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Clearly, the Catholic Church does not respect civil law. Abortion is a legal procedure in the Church and government representatives must respect civil law and can maintain their own personal moral and religious beliefs in their own personal lives.

The Catholic Church has no regard for civil law. Instead of reporting priest pedophiles to authorities for investigation, trial, and consequences, they hid them, and reassigned them, and told victims to "offer it up".

Bull hockey!

The Bishop should keep quiet or meet with Congressman Kennedy in private.

Clearly, he should just stop all charitable services in Massachusetts if he is unhappy with the representation, like they will do in DC.

The Catholic Church has turned me off for over a year now. They get no more of my financial contributions and I have not been to Mass in that long. In many respects, my relationship with my God is much better since I no longer become angry at Mass. And, what I do for my fellow man is not contingent upon whether or not I can control them or if they do as I tell them to do.

The Bishops remind me of those that were thrown out of the Temple in Jesus' only display of anger that we know of. Hypocrites.

Why should president Obama be asked to disregard his spiritual beliefs when all of these senators are using thiers to legislate? They are such hypocrits.

It totally blows my mind, that the Catholic Church can hide pedofile priests for years. They can protect and even pay for children that are fathered by priests who have broken their vows not once but several times, and yet they still have the gall to try to push their beliefs off on our representatives who just happen to see things somewhat different. That to me is definately not a separation of church and state and if they want to do that, then we should openly and immediately start taxing the Catholic Church and any other that don't keep politics out of the pulpit.

IF the catholic church wants to enter politics full time......their tax status should be changed so they can pay taxes just like any other political action comittee

If these religious leaders exert political pressure, they need to do what the rest of us do: pay taxes. How can the Catholic Bishops get away with blatant politicking?

The Bishop should look in the mirror and take action, he and his church are responsible of thousands of lives destroyed by sexual abuse by priest, everyday we see in the news another priest been accused of sexual abuse. And you and your church protect the perpetrators of the most heinous abuses on children.
Or the religious fanatics claim been pro-life, however they see nothing wrong in sending our brave young kids to be killed in unnecessary wars.

Mr Bishop.. Look in the mirror and follow the bible.. follow the teaching of Jesus, you sir are far from doing just that..

You sir have no moral standing to say a word.

Maybe if Kennedy was a pedophile he'd get more respect from the Catholic church.

I note with interest that the RC church does not step in to protest the loss of young lives in useless, pointless, unwinnable wars???

Let me get this straight....the Catholic Bishops are willing to abandon 40 million uninsured LIVING people, many of whom will die for the lack of health care, in order to stand up for people who are not born?

And that is Pro-Life?

The Catholic Bishops need to take care of their own houses first and stay out of politics.

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone".
As a practicing Catholic of over 50 years, I'm disgusted with the hypocracy of these Bishops, Cardinals and other "Leaders" of the Church who wear fancy robes, drive Buicks, and cover abuse.
I still love my Church, but I dislike it's leadership.

These Catholic Bishops should run for political office instead of hiding behind a tax exempt enity to forward a political agenda under the guise of religion. They are the utmost band of hypocrsy, I wish they had put as much effort into all of their Pedophiles of whom for years they hid and move from one parrish to another dispite knowing they were abusing children and as a result the Church todate and continue to pay millions of tax exempt dollars to victims of these low life, yet now they are holy than thou and continue to throw bricks from glass houses. They should stick to services and teaching to those who beleive in their brand of religion to maintain their tax exempt status.

Tax them! Tax them! Tax them!
This is ridiculous. So, we taxed ACORN cause they got voters who didn't vote repbublican Ok, so, let's tax the chuches that are physically lobbying congress. Um, i believe that Al Qeada lobbies the Taliban. Geez, separation of church and state. Not what the founders had in mind, here!!

Its called a separation between church and state for a good reason. The Founders didn't like churches making laws then, and they wouldn't like it now.

Keep your religious beliefs to yourself, Bishop.

If you want to run something.....don't let it be your mouth.

My family is not catholic and I am SICK OF CATHOLICS ruling this country. Let's take away their tax-free status if they are going to be so politically active.

Al Smith lost the presidency in 1928 over fears that, as a Catholic, his policies would be controlled by the Vatican. John Kennedy won in 1960 because he overcame that fear by convincing the American people that his decisions woulld not be so governed. Don't the bishops realize that if they had any amount of success in what they are trying to do it would be difficult if not impossible for even well-qualified Catholics to get elected to high office in the future?

We really need to start taxing any religion that interferes in politics and the laws of this land.

Given the recent problems within the Catholic church, I really don't think the church should be questioning others (and I'm a Catholic). This example with Rep. Kennedy is not the only example of the church's current strong-arm tactics. Earlier this week, the DC diocese say that they would no longer be able to service social services contracts with the DC government if the DC council approves civil unions for same sex couples. This is shameful and certainly is Christ-like behavior (at least from my perspective). Given this turn of events, I'm going to start withholding my financial support for the Catholic church, and, instead, give directly to charitable agencies that I believe more clearly follow the Christian principle of judge not, lest ye be judged.

As a Catholic, I am among the majority of Catholics who are pro choice. That does not mean we are pro abortion. It means that we have separation of church and state. Abortion is legal in this country and women have a right to privacy. That law was passed by the swing vote of Justice Kennedy, a practicing Catholic. The Church has the right to speak out against the practice of abortion but they have no right to dictate to legislators on how to vote. In the 1940s and before there was a silly story going around that if Catholics were in the government they would build a tunnel from the Vatican over to the US so the Pope could rule the US. Stupid moves by the Church could start up similar stupid stories again. I don't want evangelicals putting the Ten Commandments on public property or praying before sports events. I want religion out of our government. Practice your faith and follow it';s laws. If you are against abortion, don't have one and support women who choose to keep their fetuses.

Pressure on Kennedy. Where was the pressure on you to produce the priest who abused? You hide them, passed them around, and never brought them forward to justice. There is something wrong with a church that will not admit their sins but surely want all yours known and want to chain you to the pillar while they are doing it. I am sick of it all.

My cousin was abused by a priest and no one would believe him. Now he is a mental wreck. I get furious now when I read about the Church being so intent on pro choice issue it makes me literally sick. What is wront with this church? God will be our final judge and I suspect he will bring to task those priest who failed their duty and perhaps will be more forgiving of those people who sought abortions. I do not and will not have one nor will my family but I will die for the right of others to have that choice.

Religious figures like the bishop here are trying to turn this country into another Iraq or Northern Ireland in the old days when people voted their church and instigated sectarian violence for political purposes. I have never checked the relious affiliation of a candidate because I don't consider it relevant. But if Catholic politicians have to start taking orders from Rome, then I won't have much choice. I understand and appreciate that the church has a responsibility to advise and minister to its followers as to how to live their personal lives, but there this illustrates one huge reason our fore fathers separated church and state.

Stand up for what you believe!!! The Catholic church has already come out against women and women's health in health care reform issues surround abortion. I think they are trying to recruit wingnuts, and stop these crazies from going Pentecostal, etc.

These child molesting bishops need to reprimand their own before jumping into politics!

The same Church that is threatening to take away all charity to children and the homeless in Washington, DC if they don't get what they want as well as the Church that covered up and supported priests who raped children and fathered children. Where are their voices and outrage for these children as well as those who have no health care??

What hypocrits who go after an elected official who does not support abortions but does support a women's right t0o make her own decisions.

Wow, they let him out of rehab to make a photo op....then back to rehab.
Is Rhode Island full of idiots or what that would vote for this guy? Anyone see what appeared to be his drug or alcohol induced speech on the Senate floor a few months back? He looked like he was going to crawl out of his skin...

I tend to agree with the Bishop. The Roman Cathloic Chruch clearly not an ala cart belief religion. If I were Kennedy, I would quit being a phoney Catholic (goes for you too Mr. Kerry), and find another faith that is more compatible with their temprol views.

Oh my God! The man can think for himself! Heresy!

I happen to be pro-life, but the Catholic Church needs to stay out of politics. They have plenty of work to do making sure their priests keep their hands off of kids.

Who gives a rats rear end about another Kennedy?? The world has had their fill of them over the past 50 years..

Lets see if CNN will post this???? Probably not...

Sure is a lot of hypocrisy, when the "pro lifers" fight abortion, but then forget the individual once born, either as a baby, child or adult. But it seems all no-abortion or no-healthcare. How about the 44,000 who die each year from lack of health care? The whole issue should be about getting a health bill and forget abortion for the time being.

What ever happened to -Separation of church- and state?

This country is made up of more than Christians with a boarder diversity and considerations !

what in the hell is this? bishop who takes on kennedy who?

Remember the separation of church and state.
Why is that fact not a part of the conversation????

The church that condones pedophilia while it amasses the greatest fortune on the planet has no right to tell any politician in this country where to stand on any issue. The church can impose its 19th century intolerant standards on its members, but it needs to lay off the government. Otherwise, it should lose all of the tax advantages which religious organizations get in this country.

Rep. Kennedy, as an elected official, votes as a representative of his constituents and not just his personal beliefs, or the doctrine of his chosen religion. And since when is hypocrisy new to the Catholic Church? Birth Control anyone??

Maybe it was the Ambien that made him take the stance.

Not another KENNEDY!!!

How many crooked politicians can one family have.

The Vatican's direct involvement in influencing specific public policy has once again demonstrated that they are more interested in controlling governments than they are in winning souls to Christ.

Its time to tax the Roman Catholic church in the U.S. They are clearly no longer a public service organization. They are now a lobbying group.

Democrats want healthcare for all, including illegal aliens, but have no problem using hospitals and doctors to kill innocent unborn babies. And they accuse the Republicans of being uncaring???

Said the Bishop as he pushed the little boy from under his cassock...

There has been a hue and cry regarding Ft. Hood killer Maj. Hasan who claimed that he was Moslem first and American second. And rightfully so. Religious belief is a personal choice where as being American is a social/national obligation. Now the Catholic bishop's pressure on rep. Kennedy smack of the same conundrum. The catholic heirarchy, from Pope down think you are a catholic first and a nationalist second. John Kennedy said it best when he said that he was American first. rep. Kennedy should tell the catholic bishops the same in no uncertain terms that he is American first at the social/national level and catholic second on the personal level.

If the catholic bishops cannot understand or accept that, he should either quit the dogmatic catholic church (they will have proven themselves to be no better tan the fundamentalist Imams) or should resign from his position in congress. He cannot have it both ways. And I suggest the same to all catholics in position of authority – We are American first and Christian/Jewish/Moslem/Hindu/Buddhist/aethist second.

And the Catholic bishops should shut up if they think thay are American first.

With all due respect for the Catholic Church, this is not the Church's business. They need to stay out of the politics. The Catholic Church needs to focus on what they need to do to take care of their own. Everyone needs to stay out of this. I don't believe in an abortion, however, I don't want to pay for them. A woman's choice is her choice and she is the one that has to live with her decision. If adoption were easier and not used to make money off of the couple who want to adopt then maybe more unwanted babies could be given a home by a married couple that really want a child.. Think about it. Either way it is no one's business but the woman. Its her decision.

Put a sock in it there Padre...Stay out of my government's business and away from Capital Hill.

Americans and our elected officials don't take orders from the Vatican – or Mecca, Tel Aviv, Salt Lake City, UT, Lynchburg, VA or Boulder, CO for that matter. It's called seperation of church and state.

If you "Talibangelists" want to take away womens rights then get your sheeple to vote it into law if you can.

On the other hand, if you want to lobby congress then do it the "real" American way – register as a lobbyist. But you'll loose your tax-exempt status and the false appearance of "God's spokesmen" and that's the deal breaker for all of you self-annointed moralizing hypocrites...

Before you libs start yammering about "separation of church and state," please keep in mind that the right to free speech extends to everyone in this country, on every topic, and one does not forfeit that right by having religious beliefs. Quite simple.

Even as a lapsed Catholic, I find it very disturbing how much more vocal the Catholic church and higher-up Catholics seem to be now in terms of leaning on and attempting to pressure our representatives and voters. Worry about your flock and stay out of our laws! Abortion, for the most part, is legal. It is a legal procedure. Very simple concept here.

I think they should focus on things like poverty and health care access for the poor. This just makes me more frustrated with the Church and I'm glad I'm not an active member anymore.

Why is it that the Catholic Church has only one issue? It would seem to me they could spend some time on other topics: war, health care, the economy, and hatred and fear.

The catholic church SHOULD NOT force anyone to FORCE their beliefs on anyone else!!!! CASE and POINT!

If I am a TRUE catholic and believe in all of its laws – then GOD will see that and judge ME and ME only!!!

If my JOB calls for me NOT to judge others and TRUST that what they believe in is their prerogative – then I SHOULD NOT judge that person and interfere with their beliefs – GOD would also judge them!!!

This is the problem of the world where everyone believes their religion is the ONLY TRUE religion and AGAIN, GOD would be the judge of that!!!

I hope Patrick Kennedy does just what the Bishop suggests LEAVE the church & take all his family & friends....ONCE the $$ stops flowing in the OLE collection plate things will change....IF only these bishops were half as concerned and gave the attention to the young BOYS that have been sexually assaulted by the leaders in the catholic church, I would applaud them.....ABORTION should be a matter of choice between the woman & her GOD, she has to answer for her sins just like the rest of us do & it is nobody elses business...

Lil' drunk taking over were daddy left off.

The bishop should take his own advice. Being an American means that "you believe certain things"......freedom of religion means that one recognizes moral disctinctions between one's religious and civil beliefs.

We are SICK of the RC arrogance in asserting themselves - in a speficially unAMerican way - into how our nation's civil public policies are decided.

As this myopic, self-involved, and extraordinarily arrogant patriarchy just reiterated (in the Rhode Island bishop's words): ...."feel free to leave."

Good. You can NOT claim to be a good practicing Catholic and be for abortion. It is about time someone put these hypocrites to the text....what is more important to you...your votes and inherited jobs or your religion?

Hey, Bishop! This is a free country and freedom of (or from) religion is one of the biggies in the Constitution.

So quit trashing people who don't believe in your 'fairy tales." Why not go after the child molesters within your church?????

More than you are now??????