No Christmas Church Services for the Obamas
President Obama and his family are off to Hawaii for a Christmas, um, Holiday vacation.
News reports say they did not go to church for Christmas. Time, for example, reported, "But there's one common Christmas practice not on the First Family's schedule: a visit to Christmas Eve church services."
Now, President Obama is a Protestant, so Christmas is not a holy day of obligation as it is for Catholics. Indeed, there are many Catholics who don't go to church on Christmas (missing Mass without having a good reason, by the way, is a sin, possibly mortal, if one understands the rules!).
No sin on the Obamas' part here. It's just sad that a man who in the past claimed to be a devout Christian couldn't get to church on this holy day.
Of course, President Reagan was not a big church goer at Christmas time either. Nor is regular church-going a guarantee that a President's actions will be wise or moral.
Now maybe there were concerns about security, or causing a crowd. I can understand that. And maybe President Obama went for a walk on the beach to have to quiet prayer times. If so, good.
But given their non-attendance of church in general, I suspect getting to church at Christmas was not a high priority.
Maybe next year. Another year of serving in one of the the most difficult and stressful jobs in the world just might make him seek strength and comfort from faith.
I sent him a Christmas card, as is my policy.
No "Happy Holidays" from me: Merry Christmas, Mr. Obama.
News reports say they did not go to church for Christmas. Time, for example, reported, "But there's one common Christmas practice not on the First Family's schedule: a visit to Christmas Eve church services."
Now, President Obama is a Protestant, so Christmas is not a holy day of obligation as it is for Catholics. Indeed, there are many Catholics who don't go to church on Christmas (missing Mass without having a good reason, by the way, is a sin, possibly mortal, if one understands the rules!).
No sin on the Obamas' part here. It's just sad that a man who in the past claimed to be a devout Christian couldn't get to church on this holy day.
Of course, President Reagan was not a big church goer at Christmas time either. Nor is regular church-going a guarantee that a President's actions will be wise or moral.
Now maybe there were concerns about security, or causing a crowd. I can understand that. And maybe President Obama went for a walk on the beach to have to quiet prayer times. If so, good.
But given their non-attendance of church in general, I suspect getting to church at Christmas was not a high priority.
Maybe next year. Another year of serving in one of the the most difficult and stressful jobs in the world just might make him seek strength and comfort from faith.
I sent him a Christmas card, as is my policy.
No "Happy Holidays" from me: Merry Christmas, Mr. Obama.
posted by A Secular Franciscan | 7:28 AM
2 Comments:
Rick said: "Where there's a will, there's a way.
If Obama cannot go to the mountain, then bring the mountain to Obama. (I edited this sentence)
Wasn't there a chapel in the White House during JFK's term? When JFK visited a Catholic country, he was shocked to not find a chapel in the presidential palace."
Rick - I know when I travel, I always seek out a church. It's a priority with me.
And yes, there are a number of Presidents who have attended church in the White House or Camp David chapels (reportedly, Obama does go to the Camp David chapel sometimes when he is there.)
I would not hold up JFK as an example, though!
Ah, but he did find time to go to out to the movies in Kaneohe, Hawaii, on December 31.
Wonder what he saw?
Post a Comment
<< Home