Strange Vortex Alert!

I have no idea what the website Europa is all about (is it the Italian version of The Onion?), but this is odd: "Barack Obama’s conversion to Catholicism":

There had been talk of his obvious sensitivity regards to Catholicism for some time now. Now his “catholic sensibility” appears to have become fervent adhesion to the Church of Rome, which, as soon as “politically” possible should be sealed by baptism. Hence Barack Obama would be the second Catholic President in the History of the United States after John Fitzgerald Kennedy. His conversion, however, would not take place during his current mandate, but in the course of a second one, or more probably when he becomes a former President; just like Tony Blair, who converted to Catholicism only after leaving 10 Downing Street.

The President has the same dialogic vision of faith and doctrine, the same as that of Catholic doctrine. “I believe – said President Obama in a conversation with the Catholic Press – that there is a strong tradition in the Catholic Church that had a profound influence on me.” Words that were followed by a sincere homage to the Cardinal of Chicago Joseph Bernardin, an icon for American Catholics. “He thinks and speaks like a Catholic”, said Michelle Dillon, sociologist at New Hampshire University.

Rumours of his closeness to the Pope’s church have been fuelled by the continuing absence in Obama’s family life, of a place of worship, a home church.

Now, it could be Dan Brown has been moonlighting with the pen name "Guido Moltedo." Or perhaps the author believes President is attracted to the Catholicism of one Douglas Kmiec, ambassodor to Malta, whose column today gently chastises George Weigel for failing to appreciate that the truth taught by the Church has certain limits, namely, the walls of the Catholic Church:

The only regrettable line in Mr. Weigel's commentary was its first. He complained that the media had an obsession for "salvation-through-latex in the matter of AIDS prevention in Africa." With more than 32 million men, women and children infected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and with increasing numbers expected to die because over two-thirds lack access to anti-viral drugs, it is hard not to be transfixed by the dimensions of the disease, especially since to many who do not share our faith, a successful challenge to the disease involves prevention and condom usage.

The subtle beauty of the unitive and procreative may or may not be appreciated by the Catholic mind in America, but perhaps we should not be quick to condemn those of different religious view who find that beauty surpassed by the perceived need to address a pandemic by means permitted in other faith traditions. Of course, discomfort with how Catholic doctrine seemingly allows, or even requires, the rejection of science as a means of alleviating human illness is not justification not to teach the doctrine straight and true. Yet, in this teaching, a certain sensitive humility is needed if indeed "genuine religion" will be permitted to "widen the horizon of human understanding," as the Holy Father asks.

Kmiec somehow manages—albeit in English so tortured it might be mistaken for paragraph 212b of the warranty for a new convection oven—to quote Pope Benedict in making the "argument" for condom usage. Indeed, it's hard not to be transfixed by the vapidity of Kmiec's argument, which rest on an openly indifferent stance toward the nature of truth, as though the Church's teaching against contraceptives is somehow an artificial construction (heh) without any basis in anthropology, natural law, or philosophy. He should know full well the Church does not "condemn those of different religious view" with some damning and wholesale wave of the hand, but instead argues that contraception is objectively evil, which means those using contraceptives may or may not be culpable for their actions, depending on what they know and so forth. Pope John Paul II, in Veritatis Splendor, wrote:

Reason attests that there are objects of the human act which are by their nature "incapable of being ordered" to God, because they radically contradict the good of the person made in his image. These are the acts which, in the Church's moral tradition, have been termed "intrinsically evil" (intrinsece malum): they are such always and per se, in other words, on account of their very object, and quite apart from the ulterior intentions of the one acting and the circumstances. Consequently, without in the least denying the influence on morality exercised by circumstances and especially by intentions, the Church teaches that "there exist acts which per se and in themselves, independently of circumstances, are always seriously wrong by reason of their object. ...

With regard to intrinsically evil acts, and in reference to contraceptive practices whereby the conjugal act is intentionally rendered infertile, Pope Paul VI teaches: "Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good, it is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it (cf. Rom 3:8) — in other words, to intend directly something which of its very nature contradicts the moral order, and which must therefore be judged unworthy of man, even though the intention is to protect or promote the welfare of an individual, of a family or of society in general" (par. 80)

As I like say (as of right now), better to trust a sensible Catholic than a "Catholic sensibility." And, of course, always take Italian newspapers with a bucket of salt.

Comments

[Brian J. Schuettler]

Kmiec : (proper name, usually used now in the past tense e.g.Weigel was Kmiec(ed))

contemporary meaning - dead Catholic walking, sensibility without sense, pseudo-Catholic
usually used pejoratively "Hey dude, you're not a real Catholic, you must be one of those Kmiecs!"
Variations: Kmiec powder puff - high calories, no discernible value added to nourish the organism

[T. Shaw]

I'm uncertain: Kmiec couldn't vote for McCain b/c Bush/Cheney waterboarded terrorists to get intel to save lives? But, he could hyperactively support Obama despite the fact that nothing "good" will come of O's uber abortion position, artificial contraception, class envy, government brigandage/confiscatory taxation, etc.

Secular socialism is not Christian charity. And, 43,000,000 murdered unborn babies are not "chopped liver."

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=16907613]

This is the translation of the italian wiki article on the europa website... (the Italian follows) though wiki isn't the greatest, it is typically more accurate than not. And the article shocked me...

Translation:

Europe is a daily Italian, the official newspaper of the Democratic Party.

It was founded on February 12 2003 as a newspaper Democracy is Freedom - The Daisy, with director Nino Rizzo Nervo. The editorial is based in Rome.

Currently the editor is Stephen Menichini, while co-director Federico Orlando and Deputy John Cocconi and Clare Chilblains.

Every week (on Friday) the newspaper publishes insert in "Tuscany Europe", which deals with the specific political events in the region of Tuscany. Europe is the heir of the newspaper The People, which preserves part of the writing and many collaborators.

Original Italian:
Europa è un quotidiano italiano, organo di stampa ufficiale del Partito Democratico.

È stato fondato il 12 febbraio 2003 come quotidiano di Democrazia è Libertà - La Margherita, con direttore Nino Rizzo Nervo. La redazione ha sede a Roma. Attualmente il direttore responsabile è Stefano Menichini, mentre è condirettore Federico Orlando e sono vicedirettori Giovanni Cocconi e Chiara Geloni.

Ogni settimana (il venerdì) il giornale pubblica l'inserto "Europa Toscana", che si occupa nello specifico delle vicende politiche della regione Toscana. Europa è l'erede del quotidiano Il Popolo, del quale conserva parte della redazione e molti collaboratori.

[Gail F]

“He thinks and speaks like a Catholic”, said Michelle Dillon, sociologist at New Hampshire University.

HA HA HA HA

[Gail F]

Okay, I read the whole Europa piece. It is one of the more bizarre things I have ever read in my life. I think there is a real a possibility that teh reporter is stark, raving mad!

[Becky H.]

Gail F said "Okay, I read the whole Europa piece. It is one of the more bizarre things I have ever read in my life. I think there is a real a possibility that teh reporter is stark, raving mad!"

No he is not mad. The article is "cleverly devised" so as to get those who do not know their faith that well to believe that Obama holds to Catholic teaching. If they can get them to believe that then they can get them to follow Obama's teaching rather than the Churchs. Remember, you cannot intentionally lie unless you know the truth otherwise you wouldn't know what to lie about.

Makes you wonder why an Italian newspaper should care what Italians think about an American President.