Beat the Press

Misquoted SC priest

Father Jay Scott Newman, pastor of St. Mary's Church in Greenville, SC was evidently misquoted by the press. Apparently he wasn't even the one who was misquoted, the church's newsletter was.

The AP's headline read: "S.C. Priest: No Communion for Obama Supporters," but wasn't 100% accurate.

Before the AP picked up the story, Diocese of Charleston Administrator Monsignor Martin Laughlin sent an e-mail to Father Newman applauding his article in the newsletter, but when the inflammatory headline hit the media Monsignor Laughlin did an about face and issued the following:

[the Catholic Church’s] “clear, moral teaching on the evil of abortion” [was] “pulled into the partisan political arena” [by the priest’s letter and that Fr. Newman’s actions have] “diverted the focus” [from Catholic teaching on abortion and] “do not adequately reflect the Catholic Church’s teachings. Any comments or statements to the contrary are repudiated.”

According to the Catholic News Agency: [The original article in The Greenville News correctly noted that Fr. Newman said that] “church teaching doesn't allow him to refuse Holy Communion to anyone based on political choices, but that he'll continue to deliver the church's strong teaching on the ‘intrinsic and grave evil of abortion’ as a hidden form of murder.”

So what can we take from all of this? You may take what you will, but for me I gather that priests are allowed to say anything they want (Reverend Wright, please take note) unless and until their superior gets wind of some 'bad press.' Then they get to spew a lot of double talk that may or may not make any sense and hope the whole issue goes away.