Bishop Tobin, Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island Catholic Bishop issued a statement of three paragraphs. The first paragraph praised Nelson Mandela's courage and support of human rights. The second two paragraphs bashed his support of woman's right to reproductive freedom.
The statement closes with regrets that his
noble defense of human dignity did not include the youngest members of our human family, unborn children
This is the diocese that has banned the song Danny Boy from funerals because it is considered profane.
This idiot is the Bishop who got in a pissing contest with the Governor Lincoln Chafee last year, because the Chafee decided to use the term "Holiday Tree" rather than "Christmas Tree" as if the Governor was taking part in the alleged war on Christmas. Chafee decided this year that it wasn't worth the controversy and went back to the more traditional name.
Tobin called Rhode Island's enactment of marriage equality a "sad day in American History." Sad day? Compared to what, your excellency? 9/11? Pearl Harbor? The beginning of the Civil War?
He's a Republican of course. I don't question the right of anyone to affiliate with whatever party they'd like, but I think a clerical leader should not be wearing their affiliation on their sleeve - for either party.
Yes, we know how much the Catholic Bishops care for the "Youngest members of our human family." That's why they acquiesce on the gutting of what's left of our social safety net, and the dismantling of our public educational system. And, where where these Bishops, I might ask, when so many of these "youngest members of our human family" were being horribly abused. I realize most priests and nuns were not predators, but the predators could not have their way without a power structure that would look the other way, or sometimes aid in the coverup, while these crimes were going on. Looking the other way and covering up was business as usual.
And Bishop Tobin, where were you?