Why is it so hard to read the whole story first ?

When a Bishop speaks out on any subject he does so in one of two capacities; he is either speaking as a citizen, solely for himself, or, he is speaking as a successor to the original 12 Apostles of Jesus, therefore as the leader of his flock. The amazing thing about the flock he is to shepherd is that it includes those that have no idea they are members, even those that reject all that for which he stands.

Are all Bishops excellent examples of The Shepherd ? No. They are, much like ourselves, shown to be: Lacking in the stewarding of the planet. Lacking in the guardianship of our children. Lacking in the keeping of our brothers. Those facts, however, do not diminish their calling to shepherd. Neither does it diminish their calling to preach the Gospel, as was once so brilliantly stated, using words if necessary.

In the great State of Louisiana, the Bishops Conference is concerned about some legislation that was to be introduced regarding immigrants. When legislation is proposed, it usually is designed with only the intended effects in mind. The Bishop’s of LA have a duty to their flock to speak about the unintended consequences of actions as much as the intended bad results of actions. Keep in mind that to a Catholic Bishop, EVERYONE in the boundaries of his Diocese is in his flock-it is his solemn duty to care for each and every one of them. Not, as is the case of a Legislator, as far as the next election is concerned, but in all manners of life, insofar as the next life is concerned.

Those things are too much for some to accept, and far too much for some to tolerate, especially when they overrreact before they understand the Bishops' reasons.

Maybe, next time, Laura, you will read the whole story before you overreact.


UPDATE: When I first went to Pursuing Holiness, it was to read Mindless Bag Of Hormones Spouts Off, so, I should have known she was inclined to overstate a point, or two. But, after reading Obama: Sorry for stopping you from killing any more filthy Jooos, Germany!, I am now certain that overreacting, without reading the story,(or is it without comprehending the story) is her schtick. I can hardly wait to see how much traction her reasoning gets. 'Cause we all know that without fire-bombing Dresden back to the stone-age the gas chambers wouldn't have been stopped. Anyhow, a great site to hang out in, but, wear your gloves so your knuckles don't get scraped.