According to Joe Feuerherd, of National Catholic Reporter, "Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had more to do with electing George W. Bush to a second term than any number of party activists and operatives who worked full-time on the task." Why? Since the Cardinal affirmed the teaching of the Church instructing Bishops not to give communion to any person in obstinate persistence of manifest grave sin, this gave American Catholics little choice but vote for Bush and not the obstinate Kerry.
Of course Feuerherd fails to recognize that even in American politics there are many more choices than the binomial option offered by the state. He also fails to recognize that Ratzinger and the Bishops could do very little in disciplining George Bush on any of his views, precisely because he is not a Catholic.
Catholics could have wrote in another candidate, or exercised their right not to vote. Not voting is a supreme choice for Catholics wanting to stay in line with Church teachings against the culture of death.
Thankfully we can all rest easy knowing that Pope Benedict XVI had about as much influence on a Bush reelection, as Dubya had on a Cardinal Ratzinger elevation.
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