Catholic Right Plans to Crash St Louis Debate

From an archconservative Catholic website:
Link

Rally in St. Louis

A reader asked me to post the following request:

Some of you may have seen the cover story of the Sept. 19-25 issue of the National Catholic Register. It describes how a group of 500 students from Franciscan University of Steubenville showed up as a peaceful, prayerful pro-life witness at a campaign event held in Steubenville for Sen. John Kerry.  

As you may know, the senator will be having a similar event here in Forest Park after this Friday night's debate.  A number of us felt that it would not be right to let this go by without offering a similar witness to the sanctity of life and the incongruity of the position which Senator Kerry represents.  The archbishop was informed of our idea and gave us his blessing on the undertaking.  

We do not yet know exactly where and when on Friday night we will get together for this, but I will give you all that as soon as we know it.  We will also be in touch with the archdiocesan pro-life office to try to get as many other people to join us as we can, and find somewhere to get good pro-life signs to hold.  Meanwhile, all of you are invited to join us in this, and if you have any suggestions that could help, please let me know ([e-mail]). I apologize for the less than 48 hours notice, but I hope a good number of the community will be able to join us.  Even if you cannot, please pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance for this event, and for the conversion of hearts in our nation, including our leaders.

If you plan on attending and would like to be kept up to date on the when and where info please e-mail me at [e-mail], or check for updates at www.priesthood.motime.com.

If you are Catholic or know any in St Louis and supporting Kerry, a counter force would be nice. Get the word out!!

•  Perhaps..

  ..but if they are peaceful and prayerful it would seem perfectly reasonable to deal with in a forthright manner. The Pope has stated that Catholics have the obligation to support a candidate on more than just the aportion issue. If a group wants to draw attention to their beliefs, more power to them.

  by wunderwood on Thu Oct 07, 2004 at 04:54:06 PM PDT

  •  Agreed.

    The only counterbalance I would even think about would be printing literature outlining the Popes position on the war in Iraq and it's questionability on whether it's a just war.

    This may not seem like much to some, but to the truly devout it brings into question whether a soldier is guilty of murder or not in killing during wartime.  It really bugs an adult convert I know whenever I bring it up.  He's KoC and up to it to the top of his head.

    To anyone that doesn't understand the difference, basically if a war is deemed a just war a person is not guilty of a sin when killing another soldier.  ie no sin no foul.  If a war is not just then the sin of murder is upon the soldier.  It's actually a more argurable sin to be involved with an unjust war than it is to live in a society that allows abortion.

    by DanD on Thu Oct 07, 2004 at 07:18:20 PM PDT

•  Misleading headline

  As your own quote says, they are not planning to crash the debate, but rather Kerry's campain event after the debate.

  Sexy headlines to get attention is not appropriate on dailykos.

  by galiel on Thu Oct 07, 2004 at 05:00:42 PM PDT

•  interesting

  living in StL, i'm more than curious about this guy and his motives.  the local archbishop has been raising quite a stink with his edicts that you cannot vote for a pro-choice candidate and recieve the sacraments.

  so i google this guy's email address and found an interesting article he wrote on the "left behind" series.  is this what they teach in seminary?:

  "Overall, this book provides an excellent guide for the Catholic who wants to know more about his faith and share it with others.  It is an apologist's dream book when it comes to dealing with the rapture and the issues that surround it.  It provides us with a historical, doctrinal, and logical explanation of the Church's teaching regarding the end times.  It is a must read for any serious or even novice Catholic apologist.

  And in case you are wondering whether or not you as a Catholic will be left behind, I suggest you read the book."

  by bdfstl2 on Thu Oct 07, 2004 at 05:03:24 PM PDT

•  I sent an email to padredana

  I posted the letter as a diary

  by bribri on Thu Oct 07, 2004 at 05:46:55 PM PDT

  •  nice

    I recommended that diary. Well said. Thanks. It's a real service to try to tell that message in a calm and loving way. Oh how I long for some peace on this issue for the country.

    by Timaeus on Thu Oct 07, 2004 at 05:52:03 PM PDT

•  sorry, but I think your title is misleading

  pro-life Catholics who want to express their views in a peaceful prayer vigil are not fairly demonized as wingnuts out to crash and trash.

  I'm pro-life myself, but I'm also pro-choice, making my view poison to both sides. (I have a LOT to say on this, but not now, not now.) I don't think abortion is the overriding issue in this election, not by light years.

  However, after Kerry wins, and if the good guys manage to take back most of Congress, and as dKos adjusts to a new reality, I might go to some peaceful pro-life prayer vigils myself. That darn sure doesn't make me a right-winger or an "arch" conservative.

  by Timaeus on Thu Oct 07, 2004 at 05:49:54 PM PDT