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A Path for Catholics to Dump the Democratic Party
He’s not warm and fuzzy. He’s closed or combined enough Philadelphia churches and parochial schools (in order to pay church debts) to earn resentment from some of the local faithful. And I suspect he’s no favorite of Pope Francis, since he was rather glaringly overlooked by the Pope in the latest round of elevations to Cardinal. But Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia has laid out a path for Catholics to turn away from the Democratic Party. Can we all agree that would be a good thing?
About those unthinking, backward Catholics
By Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. • Posted October 13, 2016
Back in 2008, in the weeks leading up to the Obama-McCain presidential election, two young men visited me in Denver. They were from Catholics United, a group describing itself as committed to social justice issues. They voiced great concern at the manipulative skill of Catholic agents for the Republican Party. And they hoped my brother bishops and I would resist identifying the Church with single-issue and partisan (read: abortion) politics.
It was an interesting experience. Both men were obvious flacks for the Obama campaign and the Democratic Party — creatures of a political machine, not men of the Church; less concerned with Catholic teaching than with its influence. And presumably (for them) bishops were dumb enough to be used as tools, or at least prevented from helping the other side.
Yet these two young men not only equaled but surpassed their Republican cousins in the talents of servile partisan hustling.Thanks to their work, and activists like them, American Catholics helped to elect an administration that has been the most stubbornly unfriendly to religious believers, institutions, concerns and liberty in generations.
I never saw either young man again. The cultural damage done by the current White House has — apparently — made courting America’s bishops unnecessary.
But bad can always get worse. I’m thinking, of course, of the contemptuously anti-Catholic emails exchanged among members of the Clinton Democratic presidential campaign team and released this week by WikiLeaks. A sample: Sandy Newman,president of Voices for Progress, emailed John Podesta, now the head of Hillary Clinton’s campaign, to ask about whether “the bishops opposing contraceptive coverage” could be the tinder for a revolution. “There needs to be a Catholic Spring, in which Catholics themselves demand the end of a middle ages [sic] dictatorship,” Newman writes.
Of course, Newman added, “this idea may just reveal my total lack of understanding of the Catholic church, the economic power it can bring to bear against nuns and priests who count on it for their maintenance.” Still, he wondered, how would one “plant the seeds of a revolution”? John Podesta replied that “We created Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good to organize for a moment like this . . . likewise Catholics United” (emphasis added).
Another Clinton-related email, from John Halpin of the Center for American Progress, mocks Catholics in the so-called conservative movement, especially converts: “They must be attracted to the systematic thought and severely backwards gender relations and must be totally unaware of Christian democracy.” In a follow-up, he adds “They can throw around ‘Thomistic’ thought and ‘subsidiarity’ and sound sophisticated because no one knows what . . . they’re talking about.”
On the evening these WikiLeaks emails were released, I received the following angry email myself, this one from a nationally respected (non-Catholic) attorney experienced in Church-state affairs:
“I was deeply offended by the [Clinton team] emails, which are some of the worst bigotry by a political machine I have seen. [A] Church has an absolute right to protect itself when under attack as a faith and Church by civil political forces. That certainly applies here …
“Over the last eight years there has been strong evidence that the current administration, with which these people share values, has been very hostile to religious organizations. Now there is clear proof that this approach is deliberate and will accelerate if these actors have any continuing, let alone louder, say in government.
“These bigots are actively strategizing how to shape Catholicism not to be Catholic or consistent with Jesus’ teachings, but to be the ‘religion’ they want. They are, at the very core, trying to turn religion to their secular view of right and wrong consistent with their politics. This is fundamentally why the Founders left England and demanded that government not have any voice in religion. Look where we are now. We have political actors trying to orchestrate a coup to destroy Catholic values, and they even analogize their takeover to a coup in the Middle East, which amplifies their bigotry and hatred of the Church. I had hoped I would never see this day — a day like so many dark days in Eastern Europe that led to the death of my [Protestant minister] great grandfather at the hands of communists who also hated and wanted to destroy religion.”
Of course it would be wonderful for the Clinton campaign to repudiate the content of these ugly WikiLeaks emails. All of us backward-thinking Catholics who actually believe what Scripture and the Church teach would be so very grateful.
In the meantime, a friend describes the choice facing voters in November this way: A vulgar, boorish lout and disrespecter of women, with a serious impulse control problem; or a scheming, robotic liar with a lifelong appetite for power and an entourage riddled with anti-Catholic bigots.
In a nation where “choice” is now the unofficial state religion, the menu for dinner is remarkably small.
He even put this on Facebook, God bless him. He obviously does not see Trump in any way as a savior of the country, but he sees clearly what the Democratic party leaders are.
Catholic Bishops around the country, and other religious leaders, should follow this lead.
Published in General
“In the meantime, a friend describes the choice facing voters in November this way: A vulgar, boorish lout and disrespecter of women, with a serious impulse control problem; or a scheming, robotic liar with a lifelong appetite for power and an entourage riddled with anti-Catholic bigots”.
I’ll take the vulgar, boorish lout for $1,000 Alex.
Thank you Archbishop Chaput for making this “choice” so clear for American Catholics.
This is so important and as tough as it is to vote for Trump, the bigger picture behind the other side is much more destructive to American values, as well as throughout the world. The vengeance coming out in the election season is not surprising, given the deep entrenchment of “progressive” policy, and will not let go without an all out war. The long term (and even short term) consequences of allowing their agenda to continue is without a doubt, a game-changer for freedom. Thank you for ringing the bell – you are a watchman on the wall. I hope that conservatives, the faithful, and believers of truth will take heed.
I’ll tell you, the Archbishop is pretty courageous in writing this. Philly’s mayor is a wannabe-deBlasio, this will not be received well in City Hall. But our area is laden with Catholics who, through ignorance or family habit, vote Democrat. To see a punch to the nose of the entire party here is, well, almost a miracle.
Archbishop Chaput has been one of the “good guys” for quite a long time. He was the Bishop in Denver at the time of the Columbine tragedy. His testimony in the U.S. Senate about that event and our culture was very good …
http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/after-the-tragedy-at-columbine-high.html
I am feeling mischievous so I would change the word in the title of this thread from “Dump” to “Abort”.
My blood ran cold when I read the Podesta emails. Finally, we have proof in writing of their nefarious methods. I can’t say I was surprised to read that he’d created that organization for the express purpose of destroying the Church, but it was still so jarring. I hope this is widely disseminated, but I don’t think it will be. It will be deleted from Facebook and YouTube, will appear on page 83 in Google searches, and will never be reported by the MSM.
It’s hard to get excited about outsiders trying to corrupt the Church while so many insiders try as well.
Just a quick aside, and I know there are many search engines, but I “googled” (in error) for the Senate testimony on Columbine by Bishop (at the time) Chaput that I linked above, but stopped and didn’t comb through all the pages to find it when it didn’t appear in the first 5 pages. I “binged” it, and it was in page 1 (but still not at the top).
Using that rationale, the other eleven disciples should have given up too when Judas betrayed Jesus.
Flip Wilson used to do a comedy routine where he was a preacher in the Church of What’s Happening Now. Reminds me of these fools. They betray their doctrine that ‘religion’ is nothing but a collection of approved attitudes, and they take for granted that the attitudes that are approved at the moment must be superior.
The Catholic Church is not just another organization trying to promote a set of attitudes. It’s a church that is charged with the responsibility to preserve and explain the teachings of Jesus Christ.
No one would expect a “Society for the Preservation of Plato” to abandon Plato. Such a group would only have authority because they faithfully repeated what Plato taught, not their own views.
What Podesta and his fellow shallow political idiots don’t grasp is that the Catholic Church isn’t a middle ages organization. We’re quite proud to go back much farther than that, back to Galilee and Jerusalem. We don’t want to reflect the attitudes of medieval men; we want to reflect the attitudes of one man, born two thousand years ago.
Calling a set of moral values ‘contemporary’ really isn’t a compliment.
The mainstream Protestants have this problem too. I think it is something about human nature to love your faith so much that you want to change it to conform to you rather then the other way around.
I’m happy to see a Bishop write something like this. I would like to see more push back from American Bishops about perserving Religious Liberty. I think all religious people (and non religious allies) need to come together on this issue to defeat the left.
Wouldn’t that be loving yourself so much or your faith so little?
That is a better way of putting it. It’s the selfishness of humanity. They love the parts of their faith that work for them but the hard stuff (you know the stuff we need God for) that needs to change.
Yes Perfect
There are entire congregations (and a few) denominations that have done this – they leave out the non-politically correct and therefore, are not shepherds – they’re letting the sheep fall over the cliff.
Pen, we need the USCCB to “come clean” about its alliance to Dems going back to “community organizing” w/Saul Alinsky and Michael Phleger in the 1970s – and the “Campaign for Human Development” collection that’s been a smokescreen for groups like ACORN for ages…I’m incensed that our local ordinary won’t allow the national collection (once every 2-3 years) for the Archdiocese for the Military Services; sickening…The bishops need to get their priorities straight…Abp. Chaput is our metropolitan where I am. He is one of too few…
Nanda, I just sent an email full of gratitude, to the Abp’s secretary – fr.tviviano@archphila.org – asking him to convey my support & prayers for him. I think they should hear from us!
I didn’t even know about the Archd for the Military – I’m on their site now & will make a donation!!
Thanks, Pen! The AMS gets no govt. support – and can’t solicit from its ‘parishioners’, either…I try to donate monthly. My retired mil. pastor is gonna put a basket on a table: “In support of our parishioners serving…” on the weekend of 11/5-6/16. (the designated weekend for the official collection).
(It’s http://www.milarch.org/ for those interested.)
Who said anything about giving up? I was pointing out that we already had internal community battles.
Is “Ah, ’tis ever thus…” an acceptable strategy? The local, internal strife is a symptom…We’re a hierarchical bunch…Top-down starts with bottom-up. We may not have influence overseas, but we sure as all get-out do here…With the rosary and the wallet…That is all…
This may be information that some do not know. It put the comments in the OP in perspective for me. Bravo, Archbishop!
http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/wikileaks-podesta-left-wing-activist-plot-catholic-spring/
Related:
PoliZette
New York Times Gave Hillary Veto Power
WikiLeaks emails show reporter agreed to let Clinton campaign cut quotes before story ran
Progressives in general don’t understand what religion is. They think it’s just hobby; they think the Bible is just another book. They truly don’t understand why we can’t just get with the program, because to them it sounds like the Brothers Grimm told us abortion was evil.
I’m reminded that the start of Bishop Barron’s Catholicism DVD series is on Vatican Hill, looking down at the Coliseum. He mentions that the Romans, at the time of Christ the most powerful politicians on Earth, thought that they could easily corrupt the Catholic Church and quash it. And now 2,000 years later Vatican City is going strong and the Romans have been in the dustbin of history for 1,500 years.
The hubris of Hillary Clinton to think that she can corrupt and destroy a church that has withstood 2,000 years of potential corruption from without and within!
I’m glad that the gig is up in terms the lid being lifted to let faithful Catholics know that those who want to crush the Church or ferment rebellion or revolution are well funded by atheists of the most progressive order.
I’m a convert and I’m never more proud to be Catholic than when I hear how much the enemies of the Church despise her.
Remember this next time someone tells you the church is irrelevant. :)
The holier than thou apostates, Podesta, Palmieri, Pelosi, Biden, and Kaine seek a National church that is subordinate to the state and the Democrat Party in particular. All Catholics, each of them, and in a state of grave sin for their views on abortion and engaging in scandal to mislead Catholics in the US. They have excommunicated themselves for their cooperation with Planned Parenthood in murdering the innocent. Catholics that vote Democrat engage in cooperating with an intrinsic evil and will someday have to answer for their vote. Who was I to judge will not be a defense when standing before the Eternal Judge.
That sounds quite familiar to me. Here is the Wikipedia account of what happened in another State:
Thus proceeds tyranny!
understood – but deeply ‘not like.’
History repeats itself, from the encyclical MIT BRENNENDER SORGE attributed to Pope Pius XI, but probably written by the future Pope Pius XII. The encyclical was written in German and smuggled into Germany and read from the pulpits of Catholic churches in 1937. It led to the closing of Catholic publishing houses and the arrest by the Gestapo of anyone who was in possession of, or distributing copies of this encyclical:
Just another example of pseudo-sophisticated Catholic thought from a Church that has seen empires rise and fall over a 2,000 year span. I know as do many of you who the real pseudo-sophisticates are.
Will the Catholic #NeverTrumpers at NR be moved by this?