. That is an inappropriate crossing of the line in America."

The Vatican had urged Catholics and non-Catholics Thursday to unite in campaigning against gay marriages and gay adoptions. The 12-page document, issued by the church, presents a battle plan for politicians confronted with legislation legalizing same-sex unions and rails against gay adoption.

The document calls on Catholic politicians to vote against laws granting legal recognition to homosexual unions and to work to repeal those already on the books.

more....................

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-kerry-gay-marriage,0,2951831.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[MaineDem]

1. Thank you, Senator!

Good words.

[JackSwift]

2. I used to defend the Catholic Church

but if they are going to get involved in politics, to hell with them.

[unfrigginreal]

3. So Kerry takes a dive?

He criticizes the Vatican for instructing politicians but says ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about gays?

Wow, what a leader!

[IndianaGreen]

4. Senator Waffle gave you one side of the waffle

You will have to wait and see how he stands on the other side, plus the edges, of the waffle.

I will give him kudos for slapping the wrist of the Opus Dei Vatican bureaucrats that actually wrote this document. I wonder how much control the ailing Pope actually has on day-to-day affairs.

[AntiCoup2K4]

7. Poor old JP probably has less to do with day to day Vatican business than.

Dip W Shit has to do with most White House business.

[Yentatelaventa]

9. Where is Karl Marx when we need him?

None of this religous foolery would exist under his watch.

[DemBones DemBones]

12. What a silly comment. n/t

[chomskyite2]

17. freeper?

i know your not supposed to go around "outing" people, when they most likely arent freeper moles. but...whats with that comment?

[w13rd0]

5. He deserves credit...

...for telling the Vatican to stay out of US politics. This has to do with more than just the gay marriage issue, especially considering recent events regarding the judiciary. If the Vatican is going to start instructing Catholic politicians and judges in how they should vote and adjudicate, then they may indeed "need not apply", and that would be unfortunate.

[coralrf]

8. Still at it unfriggenreal?

He said nothing about gays? Why should he..that was not the topic. The church/state issue was. Nice try my man but go back to your buddy Rove get another angle..that was a fairly lame one.

[unfrigginreal]

14. I guess we're lucky that he's running for President

He hasn't said a goddamned thing up till now about the Vatican interfering with female reproductive rights or anything else.

[Lexingtonian]

20. now, now

Be a little nicer, please. A year ago he was some junior Senator in Washington whose words were considered of rather little importance by international Big Boys. At the moment he's a pretty good and clear shot at the Oval Office, so he's moved up to the major leagues, and players like the Vatican are now not going to be in a hurry to discount what he says.

The timing on the Vatican pronouncement really points at only one country as its target, the U.S., and with one obvious beneficiary. Kerry sees the game connecting the Vatican and the Bush Administration and is using the opportunity to tell them to stop running interference in domestic politics.

The Vatican has enough running problems with American Catholics that any impertinent response to Kerry could well hurt them (directly and indirectly) more than anything they could possible gain.

[Democat]

6. What about the death penalty?

Where is the church press release on the death penalty?

Anytime the church tries to bully the government, they need to be exposed.

[coralrf]

10. Kerry slams the church...

and 90% of the good Dems on DU spin it to be a bad thing. Kerry a Catholic, has the balls to point out an attempt by some foreign pontiff to interfere with the future of America via encouraging and unconstitutional manipulation of Church and State and the Dean fans find an angle to spin it bad.

2004 will be blast for Rove.

[unfrigginreal]

16. Kerry is definitely showing his Political Acumen

To be fair, I don't think that Rove has a thing on him...it seems that Kerry knows how to play politics.

[indictrichardperle]

18. its a political ploy

He wants to score points on the issue, while reminding everyone he is catholic. Its a cynical view, smart politics, but i think thats all it is ....politics.

[jpgray]

25. Some people would rather die than admit Kerry did something right

It's all just political maneuvering, they will say. Whichever candidate they support is NOT a politician, but a font of inspirational genius, whose motives for everything are pure as the driven snow.

;-)

[MoonAndSun]

11. Kerry is my #2 guy after Dean right now,

but he is correct in telling the Vatican to butt out of America's political system.

[Lugnut]

15. He most certainly is.

And I applaud John Kerry for speaking out.

[Cheswick2.0]

13. Okay, good

He did good

[Octafish]

19. JFK in 1960 had to say similar thing in West Virginia...

... where the Protestant voters were concerned that Kennedy would kiss the Pope's ring. JFK said then that he was a Catholic, but as President he would be loyal to America in his duty. Judging by how he kept the US free and out of World War III during the Missiles of October, it's pretty clear he did his duty as a President pretty

In a way, Kerry went a step farther today than JFK did in West Virginia. Kerry let the Vatican know that the US isn't what Jerry "Cash&Carry" Falwell and Marion "Golden Chicken Pat" Robertson say it is. As far as Kerry is concerned, in the United States we separate church and state. The formula's worked for 227 years.

[unfrigginreal]

21. OMFG We Have To Support Kerry...He's The 2ND Coming Of Kennedy!

n/t

[Octafish]

22. There ARE similarities...

Like John F. Kennedy, John F. Kerry believes in government service. That's why he's devoted his entire adult life to making our country a better place. As President, he'd make our world a better place, too.

So, thank you for reminding me of that, unfrigginreal. In return, you might want to read a few interesting parallels between two good men who share more than just initials:

Home State: Massachusetts
Occupation when elected: US Senator
Political Party: Democratic
Party Wing: Liberal
Foreign Policy: Empower America
Domestic Policy: Empower All Americans
Combat Veteran: US Navy
Actions include: Rescuing Men Under His Command In Combat
John F. Kennedy Decorations include: Purple Heart, Navy & Marine Corps Medal
John F. Kerry Decorations include: Three Purple Hearts, Silver Star, Bronze Star

Even the most partisan person can see why Turd Blossom Rove soaks his Depends anytime someone mentions the initials "JFK." It is eerie, especially when one considers Kerry and his family were friends of the late President and his family.

[Rowdyboy]

23. Kerry was midway down my list...

this moves him up...

[jpgray]

24. So let me see: Kerry gets criticized for this?

Makes perfect sense--if you zealously support one candidate to the point where you refuse to recognize any positive action by another. Political fundamentalism: ain't it grand.