Mayor of Philadelphia accused of ‘personal war’ against the Catholic Church

Catholic League president Bill Donohue says the mayor is 'misusing his public office'

Jul 11, 2016

PHILADELPHIA : The head of the American Catholic League has accused the mayor of Philadelphia of “misusing his public office” to criticise the Catholic Church.

Following a set of pastoral guidelines issued by Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia stating that divorced and remarried Catholics must abstain from sex, Mayor Jim Kenney tweeted: “Jesus gave us gift of Holy Communion because he so loved us. All of us. Chaput’s actions are not Christian.”

But Donohue told Philly.com that this was an abuse of office. He said: “Kenney disagrees. Fine. But it is an abuse of his office to use his platform as mayor to publicly intrude on what is clearly an internal Church matter.

“The mayor is demonstrably un-American in misusing his public office to conduct his personal war on the Catholic Church,” Donohue said, urging supporters to email the mayor.

Archbishop Chaput’s comments have received widespread coverage across the world.

“Undertaking to live as brother and sister is necessary for the divorced and civilly remarried to receive reconciliation in the Sacrament of Penance, which could then open the way to the Eucharist,” his new guidelines read.

Archbishop Chaput says the new instructions stem from the teachings of the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, which was issued by Pope Francis in April.--Catholic Herald