Former British Prime Minister and recently converted Catholic Tony Blair provides a little bit of education to the Pope in the latest issue of Attitude magazine, which I am sure the Pope is a loyal subscriber.

Organized religions face the same dilemma as political parties when faced with changed circumstances. You can either A: Hold on to your core vote, basically, you know, say ‘Look let’s not break out because if we break out we might lose what we’ve got, and at least we’ve got what we’ve got so let’s keep it’. Or B: You say ‘let’s accept that the world is changing, and let us work out how we can lead that change and actually reach out’.
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“There is a huge generational difference here,” he said. “There’s probably that same fear amongst religious leaders that if you concede ground on [homosexuality], because attitudes and thinking evolve over time, where does that end? You’d start having to rethink many, many things.” He added: “If you went and asked the [ordinary Catholic] congregation, I think you’d find that their faith is not to be found in those types of entrenched attitudes.”

I suspect that if Blair had not played opposite George Bush during the Iraq war, we’d all have a far different opinion of him now.

Pope Ratzinger recently saw fit to revoke the 1988 excommunication of Bishop Richard Williamson, who in a televised interview last week cited that “historical evidence” contradicted the idea that Jews were gassed during the Holocaust… that there were “no gas chambers at all.” Really?

Really.

Since the televised interview restrictions have been placed on Bishop Williamson, prohibiting him from “speaking in public on political or historic questions.” He shouldn’t be allowed to preach in front of sheep either.

San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer has finally decided to speak out on his website, defending the church’s actions in helping pass Proposition 8, which denied marriage equality to all Californians, and placed marriages like ours in jeopardy.

“Religious leaders in America have the constitutional right to speak out on issues of public policy. Catholic bishops, specifically, also have a responsibility to teach the faith, and our beliefs about marriage and family are part of this faith.”

and…

“Members of churches who supported Proposition 8 sincerely believe that defining marriage as only between a man and a woman is one such issue. They see marriage and the family as the basic building blocks of human society, existing before government and not created by it. Marriage is for us the ideal relationship between a man and woman, in which, through their unique sexual complementarity, the spouses offer themselves to God as co-creators of new human persons, a father and mother giving them life and enabling them to thrive in the family setting.”

Bill May, Chairman for Catholics for the Common Good, who played a crucial role in getting Catholics behind Proposition 8, supported the Archbishop’s statement, which described “strong and legitimate reasons for supporting marriage between a man and a woman.”

May also went on to say that Niederauer “is a very loving person,” and “he expresses the teachings of the church in a very pastoral way. He is expressing the fundamental understanding of the Catholic Church that every human person has intrinsic dignity that must be respected.”

Except of course, when it comes to the intrinsic dignity and respect same-sex couples deserve.

Archbishop Niederauer who previously served as a Bishop in Salt Lake City, actively recruited the Mormon church to get involved in supporting Proposition 8 which would not have passed without their help.

In the video below the Archbishop enlightens us on the importance of marriage between one man, and one woman.

Find more here…

• San Francisco Chronicle Story
• Archbishop Biederauer’s Statement
• More on Bill May, Catholics for the Common Good and their role in Proposition 8

California’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) announced today that they would investigate allegations that the LDS Church did not fully disclose non-monetary contributions to the Prop 8 Campaign.

Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate called for the investigation last week, writing a letter to the FPPC detailing many of the allegations, including:

• Church organized phone banks from Utah and Idaho
• Sending direct mail to voters
• Transported people to California over several weekends
• Used the LDS Press Office to send out multiple News Releases to promote their activities to nonmembers
• Walked precincts
• Ran a speakers bureau
• Distributed thousands of lawn signs and other campaign material
• Organized a “surge to election day”
• Church leaders travel to California
• Set up of very elaborate web sites
• Produced at least 9 commercials and 4 other video broadcasts all in support of Prop 8
• Conducted at least 2 satellite simulcasts over 5 Western states

These allegations are on top of the $22 million raised by Mormons in support of Prop 8, and according to Karger are in violation of the Political Reform Act.

While the LDS Church has not yet commented on the announcement, they have previously stated that they “fully complied with the reporting requirements of the California Political Reform Act” and that “any investigation would confirm the church’s full compliance with applicable law.”

Roman Porter, executive director of FPPC said today that an investigation doesn’t necessarily mean there was any wrongdoing, and asked everyone to “reserve judgement.”

For more information…

• Karger’s letter to the FPPC
• Probe into LDS Church’s Prop 8 donations
• Why Catholic involvement in Prop 8 needs to be scrutinized as well