Buffalo Right to Life praises deacon:
The Buffalo Regional Right to Life Committee on Wednesday hailed a deacon who criticized Rep. Brian Higgins during Sunday Mass in St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.
Deacon Tom McDonnell’s rebuke of the Buffalo Democrat for voting for federal funding for embryonic stem cell research led Higgins to walk out of the church during his sermon.
"God bless the deacon a thousand times. He did his job. If every bishop, every clergy member of all faiths did their jobs, we wouldn’t have the shedding of innocent life in our country," said Stacey Vogel of the Buffalo Regional Right to Life Committee.
The anti-abortion group’s position was in stark contrast with the phone calls and e-mails at Higgins’ Buffalo and Washington offices, which were running in his favor by a nearly 4 to 1 ratio, according to a staff member.
Higgins said his relationship with St. Thomas Aquinas Church, where he was baptized and married, is "very deep, very meaningful and very long." He apologized earlier for the congregation’s having to be subjected to criticism of him during the morning Mass.
"The lesson here is that the Catholic Church has enough problems and should take greater care before allowing nonpriests to use the church as a forum to advance what clearly was a political agenda," Higgins said.
"I think the letters and e-mails speak for themselves and show the inconsistencies in what the church leaders have said," he added.
2006 Representative Higgins supported the interests of the Planned Parenthood 100 percent in 2006.
2006 In 2006 NARAL Pro-Choice America-Endorsements endorsed Representative Higgins.
2005-2006 Representative Higgins supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 10 percent in 2005-2006.
2005 Representative Higgins supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 100 percent in 2005.
2002 Based on voting records and a questionnaire in 2002, NARAL Pro-Choice New York considers the position of Representative Higgins to be anti-choice.
2000 Based on voting records and a questionnaire by NARAL Pro-Choice New York in 2000, Representative Higgins voted or expressed the organization’s preferred position 0 percent of the time.
1999-2002 On the votes that the New York State Right to Life Committee considered to be the most important in 1999-2002, Representative Higgins voted their preferred position 83 percent of the time.
1999-2001 On the votes that the New York State Right to Life Committee considered to be the most important in 1999-2001, Representative Higgins voted their preferred position 80 percent of the time.
Update: Commentor Kevin says he was present, and offers an account below.
My mother attended the mass on Sat, not Sunday, where Deacon McDonnell gave the same homily. What has not been mentioned is that (1)a good number of people clapped after the remarks were made and (2)Fr Smith, the pastor, stated that he supported the Deacon on this issue and also urged for Catholics to "be aware of a canidates record on certain issues before you vote for them." Unless my 79 year old mother is not telling the truth, this is what was said. On Sunday, the Deacon gave the same homily as he did the night before. He said on RESPECT LIFE SUNDAY…that elected officials should be made aware of our (Catholic)convictions concerning Pro-Life issues. Higgins is no longer a member of this parish..but he is a member of another Catholic church close by. To me, it appeared that the Deacon realized Higgins was in Mass while he was giving the homily. He stated that the Church has an open door policy and he would assume "our guess (do you mean "guest?") Congressman has one as well." It was then he suggested that we, Catholics and members of Higgins’ district, ask him to more closely vote in favor of his (Higgins) Catholic up bringing. Higgins and family then stood up and walked out.
If this is accurate, (and I would still like to hear from others, if that’s possible) I don’t have a problem with this at all.
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