:::Updated::: There's VIDEO!
Msgr. Laughlin has a strong response to the actions of Fr. J. Scott Newman of St. Mary's in Greenville:
CHARLESTON, S.C. (November 14, 2008) - This past week, the Catholic Church’s clear, moral teaching on the evil of abortion has been pulled into the partisan political arena. The recent comments of Father Jay Scott Newman, pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Greenville, S.C., have diverted the focus from the Church’s clear position against abortion. As Administrator of the Diocese of Charleston, let me state with clarity that Father Newman’s statements do not adequately reflect the Catholic Church’s teachings. Any comments or statements to the contrary are repudiated.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions." The Catechism goes on to state: "In the formation of conscience the Word of God is the light for our path; we must assimilate it in faith and prayer and put it into practice. We must also examine our conscience before the Lord’s Cross. We are assisted by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, aided by the witness or advice of others and guided by the authoritative teaching of the Church."
Christ gives us freedom to explore our own conscience and to make our own decisions while adhering to the law of God and the teachings of the faith. Therefore, if a person has formed his
or her conscience well, he or she should not be denied Communion, nor be told to go to confession before receiving Communion.
The pulpit is reserved for the Word of God. Sometimes God’s truth, as is the Church’s teaching on abortion, is unpopular. All Catholics must be aware of and follow the teachings of the Church.
We should all come together to support the President-elect and all elected officials with a view to influencing policy in favor of the protection of the unborn child. Let us pray for them and ask God to guide them as they take the mantle of leadership on January 20, 2009.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Msgr Laughlin, Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Chareston Responds to Fr. Newman's Communion Wars.
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2 comments:
Seems you overlooked the first statement completely contradicted by the second. Quite a man of principle!
http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otr.cfm?id=4872
The most striking item is that the article you give fails to site it's sources meaning they could have made it up willy nilly to fit their rightist agenda? Where is its actual e-mail copy or in the case that perhaps it was a "secretive" message the ip address or source.
Msgr Laughlin's current message is strong and true that Fr. Newman overstepped his bounds as a priest of the diocese without seeking advisement from his superiors and made an outlier statement.
I'll be free and willing to expound upon this later... in the mold of Deus Caritas Est from our Holy Father -- I still think you're taking it to a bizzare and unacceptable extreme.
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