Come November 3, the U.S. Catholic Church is going to be needing some serious soul searching. If Bush wins, I fail to see how the same Bishops who have said Kerry and Democrats have made a deal with the deal or that a vote for Kerry is a sin, can hope to ever reintegrate the part of the flock that steadfastly supported Kerry. On the other hand, with a Kerry win, . . . I can't imagine what that would mean. I don't think the Catholic Right would quiet down (liberals tend to leave the Church quietly, which is what may happen in a Bush win)I think the Right would be more vociferous.

I don't suppose anyone knows what all this means for the US Catholic Church, but the trend is negative. The Bishops have succeeded in alienating liberals and many are leaving the Church because of what's presently happening. On the other hand, many are remaining firm in either supportive parishes or dioceses. We may be headed for spiritual civil war.

A Bush win would be a clear victory for the anti-abortion crowd and we would definitely hear about on this website.

Given the ferocity of the present division, I just don't see how reconciliation is possible. If the Bishops were wise, they would start now in preparing either group for the possibility of loss (no one believes they will lose) because it would be much harder to pick up pieces if everything is left unchecked.

All things work together for good, so in a sense we have to believe that God can bring good out of this, but this may be our faith generation's Red Sea moment. Given the level of vitriol, where does the Church go from here?

That said, I'd rather consider that question on the couch on Nov 3 watching President Kerry receive his congratulations, knowing that we've said yes to healthcare, peace, life, education, civil rights, human dignity, truth, and progress.