Last Sunday, we were horrified to hear Paisley-based priest, American, Fr David Cotter – in an interview on Radio Scotland’s ‘Sally on Sunday’ extol the vices of Barack Obama and boast that he’d helped him gain victory by postal vote. When questioned about Obama’s support for “gay rights” and unrestricted abortion, Fr Cotter did the radio-equivalent of shrugging his shoulders and belittled those American bishops who had spoken out to warn Catholics not to vote for the barbarian Obama. He even named Archbishop Chaput and seemed genuinely at a loss as to why any Catholic bishop would not support Obama.
Throughout the interview, Fr Cotter spoke about the “so-called life issues” dismissing abortion (i.e. the murder of the entirely innocent baby in the womb) while getting hot under the collar he probably wasn’t wearing, about the Iraq war and Guantanamo Bay. In addition, Fr Cotter mocked the beautiful rendering of ‘Ave Maria’ played to give readers a rest from his smooth turning over of Catholic teaching on conscience. In all, a totally disgraceful performance, but -as far as we know - no action has been taken against Fr Cotter – not even a raised eyebrow.
Compare the case of Fr Cotter with that of Fr Jay Scott Newman in America – read this
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20081113/NEWS01/811130314&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
We posted the above article on our newsflash at the Catholic Truth website and alongside it we put another link to a letter to his parishioners written by Fr Newman, who was surprised at the news reports and wanted to explain that he was merely upholding the teaching of the Church.
Now when you click on that link, you find that Fr Newman’s letter to his parishioners has been removed and replaced with a link that takes you through ultimately to a disgraceful statement on the Diocesan website.
Something of a Perry Mason mystery here, then. Is Fr Newman is being pilloried and persecuted by the diocesan “authorities” for his attempts to faithfully pass on Catholic teaching on conscience and abortion to his congregation in the context of the American election and the deification of the candidate, now President-elect (thanks to the Catholic vote) Obama? Or has the letter been removed to frame and hang in the Bishop’s Palace with Fr Newman tipped for “promotion” without delay? You pays your money and you takes your bet, as our friends say south of the border. I know where my bet goes.
Read the Diocesan statement here (or view the video) – click on the link below…
http://www.catholic-doc.org/
Catholic Truth is the first non-American organisation to be awarded membership of the Catholic Media Coalition. Our President, Mary Ann Kreitzer has posted Father Newman’s original letter (now removed from his parish website) with various links and commentary on her blog so click on the next link to read more http://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/
As you will see, there are contact details given, so please email Fr Newman to promise your support and prayers. But don’t follow my bad example by emailing the Chancellor with a few stiff words – or maybe, on second thoughts, do…
Thing is, both of these priests can’t be in the right. They’re acting in total opposition to each other. But - which priest do you think ought to be disciplined?
Tell us what you think – should Fr Newman be disciplined for upholding the Church’s moral teaching while Fr Cotter is supported for failing to do so? We look forward to hearing your thoughts…
Update – 18/11/08
Today, I was proved wrong. Contrary to my comment in yesterday’s update, Bishop Tartaglia had not stopped answering my emails. And we must, at least, give him credit for this good grace – unlike some of his brother bishops, Bishop Tartaglia does reply to our communications. In his email today, he writes:
“I know you will write what you want to write about Father David Cotter’s radio interview. I have attached a few thoughts of mine on the matter. I rather hoped you would moderate your attack on him in the light of these observations.”
Now, listen. There ain’t been no “attack” on Father Cotter, here at Catholic Truth. There is no shortage of gloves-off commentary on his radio performance, that’s true, but we provided a link to the show so that readers could hear him for themselves. I’ve not had a single email nor are there any comments on the two threads about Fr Cotter arguing a different interpretation from mine, of his words and actions.
I know that calling him “Cowboy Cotter”, not to mention poor Sally Magnusson “Syruppy Sally” is not very nice. But it is about the only perk there is in this job, that I get to use a wee bit of poetic licence now and again. There’s no money in it and the hours are terrible. Truth is, I like Sally Magnusson. She IS nice (and not really “syrupy” – sweet, not syrupy) And I’ll say this for her: in all the years I’ve heard her on radio and TV, when she has frequently mentioned her Protestant faith, I’ve not once heard her mock any aspect of it. Not once. She is a loyal Protestant – ‘Father’ Cotter take note. So, I’ve been a bit naughty with the poetic licence, I’ll give you that, but we have to have a laugh, don’t we?
In any event, rather than go over the whole story again, I believe that – in order that justice be served - the fair thing for me to do now is to publish Bishop Tartaglia’s commentary and allow readers to re-assess the whole situation in the light of his remarks. If you think my interpretation has been flawed, please say so. You’d be wrong, but my up-market team of regular bloggers will soon demonstrate that, so see if I care. Be upstanding now, please, for Bishop Tartaglia…
Bishop Tartaglia’s comments on Fr Cotter’s radio interview
Dear (Editor)
With regards to your various emails on the subject of Father David Cotter’s radio interview last Sunday morning on Sally Magnusson’s programme, “Sally on Sunday”, I hope you will bear in the mind the following in whatever you choose to write in Catholic Truth:
1) Father Cotter’s interview was rather brief and could not be said to be an in-depth analysis of the matters which were touched upon rather superficially. It is most unwise and unfair to demonise Father Cotter on the basis of that radio programme.
2) Father Cotter said nothing at all about Our Lady or about the Hail Mary. He merely suggested that the recording of Schubert’s Ave Maria which was played to him was not to his taste.
3) Father Cotter revealed that he voted for Barak Obama in the presidential election. He tried to explain that a vote for Obama was not necessarily a vote for his policies in favour of abortion and gay rights. It is possible to discuss further what Father Cotter said, but it is premature and therefore unjust to infer the worst from what he said or did not say.
4) It is reported that a goodly minority of American bishops advised Catholics in their diocese that abortion is not just one subject among others, but is a defining subject for the Catholic conscience. This is advice with which I totally concur. But, unless I am mistaken, no Catholic bishop said that American Catholics must not vote for Obama. They recognised that the choice had to come from within, not from positive law. And the United States Bishops’ Conference, which is very worried about Obama’s pro-abortion policies, did not have a declared position on which candidate Catholics should vote for.
5) I am unwilling to bow to pressure to reveal what transpired between me and Father Cotter about his radio interview. Bishop Philip Tartaglia
Ed: I’ve emailed to thank Bishop Tartaglia for this response and to remind him that I did not expect him to spell out what transpired between him and Father Cotter; I merely asked for his reassurance that he would address the issues with Fr Cotter and it would appear that he has, indeed, done so – I’m sensing that the above comments are Fr Cotter’s self-defence. I could be wrong. Tell us what you think.
Update – 17/11/08
Prior to posting this thread, I had an exchange of emails with Bishop Tartaglia who disagrees with my assessment of Father Cotter. Clearly, however, the Bishop knows perfectly well that openly supporting a politician as viciously devoted to the culture of death as Barack Obama is not quite the thing for any priest to do, and I suspect that he also realises that a priest who can mock the Hail Mary is not the kind of priest to whom you want to be seen giving your unqualified support, so he’s allowed himself this minimal qualification about Fr Cotter’s radio interview:
There are many points for debate and discussion which arise from what Father Cotter said. But it seems premature and hasty to conclude that Father Cotter has dissented ‘tout court’ from Catholic teaching. (Bishop Tartaglia, email, 13/11/08)
“Premature and hasty?” I don’t think so. Let’s take what Fr Cotter said about conscience. To clarify Fr Cotter’s remarks, the Bishop must answer the following question…
May Catholics vote for a political candidate who not only supports abortion legislation but wants to extend it up to birth? (Remember, John McCain, alternative candidate, is pro-life).
Bishop Tartaglia has stopped answering my emails, so there’s no point in me writing to ask him if Father Cotter has correctly described the teaching of the Church on conscience (even tongue in cheek).
But, why don’t you ask him that key question? Email bishopphilip@paisleydiocese.org.uk
