NY Governor KNEELS to Pope
Brian J Dawson
As an Anglican I would kneel and kiss the papal ring if I had the honor of
being presented to the Pope.HOWEVER I do not believe an elected official and
especially the "Head Of State" of the Sovereign State of NY should kneel to
any man! - Period! Governor Paterson violated the Principle of Separation of
Church and State!
Brian J Dawson
Dana Prescott
I believe he regularly kneels before his local parish priest to
receive Communion at his home parish. Is there REALLY such a big
difference about the gesture here?
I suppose it turns upon the question of whether he was presenting
himself in his official role as governor of the state, or whether he
was presenting himself in his personal role as a devout practicing
Catholic. He might have "mixed up" his roles just a bit, but I think
we can grant him that minor personal indulgence...lol! I believe Sen.
Ted Kennedy, also a devout practicing Catholic, would have done
precisely the same thing, had the Pope come to Boston.
I must say, even though I have very serious issues with RC theology,
especially involving its draconian and dubious approach to ethical
issues like medical contraception and same-sex marriage, I believe
that this Pope has successfully "grown into the job" -- to my own
great astonishment -- and is now coming to be viewed more and more in
the "Dalai Lama global religious spokesman" league, rather than in the
"nut job ranting fundamentalist" league.
I also think his visit to pray at Ground Zero -- and surely, in his
prayers, to grant retroactive sacramental absolution to everyone who
died there, insofar as it might be within his priestly power as a
bishop to do so -- was extremely moving, and touched the hearts of the
entire nation. All of which is just to say that I'd be inclined to cut
Gov. Paterson some slack here. If he had knelt to kiss the ring of
some visiting Arab oil sheik, I'd be a lot more concerned.
Nice to hear from you, though. Where ya been?
duke
wrote:
>I think the Pope is a very nice man even though I am not a Roman Catholic.
>As an Anglican I would kneel and kiss the papal ring if I had the honor of
>being presented to the Pope.HOWEVER I do not believe an elected official and
>especially the "Head Of State" of the Sovereign State of NY should kneel to
>any man! - Period! Governor Paterson violated the Principle of Separation of
>Church and State!
He knelt as man to the Pope, not as the governor.
duke, American-American
*****
"The Mass is the most perfect form of Prayer."
Pope Paul VI
*****
紐. L. Measures
<22ec9297-6ccf-4b75...@b1g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>, Dana
Prescott <high...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Um...Brian...Gov. Paterson happens to be a practicing Roman Catholic.
> I believe he regularly kneels before his local parish priest to
> receive Communion at his home parish. Is there REALLY such a big
> difference about the gesture here?
>
> I suppose it turns upon the question of whether he was presenting
> himself in his official role as governor of the state, or whether he
> was presenting himself in his personal role as a devout practicing
> Catholic. He might have "mixed up" his roles just a bit, but I think
> we can grant him that minor personal indulgence...lol! I believe Sen.
> Ted Kennedy, also a devout practicing Catholic, would have done
> precisely the same thing, had the Pope come to Boston.
>
> I must say, even though I have very serious issues with RC theology,
> especially involving its draconian and dubious approach to ethical
> issues like medical contraception and same-sex marriage, I believe
> that this Pope has successfully "grown into the job" -- to my own
> great astonishment -- and is now coming to be viewed more and more in
> the "Dalai Lama global religious spokesman" league, rather than in the
> "nut job ranting fundamentalist" league.
>
> I also think his visit to pray at Ground Zero -- and surely, in his
> prayers, to grant retroactive sacramental absolution to everyone who
> died there,...
• So, on Judgement Day, it really does not matter how sinfully one
conducted his or her life if one receives retroactive sacramental
absolution from some guy who wears a funny hat?
--
R.L. Measures. 805-386-3734, www.somis.org
Brian J Dawson
"Dana Prescott" <high...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:22ec9297-6ccf-4b75...@b1g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
He kneels as I do before my parish priest but it is to the altar and the
Sacrement not the priest. If he kneels to recieve the sacrement that is
fine. When he kneels as the Head of my State I do object!
This is an act of that undermines secular society! To quote (of all people)
Governor Romney he said that when he takes the Oath of Office that becomes
his HIGHEST OATH! In that case there is nothing between him and God but his
duty to the Nation. No Church or Church leader hold sway over him under that
case. By kneeling to the pope and kissing his ring like a feudal baron he
subjagates the Will of a Free People to Papal Authority.
I say NO WAY! I don't care if the pope is a nice man. When you take the oath
of office your oath is between you and God!
Again I find it odd that I am quoting Mitt Romney but he was trying to
follow in JFK's footsteps on the issue of Church interference. I beleive he
gave an excellent speach on Religion which is viewable on my blog below.
http://middle-class-populist.com/category/mitt-romney/
I noticed the news media did not mention this at all!
Brian J Dawson
Dana Prescott
> "Dana Prescott" <highmu...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> I noticed the news media did not mention this at all!
>
> Brian J Dawson
Brian, I hear you, but I really think it's a "mountain out of a
molehill" complaint. I believe just about any devout practicing Roman
Catholic senator or governor -- and there are many -- meeting the Pope
in those circumstances, would have done the same thing. When a
practicing Mahayana Buddhist greets the Dalai Lama -- and I've had the
pleasure and honor of seeing him in person several times -- it's
customary to press one's hands together and bow to him...and he
responds in the same way! I think maybe that's the key to a difference
of perception here: the Pope is apparently not making a reciprocal
gesture of mutual honoring and acknowledgement. Perhaps he should find
some appropriate way to do that. It would certainly be more "seemly"
in terms of public perception.
Does this help?