Matching Words and Actions

Yesterday Americans United has issued a press release criticizing the Senate Judiciary Committee for approving the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. Americans United, the Baptist Joint Committee and other groups are concerned about what Alito's nomination will do to the constitutional principle of separation of church and state.

Today, remarkably coincident with the debate in the U.S. Senate over whether to affirm a fifth Roman Catholic to this country's Supreme Court, the Pope issued an encyclical denouncing theocracy.

Jonathan Hutson and others at Talk to Action are encouraged by the Pope's encyclical.

Knowing the way this pope treated Hans Kung and other progressive voices within the Roman Catholic Church before he became Pope, I'm a bit more skeptical. I think I'll reserve judgment until we've had more time to see if this Pope's actions match his words.

One mark in his favor is that he has met with Kung since becoming pope.

Technorati Tags Religion, Politics, church and state, Samuel Alito, Supreme Court, Americans United, Pope, Papal Encyclical