St. James the Apostle Gives Obama a Place of Honor

St. James the Apostle Catholic Church celebrated Black History this past February by having various displays in lobby depicting black individuals of note who have accomplished admirable things.

There is a poster of Martin Luther King, Jr. (the only Christian displayed prominently) as well as other people of importance, such as Maya Angelou, Denzil Washington, Sidney Poitier, Mohammed Ali (a Muslim), Malcolm X (another Muslim), Colin Powell, and Kweisi Mfume.

But the person of the most importance in the display is our firmly pro-abortion President, Barrack Obama. There are no less than five pictures and/or book covers of Obama in the church's lobby, including a large Obama sign prominently displayed just in front of the main entrance (pictured above).  Obama is indisputably pro-abortion, a stance that is in direct contradiction to the core moral teachings of our faith.

Obama has accomplished a lot, there is no question of that. His ambition, intelligence, and polished speaking abilities are certainly to be admired. But what overshadows and negates all of that is his support of the intrinsically moral evil of abortion. One cannot place him in a place of honor and pride and ignore his contribution to the culture of death, as if it were a minor side issue.

If a Catholic community was going to celebrate their ethnic heritage, why not do it in a way that is in keeping with their faith? And this begs the question, why not make the most prominent people in the displays black Catholics? There are many to choose from. What about any of the black Popes in our Church's history? How about a huge sign about St. Martin de Porres? Instead, the saint is relegated to a tiny figurine on a table full of other small religious and secular figurines.

The place of honor that was given to President Obama sends mixed signals. If the Church approves of putting him on this pedestal as someone to look up to, then the message is that abortion is not a big deal and isn't so bad. This is one more example of allowing confusing messages to be given to the Catholic faithful. Our faith is already being buffeted from all sides in Las Vegas. Our churches should be sanctuaries of clarity for all Catholics, they should not contribute to the confusion.

Here are a few more pictures from the display:

Call to Prayer:

Lord, we pray for all parishioners of St. James the Apostle, so that they may see the truth in the teachings of your Holy Church and not be led astray by political interests. Assist and strengthen Fr. Henry Salditos as he manages the parish, and help him to resist pressures to glorify the individuals who so openly support the evil of abortion. Let the eyes of the faithful be opened to the truth and horror of abortion so that they may always be conscious of this tragedy when voting for political candidates. Help us to turn to your Holy Saints for guidance and inspiration. Through the intercession of St. Martin de Porres and Pope St. Militiades, we pray to the Lord. Amen.