The Pope Francis revolution: Inside the catastrophic collapse of the Catholic right (Salon)

[pinto]

The Pope Francis revolution: Inside the catastrophic collapse of the Catholic right

Once a major political force with the power to derail presidential campaigns, right-wing Catholicism is in decline
by Patricia Miller

For years they struck fear in the hearts of progressive Catholic candidates. They could, and did, help destroy presidential campaigns. The media took them seriously, reporting on their pronouncements as representative of a significant bloc of conservative Catholics. They were not legion; but they were powerful. They were the Christian right’s smaller, more shadowy counterpart: the Catholic right wing.

But now, many of their leading spokesmen—and they are almost all men—have been discredited within a stunningly short period. Former lights of the Catholic right like Bill Donohue and Cardinal Raymond Burke have seen their clout dissipate almost overnight. How did this happen and what does it mean for progressive Catholic candidates eyeing 2016?

Many on the right were the victims of their own rhetoric run amok. Catholic League President Bill Donohue is being widely pilloried for asserting in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack that “Muslims are right to be angry,” and that Hebdo editor Stéphane Charbonnier played a role in his own death. “Had he not been so narcissistic, he may still be alive,” Donohue said in a statement that horrified even fellow conservatives.

Donohue, the leading proponent of the “war on Christmas” and other ginned-up made-for-Fox-News controversies over supposedly anti-Catholic persecution, was the ringleader behind efforts to discredit John Kerry with people of faith during the 2004 presidential election. He attacked Mara Vanderslice, Kerry’s first director of religious outreach, as an “ultra-leftist who consorts with anti-Catholic bigots” because of her work with organizations like ACT UP, an AIDS advocacy group that criticized the Catholic Church’s ban on condoms. The accusations spooked the Kerry campaign enough that they removed Vanderslice as head of outreach, even as Kerry, who is a committed Catholic, faltered in the polls with people of faith.

http://www.salon.com/2015/01/18/the_pope_francis_revolution_inside_the_catastrophic_collapse_of_the_catholic_right/

Saw this in GD, as well - http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026106419

[cbayer]

1. Excellent. I hope she is right.

I miss the days of radical and progressive catholics. They were a critical part of the civil rights and anti-war movements.

I am gleeful to see this jerks be pushed aside.

Francis is not perfect by any means and I will never agree with him on everything, but he gets kudos from me for trying to reverse course on some critical issues.

Great article. Thanks for posting it.

[pinto]

2. The Berrigan brothers.

[cbayer]

3. Yes, I remember well.

I watched Selma the other night, BTW and highly recommend it. Part of it highlights the clergy's role in the march.

[edhopper]

7. I may be wrong

but I think JPII and Benedict spent decades appointing the more conservative priests to the higher post in the Vatican.
Those more knowledgeable might want to comment.

There would be a lot to undo to make the Vatican more liberal. I would also like to see Francis give more than lip service to changing some of the more regressive ideas.

[cbayer]

8. I do think the deck has been stacked, but as the article points out,

heads are rolling.

It will take a lot to undo this and make it more liberal, but he is starting with some pretty important changes within. The article outlines some of this and I think it is incorrect to claim that he just is giving "lip service" in light of that information. What exactly to you expect of him at this point?

Those that expect massive concrete change right away are either dreaming or will never be satisfied with anything he does.

The American Bishops are a huge problem, imo, and I am interested to see how he addresses them when he visits here.

[edhopper]

9. I was thinking about his statements on not judging gays

then condemning gay marriage.

I don't expect anything. But I also won't applaud anything that isn't real change. But in agree it is an uphill battle. I simple don't know hoe far he really want s to go.

Then again I think the Vatican is a criminal organization.

[cbayer]

10. Agree. His recent statements on marriage are disappointing to put it mildly.

As long as you are wiling to applaud something that is real change, we will be good.
Getting rid of some of these guys is real change, imo.

I think he wants to go far, but I'm not sure how far they will let him go.

All organizations of the size and power of the Vatican are susceptible to becoming criminal, and the vatican is no exception. But I feel strongly that there are many good people involved as well and would rather be hopeful than give up.

[edhopper]

11. That

and they are a bunch of delusional guys in dresses who believe in a sky daddy.

[cbayer]

12. You're killing me, Ed!

[pinto]

13. I thought this guy was pretty damn good...in a dress or not

"Divine. That's my name. It's the name John (Waters) gave me. I like it. That's what everybody calls me now, even my close friends. Not many of them call me Glenn at all anymore, which I don't mind. They can call me whatever they want. They call me fatso, and they call me asshole, and I don't care. You always change your name when you're in the show business. Divine has stuck as my name. Did you ever look it up in the dictionary? I won't even go into it. It's unbelievable." - Divine, 1973

[edhopper]

14. He was out there

Before anyone.

[AndyTiedye]

4. Opus Dei Still is a Majority on the Supreme Court

and will be for decades to come.

[cbayer]

5. Agree that that is a very serious problem.

[pinto]

6. All the more reason to speak up. Build on the successes we've seen recently.

[Humanist_Activist]

15. I imagine this will take a form similar to other populist movements, particularly in the United...

States which will be economically more populist, even socialist in advocacy, but socially conservative. Paralleling American Populism and Progressivism of the early to mid 20th century, the various movements mixed with strident antisemitism, "scientific racism", etc. The difference will be the targets, with contraceptive access, abortion and LGBT equality being the targets instead.