Thank You, Fr. Jay Scott Newman

Fr. Newman has been brought to public attention by emphasizing Catholic tenets of faith. (Voting for a candidate that supports abortion when there is an alternative is not a good idea for Catholics.) Not surprisingly, his words have been twisted. Perhaps more surprising (and disappointing) is the lack of support he has received from his own diocese.

Monsignor Martin Laughlin at first supported Fr. Newman's statements which challenged Catholics who voted for Obama. But then the monsignor turned around and gave a completely opposite response when contacted by the newspaper:

Following the publication of the AP article this past Friday, Monsignor Laughlin did an about-face and issued a public repudiation of Fr. Newman’s statements based off of the inaccurate headline that accompanied the AP story.

In his statement, Msgr. Laughlin wrote that the Catholic Church’s “clear, moral teaching on the evil of abortion” was “pulled into the partisan political arena” by the priest’s letter and that Fr. Newman’s actions have “diverted the focus” from Catholic teaching on abortion and “do not adequately reflect the Catholic Church’s teachings. Any comments or statements to the contrary are repudiated.”

Do not adequately reflect the Catholic Church's teachings? What part of "human life must be protected" does he not understand? The Pope understands it. Maybe he needs to visit the Vatican website like I do on a regular basis to check on what the Catholic Church teachings are on a particular issue. The search engine works pretty well, from what I can tell.

It's just sad when such division happens, especially when it's regarding an issue that is so clearly stated. There is no confusion, Msgr. Laughlin, except perhaps in your own mind.