Thursday, April 22, 2004

Bishops who speak the truth need our prayers

Archbishop Chaput appears to be taking some heat from the Hispanic population in the Denver diocese for his remarks about the Church's teachings and Pro-Death politicians, if the story in the Rocky Mountain News is to be believed.
A constituency the Archdiocese of Denver has spent years courting showed signs of tension Wednesday, as some prominent Hispanic Catholics took issue with their archbishop's message that pro-choice politicians are not following their faith.

In columns in the local Catholic newspaper, Archbishop Charles Chaput - though he never mentions names - identifies a class of politician who "who claim to be Catholic and then prominently ignore their own faith on matters of public policy."
. . .
Though it's impossible to say how the estimated 370,000 Catholics in the archdiocese view the controversy, several prominent Hispanic Democrats said the issue has the community buzzing.

One of them is Denver City Councilwoman Rosemary Rodriguez. She attends Chaput's 6:30 p.m. Sunday Mass, but also supports Salazar and abortion rights. She said she contributed to the archbishop's Annual Appeal and plans to keep doing so, "but people I know are thinking about (dropping) it."
. . .
State Rep. Fran Coleman, of Denver, a Hispanic Catholic with a special role as a eucharistic minister at Notre Dame Parish in Denver, supports Salazar and said she is reluctantly pro-choice. "If I try to overturn Roe v. Wade, I'll be driving abortion back into the underground," she said.

Coleman, whose birth name is Natividad, said she won't reduce her Catholic donations, but finds that things have become more uncomfortable for her.
Yes - following Christ can be uncomfortable, even painful at times.

Archbishop Chaput, in speaking the truth, will be criticized. He needs the prayers and support of all faithful Catholics and of others who believe and follow Jesus the Christ.

Article here.

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