Caught in the act again - The Irish Catholic

Readers of my former blog will know that I like to keep an eye on The Irish Catholic, which occasionally uses the work of other publications without attribution.  Usually they use reliable sources or wikipedia.

A few weeks (6th December 2012) ago there was an article: "Catholic politicans should oppose abortion legislation - The Church’s stance on Catholic politicians and abortion is clear" by Cathal Barry.  He writes:

The Church teaches that Catholic politicians have a moral obligation to oppose legislating for abortion, even if it is not in keeping with their party’s political stance.

In 2002, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is now Pope Benedict XVI, wrote a ‘Doctrinal Note on Some Questions Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life’.

The note asserts that Catholic lawmakers have a “grave and clear obligation” to oppose legalised abortion and other attacks on the right to life. Indeed, here the Church said it was “impossible” for a Catholic to promote such laws.

According to the note, “a well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political programme or an individual law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals”.

So far so good - factual, informative.  Then the tone of the piece changes.  He continues:

The doctrinal note pointedly told Catholic lawmakers that they cannot put aside Church teaching when it comes to making decisions in their capacity as elected officials.

Rather, the document states, elected officials who are Catholic should advance Church teaching. Elected officials must toe the Church line on such issues as abortion, it says.

Let's now look at another article in a different publication, this time from Spring 2003 by Roxanne Evans and Sara Morello.  They write:

The doctrinal note pointedly told Catholic lawmakers that they cannot put aside church doctrine when it comes to making decisions in their capacity as elected officials.

Rather, the document asserted, elected officials who are Catholic should advance church teaching. The document said that elected officials must toe the church line on such issues as abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage. 

Startlingly similar/identical to the Irish Catholic article don't you think?  But there's worse.  Who published the first article?  Was it a reliable .theologian, a serious Catholic writer?  In fact it was "Conscience", the magazine of Catholics for Free Choice, the ghastly pro-abortion, anti-Catholic, heretical organisation led for 25 years by excommunicant, Frances Kissling.

Charming company for The Irish catholic to be keeping.