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Wineke: Roman Catholic Bishops Playing Hardball

By Bill Wineke
Channel 3000
April 16, 2012

http://www.channel3000.com/news/Wineke-Roman-Catholic-bishops-playing-hardball/-/1648/10921146/-/qqjmm7/-/



The nation's Roman Catholic bishops seem to be going all out in their effort to force President Obama to jettison birth control coverage as part of national health care reform.

They're now calling for national demonstrations in a “Fortnight for Freedom” initiative in late June and promise a campaign of civil disobedience if employers aren't free to deny birth contraceptive coverage as part of health care coverage.

They equated their potential plight to the murders of John the Baptist by King Herod and Sir Thomas More by King Henry VIII.

John the Baptist?

Really?

Do these guys really expect us to take them seriously? And is this really the most important issue facing the Catholic Church in America?

Personally, I think they are lying. I realize that's kind of an arrogant thing to say about the men who lead the nation's largest religious body, but then, these are arrogant men.

The reason I think they're lying is that this issue has never before been considered the most important question facing the church in America. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, is the nation's leading prelate. Before moving to New York in 2009, Dolan was the popular archbishop of Milwaukee.

Wisconsin that year enacted a birth control mandate that goes far beyond anything President Obama has ever proposed. So far as I know, Dolan didn't say a word in protest. He most certainly wasn't picketing the state capitol. It's not that the church liked the mandate. Several dioceses became self-insured so they wouldn't have to offer birth control to employees. But no bishop equated his plight to that of John the Baptist.

My own guess – and I obviously have nothing more than a guess to go on – is that the bishops have seen their reputations as moral leaders so tarnished by the ongoing sexual abuse scandal – we now have one bishop under indictment – and by the continued falling away of the Catholic population – if fallen-away Catholics were their own denomination, they'd be the second-largest denomination in the country – that they are seeking some way to regain influence.

By any serious criteria, the nation's bishops have been truly bad at their jobs. They have covered up crimes and have squandered the offerings of the faithful.

So they're doubling down on sex. Bishops have been willing to stop providing any adoption or foster care services in places where they are mandated to treat gay and lesbian clients equally with married people. They are throwing their influence behind efforts to make same-sex marriage not only illegal but unconstitutional – so much for freedom of conscience

They are playing hardball. Churches aren't allowed to engage in partisan politics but it is clear that one desired result of all this activism would be the defeat of President Obama for re-election and the establishment of a president and Congress that will make good Republican promises to outlaw abortion and destroy the national health care law.

They have a right to do that, but, even if they win, they won't win back the trust of the people they have – collectively, not individually – betrayed.

And if they lose? Well, let me make a wager: I would bet that no matter what happens, we won't see a single bishop go to jail for his stance in favor of "religious freedom" and we certainly won't see President Obama call for the head of Cardinal Dolan on a platter.

 

 

 

 

 




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