Monday, November 30, 2009

James Carroll: A Roman Catholic reflects on his church

Does God Hate the Kennedys?
by James Carroll

After denying communion to Patrick Kennedy, the Catholic Church is holding American politics hostage. James Carroll on the Church’s rightward turn: How reactionary has the Catholic hierarchy become? Let me count the ways:

And then he does. In this feature from "The Daily Beast" -- which includes this important observation:

"For the first time in its history, the American Catholic hierarchy is solidly right wing. There is not one liberal voice among its members. The bishops are at home with the heirs of a know-nothing fundamentalism that once, by every measure of theology and social policy, embodied the Church’s opposite. This realignment is the consequence, within Catholicism, of the conservative appointments made to the episcopate over 27 years by Pope John Paul II, but it also reflects the broader, post-Ronald Reagan phenomenon of the arrival of the Religious Right as an establishment force in American politics."

9 comments:

RonF said...

Hm. According to U.S. News and World Report and numerous other sources, Bp. Tobin issued a statement that he communicated directly with Rep. Kennedy, requesting him not to take Communion. Here's what the site represents as a direct quote from Bp. Tobin:

On February 21, 2007, I wrote to Congressman Kennedy stating: "In light of the Church's clear teaching, and your consistent actions, therefore, I believe it is inappropriate for you to be receiving Holy Communion and I now ask respectfully that you refrain from doing so." My request came in light of the new statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that said, "If a Catholic in his or her personal or professional life were knowingly and obstinately to repudiate her definite teachings on moral issues, he or she would seriously diminish his or her communion with the Church. Reception of Holy Communion in such a situation would not accord with the nature of the Eucharistic celebration, so that he or she should refrain."

That's a request, not a denial. Had the Bishop ordered his priests not to give Rep. Kennedy Communion, then we'd have a denial. But that's not the case here. The Bishop says he didn't issue a denial and Rep. Kennedy has not stated that any priest in Bp. Tobin's diocese has ever denied him Communion (or advised him that he would do so). So you have to wonder what other facts James Carrol got wrong and how much any of the rest of what he says can be trusted.

RonF said...

And come to think of it, Susan, I'm rather surprised that you didn't check this yourself before posting this.

TheraP said...

Nitpick one tiny detail. And that undermines everything here?

Ok....

See my "Open Letter to Catholic Bishops" here:

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/therap/2009/11/brother-pierre---a-true-shephe.php

RonF said...

It undermines the columnist's representation of what is a fact and what isn't. That seems important to me.

It's also rather interesting that the columnist represents this as a rightward turn by the Catholic Church. The Church's teachings on abortion and homosexuality have been quite consistent for a very long time. It seems to me that describing the Church as turning in any direction implies that the Church has changed it's positions. I don't see how that makes sense. It makes a lot more sense to say that the Church is maintaining a steady direction while resisting leftward turns by others.

RonF said...

TheraP, I find much to agree with in your posting. Far too many of those in authority, whether in the Church or in the White House and Congress, approach those that they have been called to serve as if they had been called to command and manipulate instead, with no accountability except to each other.

uffda51 said...

Ronf, the word "denying" came from the headline writer at The Daily Beast, not from James Carroll. The CNN headline writer wrote "Bishop Bars Kennedy . . ." Again, not Carroll's words.

RonF said...

Ah - I see. Fair enough about the headline.

My comment on the columnist's representation of the church's emphasis on these doctrines stands, however. It is not the Catholic church that has turned.

RonF said...

It is interesting, however, that if you do a Google search the headlines from numerous news services represent this as a "ban".

SUSAN RUSSELL said...

Comments are whanky today for some reason ... there are a number in the queue that won't post up and I don't have time to fuss with it til later.