Bishops respond to Rep. Kennedy's criticism of health care stance
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
By Megan Sweas
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (CNS) -- Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence and Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York strongly criticized remarks by Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., about the U.S. bishops' role in the health reform debate.
In an interview with Cybercast News Service Oct. 22, Kennedy said the bishops were fanning "the flames of dissent and discord" by insisting that health reform not include abortion funding.
"I can't understand for the life of me how the Catholic Church could be against the biggest social justice issue of our time, where the very dignity of the human person is being respected by the fact that we're caring and giving health care" to the millions of people who are currently uninsured, Kennedy said in the CNSNews.com interview.
"You mean to tell me the Catholic Church is going to be denying those people life-saving health care?" he added. "I thought they were pro-life. If the church is pro-life, then they ought to be for health care reform because it's going to provide health care that is going to keep people alive."
Bishop Tobin called Kennedy's comments "irresponsible and ignorant of the facts" in an Oct. 23 statement and said the congressman "owes us an apology."
"The bishops of the United States are indeed in favor of comprehensive health care reform and have been for many years," the bishop said. "But we are adamantly opposed to health care legislation that threatens the life of unborn children, requires taxpayers to pay for abortion, rations health care, or compromises the conscience of individuals."
Archbishop Dolan commented on the controversy Oct. 26 in his blog at www.ny-archdiocese.org, calling Kennedy's remarks "sad, uncalled for and inaccurate."
"The Catholic community in the United States hardly needs to be lectured to about just health care," he added. "We bishops have been advocating for universal health care for a long, long time.
"All we ask is that it be just that -- universal -- meaning that it includes the helpless baby in the womb, the immigrant and grandma in the hospice, and that it protects a health care provider's right to follow his/her own conscience," Archbishop Dolan said.
Copyright © 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Rep. Patrick Kennedy's Remarks
By Fred (not verified) on Wednesday, October 28, 2009Thanks to Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence and Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York for correcting Rep. Kennedy on the Church's stance on Health Care and Abortions. He does owe all Catholics an apology.
When I see comments stating
By JC (not verified) on Thursday, October 29, 2009When I see comments stating that someone owes an entire group an apology, I just yawn, stop listening, see the comment as grandstanding and turn the page.
OWEING AN OPOLOGY FOR SPEAKING THE TRUTH
By Anonymous (not verified) on Thursday, October 29, 2009OUR LAWS PERMIT FREEDOM OF SPEACH. REP. PATRICK KENNEDY HAS EVERY RIGHT TO SPEAK, AND SAY WHAT HE BELIEVES TO BE THE TRUTH. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OPERATES AS A COUNTRY OF ITS OWN , AND SHOULD NOT TRY TO CHANGE OUR LAWS. THE POPE SETS THE LAW'S FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, AND WE, AND OUR CONGRESS SETS OUR'S. PLEASE FOLLOW OUR LAW STATING THE SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH FAUGHT HARD TO KEEP YOUR BUSINSS PRIVATE, AND NOT OPEN YOUR BOOKS TO THE AMERICAN CITIZENS. THERE ARE NO OPOLOGIES IN OUR COUNTRY FOR SPEAKING THE TRUTH. AND I'M SPEAKING FROM MY HEART.
Rep. Patrick Kennedy's Remarks
By Brendan Clarke (not verified) on Wednesday, October 28, 2009I thought the idea is the provision of healthcare to those who do not have it. Since when has pregnancy been an illness? If health is an issue during pregnancy, would it not be required to ensure the good health of the mother or the fetus?
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