Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois set down with 13 Illinois Catholic Bishops to discuss the governor’s support of abortion and Civil Unions, and challenged the governor to represent the Church’s Teaching on the homosexual person, and abortion. The Governor’s office has remained silent while Cardinal George later called it a “friendly” meeting.
While the public face of the meeting has Cardinal Francis George saying it was a nice meeting the end result showed clear divison. The attempt by the Catholic bishops of Illinois toake the Governor out to the wood shed for a dressing down clearly failed.
Cardinal George said he was talking to the governor, who is a member of our church, but it was a pastoral meeting,” George told ABC7 News, after the meeting at the Union League Club downtown Chicago. “We shared some concerns on both sides. It was a friendly and an open meeting. But it was pastoral, so it was on faith and conscience and the way in which the church engages in public life for the common good.” The Governor and his office have been silent on the meeting.
According to confidential sources of the Rainbow Sash Movement the meeting was full of tension. Cardinal George calmly told the Governor that it was his hope that the Governor would no longer speak out as a public Catholic unless he is in agreement with the Bishops on controversial issues. The Governor sat quietly and respectfully listened to Cardinal George, but then told the Cardinal that he was the Governor of all the people of Illinois, and that he will speak out for all the people of Illinois and not just the Catholic position.
Clearly the meeting showed that the Governor’s office was open to listening to the many voices that make up the citizenry of Illinois. Cardinal Francis George and the Bishops of Illinois could learn a great deal from Governor Quinn’s open door policy. The meeting decided nothing other than both sides agreed to disagree.
Frank Daily
Rainbow Sash Movement
Rainbow Sash Movement 