Tragically, Edward Michael Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York, had much to do with the election of President-Elect Obama.
Cardinal Egan did not formally endorse the President-Elect, but he treated him as acceptable by inviting him to the Alfred E. Smith Dinner and being photographed with him in a jovial manner.
This year, if the President-Elect passed the fitness or acceptability test, he was destined to win.
As a result of his position on life issues alone, he was NOT fit to win.
Yet Cardinal Egan helped the President-Elect pass the acceptability test and the result was that the President-Elect did what the baptized Catholic 2004 Democrat presidential candidate (Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts) did not do: win the Catholic vote.
And the President-Elect is even more extreme on life than Senator Kerry!
Karna Swanson, "What Happened to the Catholic Vote?":
"More than half of U.S. Catholics voted Tuesday for a presidential candidate at odds with the Church's stance on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, despite the urging of more than 50 heads of dioceses to support pro-life candidates.
"Brian Burch, co-founder and president of the Catholic-based think-tank Fidelis, spoke with ZENIT about the results of the election, and why he thinks a majority of Catholics voted for Democratic candidate Barack Obama, an admitted supporter of abortion rights....
"Q: An estimated 54% of Catholics voted for Barack Obama, despite the strong stand of over 50 heads of dioceses against candidates who support abortion. How did Obama successfully win the majority of the Catholic vote?
"Burch: The notion of what constitutes the 'Catholic vote' is widely debated. While Obama won the Catholic vote overall 54% - 45%, among Catholics who attend mass every week, McCain won 55% - 43%. Clearly the main reason Obama succeeded overall was the fact that Catholic voters echoed the concerns of the rest of the electorate in citing the economy as their top issue.
"They concluded that Obama’s economic policies would benefit them more, and ignored the teaching authority of many bishops who explained that concerns about the economy do not justify a vote for a pro-abortion candidate.
"Q: Did the strong stance of the episcopate have any noticeable affect on the election? What could the Church have done more of?
"Burch: The results of the election seem to indicate that, for the most part, Catholic voters ignored the guidance of their bishops. The results simply do not show any dramatic shift away from the larger trends seen during the past several election cycles.
"One area of concern was the document 'Faithful Citizenship,' which was used by many organizations to improperly justify support for pro-abortion candidates. The shortcomings of the document forced many bishops to issue their own pastoral letters, leaving many voters confused. Regrettably, I believe the net effect of 'Faithful Citizenship' was more confusion than clarity."
The sending of mixed signals sowed great confusion. When pro-abortion "Catholics" like Vice President-Elect Joseph Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi are permitted to receive Holy Communion even though they publicly flout Church teaching on life, the idea of a Catholic voting for President-Elect Obama is perceived by many as acceptable instead of sinful.
Cardinal Egan rightly protested Fordham University honoring pro-abortion United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who wrote the majority opinion in the 2000 case striking down state laws banning partial-birth abortions and dissented in the 2007 case that reversed the 2000 decision and upheld the national ban on partial-birth abortions.
But Cardinal Egan invited the President-Elect to the Alfred E. Smith Dinner this year!
Steven Erhelt, "Cardinal Egan Complains to Fordham University for Awarding Pro-Abortion Judge" (www.lifenews.com/state3586.html):
"The leading Catholic official in New York is coming down hard on Fordham University officials for bestowing an award on pro-abortion Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. A protest against the Catholic college began earlier this month and saw more than 1,100 Fordham University alumni and students upset.
"Fordham is scheduled to present its Fordham-Stein Ethics Prize to Justice Breyer at a dinner in New York City on Wednesday.
"In addition to the thousands from the Fordham community who have complained, a spokesman for the New York Archdiocese says Cardinal Edward Egan was upset to learn Breyer would get an award.
"Joseph Zwilling told the Associated Press on Monday that Cardinal Egan has spoken to Fordham officials to ensure 'that a mistake of this sort will not happen again.'"
Such a mistake should not happen again, to be sure.
But Cardinal Egan himself made the President-Elect an honored guest at the Alfred E. Smith Dinner!
Unfortunately, Cardinal Egan had plenty of help helping the President-Elect.
Steven Erhelt, "Watchdog Group Says Catholic Colleges, Faculty Aided Pro-Abortion Obama" (www.lifenews.com/nat4560.html):
"A watchdog group that monitors Catholic colleges and universities says several professors and political activities on Catholic campuses helped deliver pro-abortion Barack Obama the Catholic vote. The Cardinal Newman Society tells LifeNews.com that the report shows more monitoring is needed.
"The Catholic pro-Obama activities directly aided the abortion advocate as borne out in exit polling data.
"Exit polls show Obama won over self-described Catholics 54 to 45 percent -- better than the 52-46 split among all Americans -- and even made inroads with Mass-attending and white, non-Hispanic Catholics.
"'Despite the U.S. bishops' concerns about political candidates who support legalized abortion and embryonic stem cell research, several outspoken professors and political events at Catholic colleges and universities helped convince Catholics that they could vote for such candidates in good conscience,' Reilly says.
"The Cardinal Newman Society report documents campus politics in 2008 that helped Obama.
"CNS notes outspoken professors including Boston College theology professor Lisa Sowle Cahill, Duquesne law professor Nicholas Cafardi (former dean of Duquesne's law school) and Notre Dame theology professor Cathleen Kaveny publicly challenged bishops' statements encouraging Catholics to oppose pro-abortion candidates.
"Another nine professors at Catholic colleges and universities served on Obama's Catholic National Advisory Committee.
"Pamela Trotman Reid, president of St. Joseph College in Hartford, Connecticut, expressed excitement about Obama's candidacy and concern about future Supreme Court decisions affecting 'the right of women to make choices about their own health.' Xavier University in Cincinnati hosted an Obama 'Campaign for Change' rally on the eve of the election, and St. Peter's College in New Jersey hosted an Obama rally featuring a choir of Catholic schoolchildren.
"Meanwhile, Judy Feder, public policy professor and former public policy dean at Georgetown University, ran as a pro-abortion congressional candidate in Virginia's 10th District.
"And several Catholic colleges and universities selected pro-abortion politicians as commencement speakers and honorees.
"The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops meets this week and Reilly notes that, in 2004, they overwhelmingly approved a document outlining instructions for Catholic colleges.
"'The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions,' it said.
"Last month, The Cardinal Newman Society's Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education published a national survey finding that the behaviors and beliefs of Catholic college students often conflict with Catholic teachings."
That's because people such as Cardinal Egan sent mixed signals when complete clarity was necessary.
