UNITED STATES
Toledo Blade

BY MARILOU JOHANEK
BLADE COLUMNIST

Fundamental fever grips the Vatican. The affliction is evident in the renewed mission of the church to separate the wheat from the chaff among Roman Catholics in the United States, to cull the conservatives from the liberals who cause so much trouble.

Under Pope Benedict XVI, a paternalistic pattern of crackdowns, censorship, and intolerance for dissent is emerging. The largest Christian denomination in America, and one of the world’s largest religions, has taken a hard turn to the right.

The Catholic Church is on a path toward imposed orthodoxy. Like a father who pulls unruly children into line, the mission of Benedict and his bishops is to regain control over freethinking faithful who dare to question their authority.

This is miter muscle. Power is maintained through dictate, not dialogue. No one but the church hierarchy has the wisdom to…