Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
For the record: I’m not a Michele Bachmann voter. Wasn’t likely to ever become one, either. So the “revelation” of her former church’s anti-Catholicism was met here with an attitude of resigned disgust. No surprise, nothing to like—but not changing my opinion much, either.
Still, as Joe Escalante notes, the story is likely to cause a bit of a stir—and you’ll find the papacy suddenly having some unusual defenders. The point of the double-standard on anti-Catholicism is made well by my former boss, Seth Lipsky, in this New York Sun editorial, in which he points out that some of those who are starting to grumble about Bachmann’s church are the same who stayed (and continue to stay) silent as Catholics got (and get) smeared as bigots during debates on gay marriage and abortion.
Yet an even more clarifying episode may be one of the more extreme cases of anti-Catholicism you will find today: the persecution of the Church in communist China.
The latest news, from the New York Times:
ROME — A Chinese bishop ordained without papal approval was excommunicated for accepting his new post, the Vatican announced Saturday.
The clergyman, the Rev. Joseph Huang Bingzhang, was ordained as bishop of the Diocese of Shantou on Thursday by China’s state-run Catholic Church. He is the third bishop to be appointed without papal approval in recent months, putting a new strain on already difficult relations between Bejing and the Vatican.
In a statement, the Vatican said that Father Huang was ordained “illicitly,” and that he had been asked repeatedly not to accept his new position because the district already had a bishop.
“He lacks authority to govern the Catholic community of the diocese,” the statement said. “The Rev. Huang Bingzhang had been informed some time ago that he could not be approved by the Holy See as an episcopal candidate.”
The Vatican also asserted in the statement that some bishops were forced to attend Father Huang’s unsanctioned ordination by Chinese civil authorities even after expressing their unwillingness to do so. The Vatican called their resistance “meritorious before God.”
...
At a news conference in Hong Kong on Thursday, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, a papal adviser, urged Vatican officials to take a hard line against the recent ordinations.
“At this moment,” said Cardinal Zen, according to news reports in Hong Kong, “it’s war.”
And the Vatican statement is here. (Bravo to Pope Benedict for not tolerating the recent malfeasance.)
In addition to being grotesque on its face, this episode is a useful exercise in perspective. The Chinese communists are brutal, sinister, and savvy in their repression of Christians (Catholics included). Many believers have become martyrs for their faith; others—including bishops—have endured torture, arrests, harassment, “disappearances,” etc. for refusing to go along with the state-run shadow version of a “Catholic church.” And recent developments suggest that the situation will continue to get worse before it gets better. (Whether it can get better as long as the current regime retains power in Beijing is a separate debate; personally, I think not.)
Nevertheless, one suspects this situation will not get as much attention in the American media in coming weeks as the Bachmann flap.
Consequently, one also suspects that there will not be similar grilling of another GOP candidate: former ambassador to China Jon Huntsman.
If Bachmann is forced to issue comments on her former pastor—as she should be—shouldn't Huntsman be forced to comment on the atrocious behavior of the ChiComs? A very cursory review of the press statements and speeches from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing while he was posted there reveal no direct responses from Huntsman himself to some of the more egregious abuses of religious freedom—including those against Catholics—that took place while he was ambassador.
I’m happy to be proved wrong on this—hopeful that I will be, in fact. But in any event, someone should do some digging and hold the former ambassador to account. After all, if Bachmann is going to endure some negative press for sitting by quietly as her church’s website called the pope the antichrist, Huntsman should definitely answer for his actions and statements (or lack thereof) while truly evil people did much worse to the Church and its believers while he was representing America—including her values of religious freedom and tolerance—to the world’s most populous nation, and one of its most oppressed.
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Jan '11
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
I agree entirely.
Dealing with the Chinese is like dealing with a hostage-taker. What they do is outrageous, but for the sake of the hostages, we're forced to treat their behavior with caution. The Chinese then count on others to wear down and grow morally fatigued, and to cross the fine line between caution and acquiescence.
Those who think this is confined to Catholics are fooling themselves. This is how the Chinese government behaves. It's pure gang behavior, like loan sharks or a mafia bust-out. They work hard to get their clutches onto a mark, and then wring every last penny from them.
Maybe some people hope that the Chinese will succeed in capitalism, and that will drag them into western values like tolerance and freedom. To the contrary, I say the virtues and the discipline that makes capitalism work have to be developing already. And if we see evidence that the Chinese are repressive, then maybe that alone is evidence that the Chinese won't embrace real capitalism either.
Edited on Jul 16, 2011 at 10:06amApr '11
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
As ambassador, under ANY president, I expect Huntsman NEVER to speak on his own behalf. Obama won't defend Christians or Catholics unless they are working against papal authority. Huntsman's error wasn't in failing to speak -- the error was taking the job in the first place.
Let's not forget that professing the Christian faith is an act of inclusion and therefore also an act of exclusion. I believe as all Christians do that Revelation is complete in Jesus Christ. I am a heretic to Muslims and they are heretics to me. I believe in the Sacraments and that the Roman Church preserves the apostolic succession, thus I am a heretic to Protestants and they are heretics to me.
Religious freedom isn't refraining from calling heretics heretics -- though I do usually restrain my speech by choice. It's living alongside the heretics peacefully. I'm pretty sure Pope-hating Lutherans and Mormons still make reasonable neighbors, co-workers, and fellow citizens for us papists.
In a nation where there is no established religion except possibly hedonism (another innocuous heresy), religion shouldn't be an issue unless the religion in question demands servitude, exile, or extinction of heretics.
Jun '10
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
Way too pessimistic, KC. The beauty of capitalism is that it is a manifold series of forces pulling and pushing is contradictory directions. Ultimately it will deliver freedom, if for no other reason than capitalism/markets cannot be directed. Granted people do not die for capitalism, but they do die for religion and freedom. The mix is what will create the instability. The Chi-coms are riding a tiger, and we all know what eventually happens to idiots that choose that mode of transport. I give the jerks in Beijing a generation tops if they are lucky.
Jan '11
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
My pessimism isn't that capitalism isn't powerful; my pessimism is that the Chinese aren't really embracing capitalism.
Jun '10
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
Completely agree. I'm no Huntsman fan, but suggesting he is anti-Catholic takes it too far. An ambassador is the administration's spokesman and it's the administration that must take responsibility for any anti-Catholicism. Why Huntsman took the job is the mystery.
Sep '10
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
Paging Jeremiah Wright: please pick up the courtesy phone at O'Hare.
Sep '10
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
Irony meter on red alert as we note that a columnist for the Boston Globe has sounded the alarm on anti Catholicism
Aug '10
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
My own sympathies are entirely with the Vatican and the archbishop of Hong Kong. However as an American citizen I think it would violate the first amendment for my government to play a role in the disputes between the legitimate Catholic church and a state-sponsored schismatic national church.
As such, I don't think it would be appropriate for Hunstman to intervene in China's investiture crisis so long as he is part of our diplomatic mission. It is appropriate for him to speak ex officio on behalf of religious freedom for the legitimate Catholic church, but that's not what we're talking about. Rather the demand seems to be that he denounce the attempts of the CCP to create a collaborationist church. As far as Chinese policy goes suppression of the legitimate church and sponsorship of the collaborationist church go together, but as far as an American response goes we should distinguish between the aspects that relate to free exercise and those that relate to establishment.
Edited on Jul 16, 2011 at 2:07pmMay '10
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
Cas is a lot closer to reality than KC is. It is way past time for the Right to stop treating the Chinese government as Communists and instead handle them as autocratic thugs who will do anything to retain their corrupt organization's power. They care not a whit about religion one way or the other- what they care about is groups of people meeting with an agenda that suggests allegiance to a power that is not under their control.
That's why the Chinese openly host the world's largest printer of Bibles, and anyone who wants to can go into a store in any town and buy them- but an organized religious entity that is not directly subservient to the government is not acceptable. This is not about religion, it is about maintaining power.
And you know what? The reason that the place has opened up as much as it has- a miracle already- is because of markets. There is always an increasingly open exchange of ideas that, like water finding the opening to ooze out, cannot be choked completely- the attempt breeds pressure to blow.
Walter Russell Mead's discussion is mostly (not all) correct., I believe.
Nov '10
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
If Huntsman is a serious candidate, he could, FWIW, craft a response, along the lines of: I was part of a diplomatic mission then, but now . . .
I've encountered 2 CPA officials: the kind of people that give sleazebags a bad name. Either they're in clover (the Party taking notice of our efforts!) or scared stiff (we can't afford to screw up with all this scrutiny!). It must be tough; I hope they get ulcers.
My understanding is that the Party goes into panic mode whenever there is a popular revolt in the world: they fear domestic resonance. I hear they even banned the word "jasmine" from use on websites. And they have long memories of the role the Church played in the fall of Soviet communism. I hope they get ulcers, too.
Apr '11
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
Louie Rhett:
I'm pretty sure Pope-hating Lutherans and Mormons still make reasonable neighbors, co-workers, and fellow citizens for us papists.
As a Mormon who of necessity does not accept the Pope's claim as Peter's successor, I also do not "hate" the Pope, either.
I have no doubt that Karol Wojtyła was a righteous man who was a willing instrument in God's hands and that God put him in the papacy because he knew John Paul II would be able to do much good from the Vatican.
To the extent that any pope, pastor, imam, priest, monk, or rabbi is desirous to serve God and foment God's righteousness, He will use that person as a leavening agent in the world.
That's the LDS Church's position with regard to other religions, BTW, so it's silly to think that Huntsman is anti-Catholic because he didn't speak out against the Chinese persecution of Catholics.
More likely he's just an empty suit who lacks moral courage, just like most other politicians.
Oct '10
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
Have these people really not heard of the reformation? Or do they just know nothing about it? I guess they use Sunni and Shiite with the same lack of understanding. Religion really is a closed book to them. And the knowledge they are a shrinking minority.
Jan '11
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
I'm still pessimistic about it, but I hope you're right.
Apr '11
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
Louie Rhett:
I'm pretty sure Pope-hating Lutherans and Mormons still make reasonable neighbors, co-workers, and fellow citizens for us papists.
As a Mormon who of necessity does not accept the Pope's claim as Peter's successor, I also do not "hate" the Pope, either.
The Pope-hating part goes with the Lutherans as a reference to the accusations/insults/epithets/whatever-you-want-to-call-it aimed at Bachmann.
Just to clarify :-)
Mar '11
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
Why not? Just curious.
Jul '10
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
Somebody needs to pull Rev. Wright from under the bus and dress him up for the cameras again to set us all straight on what Obama does and does not believe with regard to matters theological.
Those were good times!
Edited on Jul 16, 2011 at 1:33pmMar '11
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
That would be great!
My guess is that Mr Obama's theology is Marxism.
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
Meghan Clyne:
If Bachmann is forced to issue comments on her former pastor—as she should be—
Two things -- it's not her former pastor who holds these views so much as the entire confessional Lutheran church, of which I'm a part.
These views weren't features of her pastor's sermon so much as the Smalcald Articles, one of our confessional statements.
I'm happy to have a discussion on the Reformation, the abuses of Pope Leo X, the selling of indulgences, the Trent canons that condemned Lutheran believers, etc., but unless you want Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum to explain why those who believe in justification by faith in Christ alone are condemned, I think it's silly to suggest that Bachmann needs to address these Reformation documents.
Aug '10
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
Two things -- it's not her former pastor who holds these views so much as the entire confessional Lutheran church, of which I'm a part.
I'm looking forward to some future "scandal" challenging a candidate to distance himself from the Nicene creed or the V'ahavta.
Aug '10
Re: Huntsman the anti-Catholic?
Whoa... You mean you don't follow the "Syphilitic Camel Rule"? Pray tell, why not?