The politics of faith

Hierarchy 0 - Parishioners 10

A Catholic priest who told parishioners that members of his church who supported Barack Obama should voluntarily refrain from receiving communion has been rebuked by The Catholic Diocese of Charleston.

The Rev. Jay Scott Newman, Pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Greenville, said his members should refrain from participating until they do penance for backing “the most radical pro-abortion politician ever to serve in the United States Senate or to run for president.”

But Msgr. Martin T. Laughlin issued a statement in response on behalf of the diocese saying Newman shouldn’t have dragged the church into politics, LifeNews reports.

Father Newman said his comments stemmed from his reliance on the document “Faithful Citizenship” produced by the nation’s Catholic Bishops.

“No one could conclude that a vote for Senator Obama is in itself or by itself a mortal sin. But from that same teaching, though, we must conclude that a vote for a pro-abortion candidate can be a mortal sin if the intent is to support abortion, that abortion is not merely one issue among other important issues, and that no Catholic should endorse a pro-abortion politician if a plausible pro-life alternative is available,’ Newman explained.

On Saturday afternoon, several dozen pro-life Catholics rallied outside the parish in his support and when Father Newman celebrated Mass later in the day, his homily was interrupted by a lengthy standing ovation as his parishioners indicated their support.

When his gestures for silence failed to stop the applause, Father Newman, fighting back tears, turned to kneel, facing the Blessed Sacrament, until the congregation finally quieted down.

Thank Reverend Newman by going to http://www.stmarysgvl.org/contact

AP also covered this story.