Recent Featured Videos and Articles | Eastern “Orthodoxy” Refuted | How To Avoid Sin | The Antichrist Identified! | What Fake Christians Get Wrong About Ephesians | Why So Many Can't Believe | “Magicians” Prove A Spiritual World Exists | Amazing Evidence For God | News Links |
Vatican II “Catholic” Church Exposed | Steps To Convert | Outside The Church There Is No Salvation | E-Exchanges | The Holy Rosary | Padre Pio | Traditional Catholic Issues And Groups | Help Save Souls: Donate |
"Montana Diocese Blasted For Double Standard"
churchmilitant.com
"The diocese of Helena, Montana is being slammed by faithful Catholics for what they see as hypocrisy.
On Tuesday, Msgr. Kevin O'Neill, administrator for the diocese, issued a public letter apologizing for the 'pain' caused by four priests who attended a July 5 rally for Matt Rosendale, a pro-life Catholic running against pro-abortion Democrat Jon Tester for a seat in the U.S. Senate. President Trump appeared at the rally in support of Rosendale.
'Let me clearly state that I sincerely regret any and all confusion or hurt this incident has caused,' O'Neill stated.
'I am troubled that they were assigned such a prominent place in the arena particularly since they were dressed in clerical attire,' he continued. 'My disappointment is underscored by their attire being associated with that of an official presence of the Diocese or as if they were acting as its official representatives, which they were not.'
The priests — Fathers Kevin Christofferson and Christopher Lebsock from the Helena diocese, and Fathers Ryan Erlenbush and Garrett Nelson from the Great Falls-Billings diocese — were invited to sit in the front row at the rally by a Catholic organizer...
After anti-Trump Catholics complained loudly of the priests' presence, both dioceses issued public apologies distancing themselves from the event and expressing disapproval of the priests' presence.
'I have received apologies from the two priests for any misunderstanding or any hurt their presence caused,' wrote Bp. Michael Warfel of Great Falls-Billings. Lebsock and Christofferson were also forced to apologize...
O'Neill VIP Guest at Pro-Abortion, Pro-Gay Leader's Inauguration
On July 11, an image surfaced of O'Neill smiling on stage as a VIP guest at the 2013 inauguration of Catholic Steve Bullock as governor of Montana — a Democrat who ran on a radically pro-abortion plank. Other officials, including the lieutenant governor, attorney general and a state supreme court justice, were also sworn in, but the main event focused on Bullock. The Helena diocese has confirmed O'Neill's attendance.
Since Bullock has taken office, he has voted consistently to advance abortion and the LGBT agenda. According to a source, Bullock is a parishioner at St. Helena's Cathedral, where O'Neill is rector. According to tax returns, Bullock has made charitable contributions to the cathedral.
Locals also say O'Neill allows Bullock to regularly receive Holy Communion
In 2017, he vetoed a bill that would require medical care for a baby born alive after a late-term abortion. Bullock justified his vote to deny life-saving care for babies by claiming he did not want to interfere in 'deeply personal medical decisions.'...
He also opposed the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would have banned abortions after 20 weeks, when evidence shows the unborn child feels pain. The abortion procedure used in the vast majority of second-trimester abortions is dilation and evacuation, which involves grabbing a baby's limbs and ripping them from his body piece by piece. The child is alive and feels everything.
In 2015, Bullock voted to keep abortion covered in all health insurance plans.
And in 2016, Bullock signed an executive order advancing gay rights in the workplace, the Human Rights Campaign applauding him for 'doing everything in his administrative power to fight for the rights of LGBT Montanans.'...
After the image circulated of O'Neill in clerics seated prominently at Bullock's inauguration, Catholics went on social media to blast him for the perceived double standard.
'How is it you can sit front row center at a Democratic governor's speech, but priests in your area are not permitted to do the same for a Republican president?' asked Stacey Sefcik, in comments beneath a post that has since been deleted on the Helena diocese's Facebook page."
Sign up for our free e-mail list to see future vaticancatholic.com videos and articles.
Recent Content
^