Maybe I am not remembering my history lessons correctly, but I was reading the story below and it struck me that the world has gone down this road before. This story is about the Green Party (communists) of Australia and they are trying to silence 2 church leaders who have spoken out against cloning.
Did not Stalin do something very similar? And Mussolini? And Mao?
I sure didn't expect to see a story like this come out of Australia, but now that I think about it, I am seeing signs of it happening here in the US. It does seem like anytime a church leader speaks out about a "moral" issue they are criticized. It seems to me that a church leader has the ability & the right to kick people out of his church who commit a gross violation against the faith. No?
Did not Stalin do something very similar? And Mussolini? And Mao?
I sure didn't expect to see a story like this come out of Australia, but now that I think about it, I am seeing signs of it happening here in the US. It does seem like anytime a church leader speaks out about a "moral" issue they are criticized. It seems to me that a church leader has the ability & the right to kick people out of his church who commit a gross violation against the faith. No?
18-June-2007-- Catholic World News Brief
Australia's Cardinal Pell Defies Parliamentary Threat
Sydney, Jun. 18, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Leaders of the Greens Party in Australia have begun a drive to cite Cardinal George Pell for contempt of parliament-- an effort that the cardinal described as carrying "a whiff of Stalinism."
Lee Rhiannon, a Greens lawmaker, won approval for a parliamentary hearing at which Cardinal Pell will be questioned about his statement that politicians who vote in favor of cloning should realize that their votes will have "consequences for their place in the life of the Church."
Rhiannon complained that the cardinal's remarks were intended to intimidate lawmakers. "Cardinal Pell has shown no remorse for his comments," she added.
The Sydney prelate responded by saying that he "would be privileged to appear before the committee if necessary, to resist this clumsy attempt to curb religious freedom and freedom of speech."
During a radio interview on June 17, Cardinal Pell added that he "never threatened anybody with a public excommunication." He continued to say that politicians who support cloning should recognize the moral consequences of their actions. And he declined to offer a direct answer to the question of whether he would refuse Communion to a politician who voted for the pending legislation.
Archbishop Barry Hickey of Perth, who had also been accused of threatening lawmakers by his public statements on the cloning proposal, took a different posture in his latest comments. In a letter to the Catholic newspaper The Record, he observed that his published statements might have inadvertently put pressure on Catholic politicians who were already planning to cast their votes in accordance with Church teaching. "They may feel compromised and be accused of voting at the bidding of the Church. If this is so, I owe them an apology because I have always admired their courage," Archbishop Hickey said.
Australia's Cardinal Pell Defies Parliamentary Threat
Sydney, Jun. 18, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Leaders of the Greens Party in Australia have begun a drive to cite Cardinal George Pell for contempt of parliament-- an effort that the cardinal described as carrying "a whiff of Stalinism."
Lee Rhiannon, a Greens lawmaker, won approval for a parliamentary hearing at which Cardinal Pell will be questioned about his statement that politicians who vote in favor of cloning should realize that their votes will have "consequences for their place in the life of the Church."
Rhiannon complained that the cardinal's remarks were intended to intimidate lawmakers. "Cardinal Pell has shown no remorse for his comments," she added.
The Sydney prelate responded by saying that he "would be privileged to appear before the committee if necessary, to resist this clumsy attempt to curb religious freedom and freedom of speech."
During a radio interview on June 17, Cardinal Pell added that he "never threatened anybody with a public excommunication." He continued to say that politicians who support cloning should recognize the moral consequences of their actions. And he declined to offer a direct answer to the question of whether he would refuse Communion to a politician who voted for the pending legislation.
Archbishop Barry Hickey of Perth, who had also been accused of threatening lawmakers by his public statements on the cloning proposal, took a different posture in his latest comments. In a letter to the Catholic newspaper The Record, he observed that his published statements might have inadvertently put pressure on Catholic politicians who were already planning to cast their votes in accordance with Church teaching. "They may feel compromised and be accused of voting at the bidding of the Church. If this is so, I owe them an apology because I have always admired their courage," Archbishop Hickey said.
The priest slams down a large goblet of wine during the ceremony and rings a golden bell between sips & everybody gets drunk at the reception...at least the ones I went to....
All that kneeling and crossing by the congregation and chanting and bell ringing by the priest during the ceremony got me tickled....nope, didn't participate, just watched, heathen that I am. 
