Educating Jason Kenney: Between Life and Death

“A Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate's permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia. When a Catholic does not share a candidate's stand in favor of abortion and/or euthanasia, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation, which can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons.” Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI

By the reasoning then, if you are a Catholic and you don't disapprove of abortion, but choose a candidate not based on that criteria, you're OK.

Jason Kenney clearly is a candidate who disapproves of abortion, and has never suggested otherwise. I guess I have to respect that, so long as he doesn't suggest that he's "pro-life", because he was a staunch supporter of the War in Iraq, which would make him "pro-death".

Church documents make it clear, he said, that in certain instances "lethal violence can be used in the defence of life." And he said the determination of whether a particular war is just lies exclusively with the responsible public authority, not priests or bishops. In this case "the responsible public authority would be President Bush and me," he explained.

"So I take issue with those bishops who made what sounded like magisterial pronouncements about the legitimacy of that conflict," Kenney said in response to a question. "They did not have the authority to make such a declaration. They can offer an opinion which I would take very seriously but ultimately I am called upon by the Church itself as a responsible public authority to make a credential decision."

Added Kenney: "I believe in prudence that there was an obligation, ultimately, eventually to use limited, proportional force to remove one of the world's most dangerous fascist dictators . . . who used chemical and biological weapons against his on people." (1)

What on earth makes him believe that George Bush used "limited, proportional force"? There is some thought that Pope Benedict XVI will move the Catholic church to the right, supporting Dr. Robert Wesolowski suggestion that there is:

"... a sizable minority of Christians and Catholics associated with neoconservatism who are sometimes referred to as "theocons" . The neocons are serious about a global religious war with Islam which would lead modern Americans back to medieval times and ideas with the Pope as king. That may help explain some of George Bush’s ideas that God wants America to do battle with the world of Islam. But do Americans really want to return to the medieval society? I don’t think we want that society today or in the future. " (2)

I'm learning a lot about Kenney's education at St. Ignatius Jesuit College, based on the current attempt to modernize teaching, and rid the college of those notions, returning to the basic principles of humanity. Too late for Jason Kenney, I suppose, though I'm sure his father, a devout Catholic, may have chosen this Jesuit College because at the time they adhered to pre-Second Vatican Council doctrine. True Theocon/Neocon philosophy.

The new president of St. Ignatius, while suggesting that abortion is wrong, also supports the late Rev. Robert Drinan, who it is said " did more than anyone else to convince Catholic legislators that the settled teaching of the Church on the grave immorality of abortion had no bearing on their legislative work." .... after being elected to Congress in 1970, Father Drinan wrote in support of Roe v. Wade and Clinton's veto of the ban against partial-birth abortion. After being forced by John Paul II to leave Congress in 1981, Father Drinan continued as a pro-abortion lobbyist both within the Democratic Party and as head of Americans for Democratic Action. (2)

Kenney would definitely not want to attend this school now.

It's a very twisted ideology that many pro-lifers have. They will fervently denounce abortion as "murder" but just as fervently support the murder of those who don't share their faith. Or I should say those whose faith is seen as a threat to their own.

However, Pope Benedict has clearly stated that "Abortion is a crime of aggression not only against the unborn, but also against society", so I suppose the late Father Drinan will never be canonized.

Benedict also says of Islam: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." Oh, my.

Sources:

1. Promote human dignity - Kenney: Politician says faith and politics do mix, By Ramon Gonzalez, WCR Staff Writer, Edmonton, June 2, 2003

2. Jesuit University President Attacks George Weigel, by Deal W. Hudson, Inside Catholic, March 19, 2008