Casting the First Stone; It is one thing to preach the teachings of the church, quite another to use the centerpiece of the faith as a tool to influence the ballot box.(Roman Catholic Church)

Publication: Newsweek

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Byline: Anna Quindlen

It was nearly 25 years ago that Robert Drinan, a member of Congress and an outspoken Jesuit (a redundancy if there ever was one), so enraged the Vatican with his defense of abortion rights that an order came down from Rome demanding priests withdraw from politics.

It appears that someone has had a change of heart.

Or at least that's how it seems now that certain segments of the Roman Catholic hierarchy are behaving like wholly owned subsidiaries of the Republican Party, hellbent on a course that will weaken the church's moral authority and eventually deplete its membership. And all because of abortion, the issue the celibate male leadership is least equipped to personally understand.

To paraphrase a Gospel passage, my Father's house...

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