The Lion of Pennsylvania

Much has been said of Archbishop Chaput’s statement on pro-choice politics and their standard bearers.  Rocco Palmo of Whispers in the Loggia now reports that Bishop Joseph Martino of the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, made another bold statement for the most defenseless among us.

Bishop Martino spoke at a parish forum about abortion and politics in protecting the millions of innocent unborn children that are put to death each year.  In addition to this, he spoke about his word being final in the Diocese of Scranton, not the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop’s (USCCB).  The point he was making was that his letter that was distributed throughout the diocese is the only relevant document in the Diocese of Scranton, not the USCCB’s Faithful Citizenship document.

“No USCCB document is relevant in this diocese … the USCCB doesn’t speak for me.”

USCCB’s document states how Catholic’s should approach this election year.  The document itself can obfuscate some of the more relevant issues which tend to confuse some Catholics on their voting priorities.

“The only relevant document … is my letter … There is one teacher in this diocese, and these points are not debatable.”

Bishop Martino’s letter, in contrast to the USCCB’s, doesn’t beat around the bush.  For example here is one of the more luminous points of the bishops letter:

Catholic public officials who “persist in public support for abortion” should “not partake in or be admitted to the sacrament of Holy Communion.”

At the conclusion of Bishop Martino’s talk at the parish forum he received a standing ovation.

If only we had more bishops that were not afraid to teach the truth to their diocese’s.