September 18th, 2003
Pope John Paul II:
Please Help! Your church in the United States is in dire need of some stern fatherly discipline.
Last night, in Washington D.C., I and two dozen other pro-lifers participated in a demonstration against the scandal of Senator Ted Kennedy hosting a Catholic fundraiser. While publicly claiming to be "Catholic", Senator Kennedy has a long record of supporting the abortion industry in the United States. Many of our signs stated that he could not do both. Other signs showed the corpse of an aborted child, and another signed asked, If the Senator continues this scandal, that you excommunicate him?
We had a wonderful priest in our group, Father Peter West. He led us in prayer, and his presence was essential to our cause. Many people were apparently blind to our concerns, as they walked past our signs dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns. Their eyes looked through us, not acknowledging us, or our message. Another priest entered the hotel through our pickets, and sped up as someone recognized him. The worst scandal though, was when Cardinal McCarrick walked through our line, and excused his attendance at this fundraiser as not honoring Senator Kennedy. He was just there for the schools financial gain. Christ's words to the "blind fool" Pharisees. Matthew 23, spoke clearly to the Cardinal's position in this scandal. "They tie up heavy burdens (hard to carry) and lay them on peoples shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them"
Toward the end of our picket, a blind man appeared, tapping his cane along the curb, and on the tire of a police car, parked next to our sidewalk position. I asked the man, "Are you trying to get across the street?" He replied, "This is where I usually get a cab," I looked up and saw a cab awaiting his turn to pull in, in front of the hotel, to drop off a fare. I flagged the cab, and explained to the blind man, Ollie, that he would have to walk out into the street. I guided Ollie, as he tapped his way around the police car inquiring, "Isn't this a cab?"
He was shocked when I told him, "No. You had been tapping on a police car."
"O!" He exclaimed. "What's going on!" I told him we were picketing a Catholic fundraiser where Senator Kennedy was being honored. He turned into his seat and regretfully said, "I wish I had known. I would like to have been with you."
Holy Father: We have scandal upon scandal, the blind leading the blind, everybody's Catholic, but who is really Catholic? We, the United States Church, need your fatherly discipline. Help!
Scandalized,
Mike Hargadon
