Chaput Offers Remarks
Naturally, CNA’s server has crashed as people around the country and world go look to see Archbishop Chaput’s statement on Obama. Zenit has his full remarks and their site currently isn’t down, although that could obviously change. The controversial remarks are as follows:
Unfortunately when it comes to the current administration that will be very hard for Catholics in the United States, and here’s why. A spirit of adulation bordering on servility already exists among some of the same Democratic-friendly Catholic writers, scholars, editors and activists who once accused pro-lifers of being too cozy with Republicans. It turns out that Caesar is an equal opportunity employer.
I think Catholics — and I mean here mainly American Catholics — need to remember four simple things in the months ahead.
First, all political leaders draw their authority from God. We owe no leader any submission or cooperation in the pursuit of grave evil. In fact, we have the duty to change bad laws and resist grave evil in our public life, both by our words and our non-violent actions. The truest respect we can show to civil authority is the witness of our Catholic faith and our moral convictions, without excuses or apologies.
Second, in democracies, we elect public servants, not messiahs. It’s worth recalling that despite two ugly wars, an unpopular Republican president, a fractured Republican party, the support of most of the American news media and massively out-spending his opponent, our new president actually trailed in the election polls the week before the economic meltdown. This subtracts nothing from the legitimacy of his office. It also takes nothing away from our obligation to respect the president’s leadership.
I’m underwhelmed to learn that we don’t elect messiahs in this country. I could have sworn that was common knowledge.
Maybe it should occur to this archbishop that Obama’s perceived messianic attributes stem from the sheer horror of the Bush years ?
“our new president actually trailed in the election polls the week before the economic meltdown.”
Eh ? Apart from that not really being the case, what’s his point ?
“This subtracts nothing from the legitimacy of his office.”
What an idiotic statement. How could trailing in the polls (which he didn’t really) impact legitimacy ? It’s not like he had the Supreme Court hand him the presidency or some crazy stuff like that.
Maybe he’s been hanging out too much with George Weigel.
What a pointless, weird, sore loser statement. Very embarrassing.
I would like to hear more about tolerance not being a Christian virtue. Does he mean it’s the opposite of a virtue for Christians, or is merely reminding us that it is not one of the “theological virtues”? (Ever see a wingnut in one of those “intolerance is a beautiful thing” t-shirts? I wonder how the Bp.’s remarks will be taken by those folks.)
This Dem did’t find his remarks at all controversial. You say there’s some excitement over the Bp.’s remarks. Where?
It’s front page on the Drudge Report.
I would like to hear more about tolerance not being a Christian virtue. Does he mean it’s the opposite of a virtue for Christians, or is merely reminding us that it is not one of the “theological virtues”?
I would have liked to have heard more about this from Chaput as well, but he simply made the statement and pretty much irresponsibly left it at that. No mention of any positive value of the idea of tolerance at all from what I can recall.
I find it interesting that the only people who think his remarks controversial are the secular and ‘Catholic’ progressives.
I find it interesting that the only people who think his remarks controversial are the secular and ‘Catholic’ progressives.
In other words, his intended audience. Reminds me of the female reporter lamenting that no one she knew voted for Nixon. There are plenty of adjectives one could use to describe Chaput’s speech.
I think Obama would be surprised to learn that only progressives voted for him.
The Catholic Archbishop is right on target w/ his message. We, as true Americans, have the duty to resist the evils brought on by the Obama Administration. I am sick & tired of watching what all is going down in our nation. Our forefathers would be ashamed of us! It’s getting harder for Catholics do do this in a non-violent manner. I am willing to FIGHT for my beliefs, and am ready to speak out. We all need to.