At last it’s over. On December 12th, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the United States Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Florida Supreme Court. Stating the Florida court violated the “equal protection law,” as outlined in the Constitution, by allowing only ballots in predominately Democratic Counties to be recounted by hand and to make matters worse, these counties were not consistent in their counting. The standards were not set.

    One county, when it was realized that the recounting by hand would NOT produce enough votes for Gore by counting just the completely punched out chads, started to give Gore the votes, where the ballot chads had just an indentation in them. (dimple or "pregnant" chad). This was clearly over the bounds. There was no consistency in the manner of the recounts from county to county.

    It was a 7 to 2 vote on this, the equal protection argument. The order to stop the handcount that was ordered by the Florida court was 5 to 4. This is the part that boggles the mind. If seven justices thought the Florida court violated the equal protection law, then WHY did they not all want to stop the count if it was against the law?

    The reason was pure and simple -- politics -- they wanted Gore to win. Two Justices didn't even think that the equal protection law was violated. Now, that's carrying partisanship too far. If a doctor was as incompetent as that, he would be sued for malpractice or have his license taken from him.

    But, the main thing is -- it’s over. The prayers of millions of people were answered. As promised, God did not let us down. Satan tried every dirty trick in his arsenal to get Gore, a pro-abort, to be president Gore, had everything going for him. He had the best economy in the history of our country. Unemployment was at an all time low. Gore had the money-people of the Hollywood film industry behind him. He had NARAL and Planned Parenthood and all the other abortion mills, with all their millions behind him. He had the homosexual community on his side. How could he lose? But he did! Thank God he did!

    What do all these groups have in common? They all condone and proliferate evil. They are overwhelmingly pro choice/pro-aborts, or disseminate filth in the form of TV shows and movies. The homosexuals deny the Holy Bible, with their perverted and deadly lifestyle. People chose morality over good times. Abortions were getting out of hand.

    However, I am saddened that 50% of Catholics voted for Gore - the man who wanted to be president, promised that he would continue his fight to have unborn babies killed if that was the whim of the mother. He also promised to veto the ban on partial-birth murders, as Clinton did. After all, he had to pay back his biggest contributors.

    But the prayers of the faithful held the standard of righteousness and goodness high and God heard our prayers. I firmly believe a new standard will be established in the White House where morality and ethics will return. But we all have much work to do yet. I am further saddened by the fact that more Catholic women, percentage wise, have abortions than the Evangelicals.

    This election should NOT have been close. Had the 40 million Catholics of voting age in the United States honored the will of God and voted NOT to elect a person who condones and proliferates the killing of God's precious children, Bush would have won in a landslide.

    I am also saddened by the Catholic clergy in general. Their feeble attempts to get their parishioners to vote for pro-life candidates were disgusting. As a consequence, all those who voted for Gore, knowing that he is a pro-abort, will have some explaining to do, when they’re ready to meet their Maker. And the bishops and priests who failed to speak out strongly for the culture of life and guide their flocks accordingly will have even more explaining to do when the time comes.

    I know the excuse they made was that to speak out would be a violation of the separation of Church and State and the IRS forbids it. Remember the passage, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's? Well when it comes to taking an innocent life that has nothing to do with loyalty or obedience to Caesar but solely to God. The Latter is the One Who gave us the Ten Commandments. Right smack dab in the middle of these laws was "Thou Shalt Not Kill." So the priests and bishops' feeble excuses carry no weight. It's time they realize they blew it big time. They let the people they are responsible for down. They failed in their pastoral call.

    By their silence those priests and bishops, who didn't speak up, have become accomplices to the killing of unborn babies. By their failure to commit to the Sanctity of Life totally, they are, in fact, condoning abortions, and by their silent condoning, they ARE perpetuating this grievous SIN of no small proportion. They ignored and mocked God's commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Kill.”

    I was just watching the Chris Matthews TV show -- "Hardball" and I was startled when Matthews asked a question, "Do you think George W. Bush will appoint Christine Todd Whitman to his cabinet, because she is pro-choice and will upset people like the Reverend Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson?" Now, Matthews is a Catholic. WHY didn't he also say that it would upset the Catholic Bishops, especially since Whitman is not only a pro-abort, but even condones the late term partial-birth abortions? Does Matthews know something that we don't know? Why is the Catholic Church regarded by the Media as not being concerned that pro-aborts are elected to high offices as much as the Evangelicals? This perception of secular media hosts who are Catholic and the media in general, should be of great concern to the Catholic laity and all pro-lifers -- Catholic or not. Catholics are just not considered to be a threat to the pro-aborts. This disturbs me greatly and I do not believe that God takes it so lightly.

    Now, I know there were many priests and bishops, who voiced strong opposition to abortions and tried to get their flock to vote for pro-life candidates and God will reward them accordingly for their devotion to keeping His Will. I must say however, that for the most part, the attempt by the Catholic Church in the USA, was pitiful. In my parish, there was only one sermon, about two months before the election, on abortions.

    I talked to many priests about this feeble attempt, starting about three months before the election -- to get them to tell their parishioners to vote for pro-life candidates and not be afraid of losing their tax status. I even told them that Gore actually went to Black churches to get their vote. He said, “I want your vote.” Where is the separation of church and state here?

    If it was done in a Catholic Church, with Bush, you'd never hear the end of it. It would have made headlines. You know that Black preachers and churches are NOT going to lose their tax status. What about Hillary Clinton campaigning DURING a Mass in Syracuse, New York? Yes! And those dragged out by the police were faithful Catholics who stood strong against a pro-abort speaking in a Catholic Church, let alone being afforded such an invitation at the sacred liturgy of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. Did the IRS do anything about that?

    Let's face it, the whole Church and State argument carries no weight whatsoever. The reason is because it has been badly misinterpreted from the intent the founding fathers intended. They never meant for God not to be promoted, for religious people not to speak out, but that no one religion would be forced on the people. They were free to worship as they wished. It didn't say anything about the Infernal Revenue Service because it didn't exist back then. This monster came into being in the 20th Century and has merely served as the legitimate Gestapo of America in scaring everyone. If the first lady can speak in a church, then the opposite holds true - a Church can speak out about the first lady or candidates that share her anti-Catholic, anti-life views.

    Even, if the Catholic Church lost their tax status, which they would NOT, cannot the Catholic clergy practice what they preach? “For what does it profit a man if he gains the world, but suffers the loss of his soul.” How can they let 1.4 million children of God be killed every year, even while they're being born -- the gruesome and painful partial-birth abortion?

    In all, I phoned about 60 parishes and asked to talk to the pastor. One-third were lukewarm to my pro-life proposals. Most said they can't tell their parishioners how to vote. It was apparent, that many were afraid of losing their tax status or offending rich Democrats who contribute to their church.

    However, they did say that they tell their parishioners that the Catholic Church honors the sanctity of human life. I told them that message will not work, you must be more specific. Parishioner have to be told NOT to vote for a candidate who is pro-choice, which is the same as a pro-abort. Few were told that.

    I was only satisfied with one-third of the reactions I received from the clergy. These were truly men of God and weren't afraid to tell their flock to vote for pro-life candidates.

    One-third I felt, by the conversation, that I was boring them. Who am I to tell them how to preach. One hung up on me because he was eating and had no time. I mentioned it to one priest, who was very nice, and he admitted that there were pro-choice priests, but that most of them were teaching in Catholic universities. Apparently not.

    Sometimes it is so sad because I truly don't recognize my Catholic Church. It is becoming more liberal every day. Thank God for Father Frank Pavone and his dedicated priests who campaigned so enthusiastically and energetically to promote the Sanctity of Life through "Priests For Life" with their full page ads and constant hammering home that Catholics must vote for life. Though many Catholics didn't, consider the alternative if Fr. Frank had not given such an all-out effort for God and His innocent unborns. Many reports claim that Priests For Life did make a difference, that it solidified the loyal Catholic vote which, though it was overshadowed by the large lukewarm Catholic vote, still was enough to give Bush the nod.

    Yet my complaint is with the priests I personally talked to. I have come to the conclusion that true reform within the Church in returning to loyalty to all she teaches must come from the laity. That is the only cure. The laity to become more involved. Tell your pastor your views. If you feel that they should be talking more on the evils of abortions, then tell them. If you feel they should be talking more about the Commandments, then tell them. If you feel they should be emphasizing more about virtue than telling jokes, then don't be afraid to tell them.

    If they refuse to hear you, take it to the bishop. If he refuses to hear you, then let it be known far and wide of their refusal and let it be known if you are not getting solid Catholic Doctrine in your homilies and bulletins, that action must be taken. There's an old saying, "No Dogma, no dollars!" Sadly, this is sometimes the only way to get some bishops and many pastors to listen up. Hold back your stewardship tithing envelopes. Send it to a Church charity that will uphold all the Pope and God's Holy Church teach or place it in a special fund that accrues interest and let your pastor and your bishop know that you are witholding it until they get their act together. If enough of the laity do this believe you me they'll sit up and take notice. It's a shame it has to come to this but in getting the people to understand the horrors of abortion, especially partial-birth abortion, it has to be done.

    Most Catholics don't know the procedure of a partial-birth abortion. As a matter of fact, in a couple of instances, while I was waiting on the line for the priest, I asked the lady in the office if she knew what a PBA was -- the answer was no, on the two occasions that I asked. At times, I had the feeling that some of the priests, didn't know the exact procedure. How could they know? If they really knew, then how could they Not tell their parishioners to vote for George W. Bush? He has promised to sign the ban to outlaw this cruel and painful procedure, whereas Gore condones these atrocities and would have, had he become president, vetoed its ban, which was overwhelmingly passed in Congress.

    Now, wouldn't this be the normal reaction of a Godly priest -- not to be afraid -- even mention names and not hide behind euphemisms? Where have all the good priests gone?

    Because of the Catholic people, Al Gore was almost our president, and the killing of 5,000 unborn babies every year, while they're being born would have continued. This is unacceptable for a Church, which claims that it is the only true Church and their roots can be traced back to its Founder -- Jesus Christ.

    Evangelicals ministers are doing a better job than priests, if you go by the voting records, when it pertains to abortions.

    Priests MUST start preaching the truth. To be pro-choice is to condone the killing of unborn babies. To condone a sin of this magnitude -- the taking of a human life -- your chances to get to Heaven fast become slim to zero.

    God sent His only Son, to suffer excruciating pain and die on the cross for our sins and yet we have priests who are afraid of their own shadow. What kind of standards are those?

For past columns by Dr. Frank, see PRO-LIFE PRESCRIPTIONS Archives