When Rick Santorum is available, why would anyone who shares Catholics' views on the sanctity of human life and marriage/family be supporting New Gingrich?
In a December 2nd interview with ABC, Gingrich - whose intelligence no one challenges -
- indicated that human life only begins at "Implantation and successful implantation." Gingrich's failure to note the very moment of fertilization as the beginning of human life leaves the door open for those who try to redefine conception and insist that abortifacients are mere contraceptives. In that same interview,
- he went on to show confusion about stem cells obtained from placentas and umbilical cords, apparently trying to justify his history of support for embryonic stem cell research.
When we have a candidate who truly embraces what the Church teaches about contraceptives, embryonic stem cell research, and marriage/family, why would anyone who shares our views on human life and the sanctity of marriage/family be giving Newt Gingrich a second look - at this time? Earlier this year, psychologist Hilary Towers posted a disturbing piece, which is worth reading in its entirety...
- "As we approach the presidential election of 2012 there is a crisis in this country about which few are talking. It’s not about politics or economic trends. It has nothing to do with the price of oil or reformation of the tax code. This crisis receives no coverage in the press because it isn’t politically correct subject matter. And so far it has gone unacknowledged and unaddressed by the leadership of the Catholic Church, whose teachings and beliefs are directly implicated in its outcome....
"Data from the National Survey of Children (NSC) indicate that approximately 80% of divorce cases in this country are forced divorces. In other words, the vast majority of divorces are situations in which one person puts an end to the marriage through legal coercion, even while the other is fighting to save it....to date, we seem content with viewing spousal abandonment as a mental health issue for the person left behind, rather than the danger to the institution of marriage it is....
"In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network last month Newt explained his double spousal abandonment this way: - “There’s no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate.”
"For a convert in the public eye – one who has now announced that he’s a presidential candidate – who has had ample time to reflect on his own behavior relative to the Church’s teachings on marriage, this explanation seems insincere and even reckless....Catholics should expect more from 'our own' – not because we demand perfection in our leaders or because we can’t forgive, but because the actions and words of the faithful in the public eye matter whether they occur before or after a professed conversion of heart" ( http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=16952 ).
As Dr. Towers wrote elsewhere,
- "We need a renewed effort on the part of bishops and priests to recognize that spousal abandonment is a crisis in our Church. Church leaders need to acknowledge this — and they need to encourage new, more effective responses in our parishes and chanceries....In a world that would have us believe that divorce is just an opportunity for a new start, the Church’s message must be loud and clear: We will hold fast to our ancient teachings on marriage – for the sake of our souls, our families, and our civilization."
I am certainly not a canon lawyer, but I have read Dignitas Connubii and each of the addresses to the Roman Rota from Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI (1/28/06, 1/27/07, 1/26/08, 1/29/09, 1/29/10, 1/22/11). In my opinion, it seemed that our late Holy Father had growing concerns about how marriage tribunals were operating in some parts of the world, and that our current Holy Father continues to have such concerns! If Gingrich is to wind up being elected, the USCCB should count on being repeatedly challenged by the media to explain how neither of Newt's earlier marriages (both of nearly two decades duration) were valid marriages! If the Gingrichs have such baggage, why aren't they stepping aside in favor of a candidate with a better track record?
Personally, I'm also going to pray for the intercession of Queen Katherine of Aragon (a potential patron saint for victims of spousal abandonment? See http://katharineofaragon.com/wordpress/the-petition/ , if you are interested in adding your voice to promoting her cause.), that the Gingrichs recognize the potential harm that they can do to their country and Church & step aside in favor of Santorum.
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