61 - 70 of 228 Comments

1. MTS

   3 years ago

   Clearly the Bishop thinks abortion should be outlawed. Given the importance of this topic to the Catholic hierarchy, and his willing to punish Catholic politicians who fail to toe the line, Matthews' questions about what the Bishop thinks the penalty for having/performing an abortion should be are not only fair, but absolutely necessary. No one expects the Bishop to come to an interview with proposed legislation written out and available for distribution, but if he can't at least give a general idea about what the penalties should be, and how they would be enforced, he's either being disingenuous or he hasn't thought about it enough to go on a national TV show and pontificate (verb chosen with malice aforethought) about it. It's a blindingly obvious question, and one he should have anticipated and been prepared for.
   
   And for cryin' out loud, you don't get to go on a show called "Hardball" and then whine about tough questions. If he expects deference on highly controversial issues he should stick to EWTN and Raymond Arroyo.

2. Alan

   3 years ago

   Evidently for the "right to life" group that right only applies to those who have not been born. Where is the outrage at the death of 45,000 people per year who die from lack of health care? Where is the outrage over the state of constant war we wage and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children? This issue cripples America and contributes to the deaths of America's children from malnutrition, crime, war, and disease. Yet there is no prayer or compassion - only blind rage. Where is the compassion for the young mothers and offers of education, support, and "choice" for life from this group. No where. You are all hypocrites.

3. ahem

   3 years ago

   The point of so much political commentary these days is for the Left to beat up its opponents. They're so hostile and mentally unbalanced that I suspect their Leftism is more a religion than a political stance. Yes, Leftism is a competing religion.

4. Barb

   3 years ago

   Amazing! The question we all have to ask is the original question from the time of Adam/Eve. Free will/Free choice call it what you will. A man has a choice in the process. A woman has her choices. The politician has his. The clergy have theirs.
   I have mine etc.
   The bishop was simply stating that Senator Kennedy's choices are not in line with the church he proclaims to be his choice.
   Let Senator Kennedy examine his conscience and make his own moral decision. If he chooses to continue not just tolerating the pro abortion law but promoting it- fine. He must choose another church. What's the problem?
   Chris Matthews was a jerk pure and simple.

5. David Howard

   3 years ago

   At the least, Chris Matthews should be publicly excommunicated for opposing Church teaching. How long will the bishops sit idle while the Church is attacked from within?

6. Liz

   3 years ago

   Chris Matthews pulled the old bait & switch interviewing technique when he made the issue what punishment should be used if abortion is murder. He clearly deflected the issue. He is not a journalist in that he does not "want the story."

7. Michael Futschik

   3 years ago

   John Zudiak - you have it exactly backwards. It was Patrick Kennedy who is injecting politics into his faith; namely, claiming to be a Catholic in good standing and the 'right' to receive Holy Communion while maintaining his public support and advocacy of a heinously immoral practice. Bishop Tobin has every right to admonish him for it. Bishop Tobin did so privately, the only brought it to light when Kennedy made certain statements publicly. This is exactly how Jesus prescribed to deal with such a situation. It was Jesus himself who said that if an unrepentant brother refuses fraternal correction, then treat him as an outsider and a heathen. Also, the good bishop is teaching moral principles and not injecting himself into politics, which is precisely why he said that he was not ina position to fleach out what the legislation and associated penalty would be.

8. Ernest L. Ohlhoff

   3 years ago

   As an American, a Catholic and a pro-life supporter, I am dismayed at the unprofessional, clearly biased and irresponsible tirade which Chris Mathews regurgitated during the “interview” with Bishop Tobin. Perhaps Mathews should rename his program FOULBALL instead of HARDB ALL. Any responsible journalist, I hope would be shocked and dismayed at Matthews’s unprofessional tirade. The key Question in the abortion debate and one which Chris refused to address was, ‘Is the unborn child a human person?’

9. ed gleason

   3 years ago

   The 'wingnut' bloggers here keep saying Matthews went to Notre dame. He went to Holy Cross. Are the 'wingnuts'building a case to attack Notre Dame again??? I feel a lttle bad 'giving up' Holy Cross to these people, being Jesuit educated myself. But ND has experience so they can handle any mob attacks.

10. Brian Parsons

    3 years ago

    Look - abortion is murder (period)... and murder needs to be treated as murder. The Bishop couldn't say his personal opinion on what the law should be etc. w/o the ok from his superiors as anything he would have said would have implications that he was speaking for the Church as a whole. Now if I as a layperson was interviewed I would GLADLY say that abortion SHOULD BE ILLEGAL and punished as murder in the 1st degree (pre-meditated murder!). That is not being tough - or anything other than JUST. If a person kills a pregnant lady and her unborn baby dies also is he not charged with two murders? Then why would the person responsible for killing the unborn baby alone not face the same charges?
    The Bishop was saintly in holding his tounge in respect for the Church BUT the Pope or a Cardinal should answer the questions that the Bishop could not w/o previous authority

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