Priest calls Santorum an "Evangelical Catholic" on O'Reilly Factor

[TEPO]

http://whadu.com/?q=priest+calls+san...lic+on+oreilly

It seems to me that Father Edward Beck is implying that Rick Santorum is more of an "Evangelical Catholic" because Santorum openly admits that he is opposed to birth control and abortion.

Beck also claims that Catholics are scared of Santorum but falls short on proving it.

Where does Fr. Beck get his information from, and what is an "Evangelical Catholic"..?

[Tarpeian Rock]

Originally Posted by TEPO

http://whadu.com/?q=priest+calls+san...lic+on+oreilly

It seems to me that Father Edward Beck is implying that Rick Santorum is more of an "Evangelical Catholic" because Santorum openly admits that he is opposed to birth control and abortion.

Beck also claims that Catholics are scared of Santorum but falls short on proving it.

Where does Fr. Beck get his information from, and what is an "Evangelical Catholic"..?

I think we're all called to be "evangelical Catholics," and most of us do fall short of that.

[Havard]

I saw this exchange last night. Apparently Fr. Beck has released this clarification:

CLARIFICATION AND RESPONSE:

Let me weigh in and clarify a bit since me appearance on O'Reilly seems to have generated so much "discussion".

I was asked a specific question: Do I think the way Rick Santorum has expressed his faith and has brought it in to the political conversation will HURT his chances in a general election? My answer was YES, and remains YES. I did not say I disagree with Mr. Santorum on the way he expresses his Catholic faith. I did not call him a "bad" Catholic. I did not endorse someone else over him. As a Catholic priest, I do not endorse political candidates.

I DID say that I thought Mr. Santorum's unfortunate remarks about SATAN at Ave Maria University in 2008 did not reflect mainstream Catholic thought about Satan and evil in the world. I also stand by that statement. That is not to deny the existence and power of evil in the world. It is to say that to focus on it as an external entity that is somehow trying to destroy our country is misguided and not in line with sound religious principle.

[MichaelTDoyle]

Wait. Does Satan exist or not?

What is Father saying here?

I'm faithful but now I'm confused.

Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking some one to devour
1 Peter 5:8 RSV

[Deus_lo_vult]

Originally Posted by Havard

I saw this exchange last night. Apparently Fr. Beck has released this clarification:

I witnesssed this exchange, actually, and was puzzled by it, it coming from a Catholic priest of all people. Satan offered to deliver the kingdoms of man to Jesus, if Jesus would only worship him. The invocation of St. Michael the Archangel's protection clearly reminds us that Satan is attacking the world, and frankly, seeks to conquer it.

Satan, unlike God, doesn't have the power to see ahead into the future, and he's deceived himself, and many human souls, I might add, into thinking he might succeed in the war with God over mankind's souls. Peter Kreeft correctly observed in How to Win the Culture War that Satan's opposite is NOT God; God transcends Satan altogether. Satan's opposite is actually St. Michael the Archangel. Satan betrayed God, St. Michael obeys his every command.

Also, I'm a night owl and I watched on Red Eye Chris Barron, the co-founder of GOProud and an excommunicated homosexual Catholic ('married' to Libertarian candidate for president Gary Johnson) attempt to trivialize and dismiss Santorum's mention of Satan, saying it was immature for a Catholic to believe that Satan was attacking America. I wrote an email to their organization saying I was not pleased with his comments.

[michelleds]

Fr Beck: I DID say that I thought Mr. Santorum's unfortunate remarks about SATAN at Ave Maria University in 2008 did not reflect mainstream Catholic thought about Satan and evil in the world. I also stand by that statement. That is not to deny the existence and power of evil in the world. It is to say that to focus on it as an external entity that is somehow trying to destroy our country is misguided and not in line with sound religious principle.

Think the Pope knows?

Whatever the less discerning theologians may say, the devil, as far as Christian belief is concerned, is a puzzling but real, personal and not merely symbolical presence. He is
a powerful reality (the 'prince of this world,' as he is called by the New Testament, which
continually reminds us of his existence), a baneful superhuman freedom directed against
God's freedom. This is evident if we look realistically at history, with its abyss of evernew
atrocities which cannot be explained by reference to man alone. On his own, man
has not the power to oppose Satan, but the devil is not second to God, and united with
Jesus we can be certain of vanquishing him. Christ is 'God Who is near to us,' willing and
able to liberate us: that is why the Gospel really is 'Good News.' And that is why we must
go on proclaiming Christ in those realms of fear and unfreedom.

Benedict
XVI in The Ratzinger Report

[MichaelTDoyle]

Originally Posted by michelleds

Think the Pope knows?

Benedict
XVI in The Ratzinger Report

Great quote

[Joe Kelley]

Pope Benedict, while not mentioning Satan, issued a similar warning to the American Bishops on their recent visit to him.

....At the heart of every culture, whether perceived or not, is a consensus about the nature of reality and the moral good, and thus about the conditions for human flourishing. In America, that consensus, as enshrined in your nation’s founding documents, was grounded in a worldview shaped not only by faith but a commitment to certain ethical principles deriving from nature and nature’s God. Today that consensus has eroded significantly in the face of powerful new cultural currents which are not only directly opposed to core moral teachings of the Judeo-Christian tradition, but increasingly hostile to Christianity as such.
...
Yet in faith we can take heart from the growing awareness of the need to preserve a civil order clearly rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition, as well as from the promise offered by a new generation of Catholics whose experience and convictions will have a decisive role in renewing the Church’s presence and witness in American society. The hope which these "signs of the times" give us is itself a reason to renew our efforts to mobilize the intellectual and moral resources of the entire Catholic community in the service of the evangelization of American culture and the building of the civilization of love....

I guess Pope Benedict is an Evangelican Catholic also.
...

[Havard]

Not being familiar with Fr. Beck, I did a quick search of him...

According to at least one source, he's a liberal dissident, however that source also appeared slightly fringey to the right, so... It'd be nice to get some confirmation about where this priest is coming from, from a reliable source.

[michelleds]

Originally Posted by Havard

Not being familiar with Fr. Beck, I did a quick search of him...

According to at least one source, he's a liberal dissident, however that source also appeared slightly fringey to the right, so... It'd be nice to get some confirmation about where this priest is coming from, from a reliable source.

I am not claiming to be a reliable source, but I have read two of his books and exchanged an email with him. He does hold views that appear to be contrary to the Magisterium.

[JoArtist]

I don't think many people know the meaning of what evangelical means. I was raised in an evangelical church and it basically meant that we had a pretty literal translation of scripture. For instance a literal 6 day creation, that there was an actual Noah's Ark, ect. ect. Most evangelicals are cool with contraception, but are against abortion. I don't know where this guy gets his information what evangelicals are.

[iloveangels]

Originally Posted by JoArtist

I don't think many people know the meaning of what evangelical means. I was raised in an evangelical church and it basically meant that we had a pretty literal translation of scripture. For instance a literal 6 day creation, that there was an actual Noah's Ark, ect. ect. Most evangelicals are cool with contraception, but are against abortion. I don't know where this guy gets his information what evangelicals are.

I'm a convert too. Catholics throw these terms around, not knowing what they mean to millions of people.

[Deus_lo_vult]

Originally Posted by michelleds

I am not claiming to be a reliable source, but I have read two of his books and exchanged an email with him. He does hold views that appear to be contrary to the Magisterium.

Ha! Way to go Michelle! You're very well placed. Who'd have thought someone here actually knew a bit about this specific priest's background?

[cornbread_r2]

As I understand it, Satan can't do anything without God's permission.

[divinefaith]

Originally Posted by JoArtist

I don't think many people know the meaning of what evangelical means. I was raised in an evangelical church and it basically meant that we had a pretty literal translation of scripture. For instance a literal 6 day creation, that there was an actual Noah's Ark, ect. ect. Most evangelicals are cool with contraception, but are against abortion. I don't know where this guy gets his information what evangelicals are.

I think op is speaking specifically about Evangelical Catholics rather than other Christian denominations who use the word Evangelical in their description.