Holy See rejects Caroline Kennedy

BBC:

The Vatican has rejected at least three possible candidates proposed by Barack Obama to serve as US ambassador to the Holy See, say reliable sources in Rome.

None of the three candidates informally proposed by the Obama administration so far is acceptable to the Pope because of their support for abortion rights.

One of the potential nominees vetoed by the Vatican is Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the former US president.

The Guardian:
The conservative [magazine] Il Giornale described the vetoes as part of a "trial of strength between Barack Obama and the US church that involves the Holy See", amid uproar among the church's hierarchy after America's principal Catholic university, Notre Dame, invited the president to give an address and receive an honorary degree next month.
...
The Vatican also rejected another potential nominee, Douglas Kmiec, a professor of constitutional law at Pepperdine University and former head of the office of legal counsel for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr. Kmiec, a Republican who endorsed Obama during the last election campaign, has said that Catholics who support the right to abortion need not follow the church's admonition to vote for an anti-abortion presidential candidate.

The Vatican is maintaining the official line that there have been no formal rejections of Obama's ambassadorial nominees because none has been officially put forward.

Posted by John B. Chilton on April 14, 2009 2:59 PM | |
Comments (1)

Kmiec, a Republican who endorsed Obama during the last election campaign, has said that Catholics who support the right to abortion need not follow the church's admonition to vote for an anti-abortion presidential candidate.

Actually, I believe Kmiec has said that those Catholics who OPPOSE abortion (as he does), need not "follow ..." (to the exclusion of EVERY other issue).

trial of strength between Barack Obama and the US church that involves the Holy See

I suspect this is correct (i.e., that it has less to do w/ Benedict, than the US RC hierarchy, which has become ever more bombastic the past few years)

JC Fisher

Posted by tgflux [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 14, 2009 10:34 PM

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