Francis & the GOP | National Catholic Reporter

Francis & the GOP | National Catholic Reporter on Charlie Chamosy in WaPo from MSW.  MGB: It will be the Republicans who will give, because their main voting bloc is dying out.  The Democrats will likely than divide - either on life issues but more likely on economic issues, which might include using the tax system to subsidize poor and middle class families.

Pope Francis Hits Another Home Run | National Catholic Reporter

Pope Francis Hits Another Home Run | National Catholic Reporter by MSW on the meeting with religion leaders.  MGB: Good catch.  he is talking about capitalism - where workers are expendable if a cheaper substitute or an offshore worker can be found to replace them.

Obama in Israel | National Catholic Reporter

Obama in Israel | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Considering the feel good message that came once Obama got on the ground, this was an essential trip, but it seemed more about affirming relationships and the obvious points on Syria and Iran than anything else.  In other words, it was a photo-op.

A Sad Anniversary | National Catholic Reporter

A Sad Anniversary | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Getting rid of Saddam was not necessarily a bad idea.  Trying to overturn the entire system and undergo a prolonged obligation were profound mistakes.

What is Wrong Here? | National Catholic Reporter

What is Wrong Here? | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The equation of Liberation Theology with violence is why it is unacceptable.  That being said, some advocacy of democratic socialism with a religious voice would not be harmful, as many are scared off by the secularism of many social democrats.  More importantly, in order to get change, some form of socialism must be threatened in order to achieve the liberal reforms many developing societies require to advance into the modern world.  As far as abortion, the Church should never give up its stand - however it should look at the science and realize that life begins at gastrulation - no sooner and no later.  The other thing it must confront is that many in the pro-life movement have no intention of ever winning and use the faithful for self-enrichment.  It is not a good act to associate with such people.

Is Capitalism Moral? | National Catholic Reporter

Is Capitalism Moral? | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: There is a difference between free markets, which have perfect competition, and capitalism, where capitalists have a thumb on the scale in both hiring and sales.  As long as this goes unremarked on, we are stuck with inequality.  The reason the government programs of the past were created was to ward of a radicalized labor movement, which included a strong dose of socialism.  Until labor gets that back, it will continue to lose ground.  No firm that is employee-owned and controlled is going to have a huge difference between what workers and the CEOs make.  Indeed, they would insist on an open auction for all management jobs, very much leveling the playing field.

Additionally, even free markets are incapable of paying just wages to large families.  Younger workers with with new skills and no children will always out-bid middle-age workers with families and older training.  Only by distributing part of salary as ownership and having a separate, tax supported, living wage (of say $1000 per child per month) will any kind of equality be reached.  Interestingly enough, that is actually possible by consolidating poverty programs and tax benefits into one refundable child tax credit.

A Catholic Moment? Not Yet | National Catholic Reporter

A Catholic Moment? Not Yet | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: As the Republican Party becomes irrelevant, the Democratic Party will become too big to stand on its own on either economic or life issues, likely splitting into two factions that will become the two major parties.  When this will happen is not known, but it is demographically inevitable (as is the end of concern over marriage equality).

Pope Francis' Installation Mass | National Catholic Reporter

Pope Francis' Installation Mass | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Thank you for the summary, as I was not able to wake at 4:15 to watch the Mass.  Indeed, the press did a poor job of advertising when coverage would begin.  As for your analysis of obedience to the Church - sometimes it is those of us in the pews that make known the will of God to the hierarchy.  This will especially be the case regarding the treatment of gays and women - at least in the Catholic north.

Delayed marriage fallout: more unwed births, report says | National Catholic Reporter

Delayed marriage fallout: more unwed births, report says | National Catholic Reporter from USA Today.  MGB: This is more evidence that the answer is more economic support for families through the tax system.  The Child Tax Credit should be universal, refundable and payable with either social benefits, graduate school stipends or wages.

Kudos to O'Malley (the other one!) | National Catholic Reporter

Kudos to O'Malley (the other one!) | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The reason the society cannot grant legal protection to the unborn is that no one from the right to life movement has offered a bill to do so that deals with the problem of making first trimester embryos, including those who have miscarried, legal persons. Beyond that, there is the question of punishment for mothers and grandparents - which no one seems to want to mete out, but would be necessary if first trimester embryos were considered people.  As for the Death Penalty, life without parole is still the same thing, if not worse if the prisoner is held in SuperMax facilities with no human contact, although for some, holding them in General Population is equally problematic at they may kill again - and society has the obligation to protect prisoners as well from those who are dangerous. Indeed, the problem of abortion is that the child may be an actual danger to the health of the mother or an economic danger.  Resolve that danger and abortion will dramatically decrease.

Conservative Unease | National Catholic Reporter

Conservative Unease | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The Trads who like to believe that their economic good fortune is a sign of their sanctity are always confronted by the messages of humility and poverty.  It is the difference between praying for what you want and praying for God's will.

Pope Francis: Culture Warrior or Among the Poor? | National Catholic Reporter

Pope Francis: Culture Warrior or Among the Poor? | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Very poetic.  As to whether his conservatism will continue on doctrinal matters, recall that when he was in Buenos Aires, he was accountable to the Bishop of Rome for such matters.  That is no longer the case.  If he has the humility that he seems to have, he may be open to reason on such questions rather than stubbornly insisting that the Church is never wrong.

First Impressions of Francis | National Catholic Reporter

First Impressions of Francis | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: I still suspect he will continue in "Easternizing" the Church more, giving power to local patriarchs and emptying the Curia of its importance.  Now that would be change.  While he took the party line on Same Sex Marriage in Argentina, he is now free to examine it the same way that Sandra Day O'Connor and David Souter examined abortion in America.  If you compare gay marriage to marriage after menopause, many of the standard Catholic objections go away.  My wife and I married each other.  Our priests (we had two - as one was a family member) were only witnessing for the Church and government.

Sarah Palin's Next Act? | National Catholic Reporter

Sarah Palin's Next Act? | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The Republican establishment will want a serious candidate in 2016.  Every effort will be made to make sure she is out of the race.  Of course, her base may find that a reason to rally around her.  This may mark the end of the Republican Party.

Pope Francis | National Catholic Reporter

Pope Francis | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: This papacy will be eventful.  Hopefully, he empties some of the art and distributes the sales to the poor and to the victims of lustful clergy and complacent bishops.  Clearing the weeds from the Curia will also be a nice touch.  I am a bit surprised that St. Malachy got this one wrong, at least as far as the name.  We will see from his coat of arms and family history if "Peter the Roman" at all fits.

Clarification on My Morning Post | National Catholic Reporter

Clarification on My Morning Post | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: For many of us, it is not even an issue.  Her affairs are a matter of the brokenness or lack thereof of her heart.  God cares about such things for that reason, not because he is keeping score.

Solipsism Indeed | National Catholic Reporter

Solipsism Indeed | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Nice take down.  If he disliked Caritas in Veritate, he is going to hate what Francis says and does.

Two From Albacete | National Catholic Reporter

Two From Albacete | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: I will go with the last bit, but I would locate that chair in Constantinople.

Melissa Rogers to WH Faith-Based Office | National Catholic Reporter

Melissa Rogers to WH Faith-Based Office | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Sounds like she is a member of the club, which also includes Father Larry Snyder and Sister Carol Keegan.

The Sorry Media Spectacle | National Catholic Reporter

The Sorry Media Spectacle | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Irregardless of any connection with sexual abuse, there can be no argument that the history of Catholic sexual teaching has a deep undercurrent of misogyny - an undercurrent that can no longer be maintained in our culture.  The next generation of clergy and faithful will call for change and it will come (and the Church will, of course, justify why it was true all along - since that is what hierarchical institutions do).  Now that we know who is elected Pope, I stand by my contention that his conservatism will simply lead to the creation of multiple independent patriarchies in the west.  He will also be denuding the Vatican of some of its art in order to repay the victims of pedophilia.

Gerson Nails Rand Paul | National Catholic Reporter

Gerson Nails Rand Paul | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: True, Sen. Paul's example is outlandish.  In the world of reality, however, if domestic violence occurred requiring presidential action, there is frankly no reason a drone could not be used to protect American citizens from it.  It would not take a Hitler to order such a thing. In a modern civil war, Richmond would be hit by multiple drone strikes.  I could imagine if Jefferson Davis were sitting in a cafe, it might be sent to kill him.

More Right-Wing Zaniness | National Catholic Reporter

More Right-Wing Zaniness | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: One must remember when considering the traditional Catholic position on public charity also involved having the Church be a part of the civil government, if not the only part, rather than being separate form it.  Still removing the Church from the government should leave charity at least partially with the state, or as a shared responsibility, rather than leaving it entirely to the Church, since the Church cannot compel revenue to meet the needs of the poor in the American model (not sure if we can tag Calvin with this idea).  I, for one, am all for allowing either individuals or employee-owned firms the right to designate some share of their tax payments toward the Church to provide alternative services to the poorly educated (who should be paid to become literate) as well as for public and private schools and mental health facilities.

The Call for Reform | National Catholic Reporter

The Call for Reform | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: I totally agree with Bishop Quinn that we need more Patriarchs.  Given that the next pope will be the last, with the locus of the Chair of Peter moving back to the East, this will happen soon.  The selection of Patriarchs can still be done by the local archbishops and the selection of bishops and archbishops can very by patriarchy.  Irregardless, the control of the property of the church should be shifted to the laity.  The rest of the charitable world has discovered the concept of a non-profit corporation  with lay deacons to manage them.  The Church can as well, at least in America.  This will allow the clergy to preach the Gospel rather than deal with the electric bill.

Wittes Eviscerates Rand Paul | National Catholic Reporter

Wittes Eviscerates Rand Paul | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: I think many people missed the part about the citizen sitting in a cafe, which is a presposterous example. However, should there be open domestic violence, the answer is yes, the President could use targeting the leadership with a drone to quell it. Paul is an isolationist. There are those on the left who are as well, although we wish he would not be so silly about it.

MSW in WSJ | National Catholic Reporter

MSW in WSJ | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Quite the rogues gallery of commentators. I agree with James Carroll. He should bring about Perestroyka.

A Man Had Two Sons | National Catholic Reporter

A Man Had Two Sons | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The key to this gospel is to examine whether one is the prodigal son or the righteous son, and what one has to do about that fact. It seems harder for the righteous son to move into grace. He had to be told to. The prodigal realized his sin on his own. If only the Church had more of the prodigal attitude. To Benedict's credit, he at least went as the prodigal to those who had been injured by abusers. We need a Pope like that who will go even farther and deal humbly with women.

Former San Francisco archbishop calls for papal reforms ahead of conclave | National Catholic Reporter

Former San Francisco archbishop calls for papal reforms ahead of conclave | National Catholic Reporter  I would argue for linguistic or national patriarchies on the Orthodox model rather than empowering conferences of bishops. From what I understand of prophesy, this is inevitable.

Wieseltier Tackles the "Darwinist Mob" | National Catholic Reporter

Wieseltier Tackles the "Darwinist Mob" | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Interesting.  I find some secularists (which is what they call themselves) take that view because religionists use their beliefs to undertake actions that are quite ghastly.  Indeed, if you believe objectively that women can be as spiritual as men, those ghastly actions have not yet stopped.  It is sad, however, that some of them have no room for a discussion of what the soul is and how it is expressed in a creature or organism.  Is it merely a product of the brain?  If so, it is an illusion because the brain acts before the thought occurs as a reflection of that action.  If this is to be the soul, then there is nothing wrong with abortion until the third trimester.  You could also say that the soul is the expression of thought through language, in which case even infanticide is permissible.  If, however, the soul is expressed as the energy that drives every cell to its actions - which if missing causes entropy, then you can both prove the soul exists, that is might even go somewhere after death and that it is first present when regulative development occurs at gastrulation.  I don't see this as a fitting subject for biology, although biology can certainly provide supportive information.  It can certainly, however, provide input into both law and philosophy - and especially theology.

Great News on Jobs Report | National Catholic Reporter

Great News on Jobs Report | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB:  I would normally be glum at the thought of the sequester, however it is also true that the new tax law forces money out of savings by the wealthiest and into the economy where it can be consumed.  Since it can't come out through spending, it will come out through credit.  Look forward to seeing a larger supply of available cash for people to borrow to kick start the economy.

Kristen Day Tackles Gov. Cuomo | National Catholic Reporter

Kristen Day Tackles Gov. Cuomo | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Cuomo is playing to the base.  He may think he has a good chance at 2016 if he keeps the base happy. He is probably right.  This bill, by the way, is largely symbolic.  Roe is the controlling law and there is no cause to repeal it.  What can be changed is for the Congress to set a lower limit on the start of legal recognition of the fetus (or even the embryo) under its 14th Amendment enforcement powers.  Any state abortion law would then have to comply with those limits, period.

Lott is Wrong | National Catholic Reporter

Lott is Wrong | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: I don't see the global south giving us a Pope.  Indeed, the entire African Church should be given over to the Copts, as traditionally the Pope of Alexandria is Pope of all of Africa.  This enterprise should be broken up into multiple autocephalous churches - and we need a Pope with the courage to do it.  Then the Spanish and Portuguese world can have its Patriarch and the English world its patriarch.  The French and Italians and Germans can as well, and they can leave the rest along.  My vote for American or English speaking Patriarch, by the way, is Theodore McCarick, who handled the graveside services for Senator Kennedy.

Contra My Colleagues | National Catholic Reporter

Contra My Colleagues | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: In essence, you are essentially arguing for shame and tyranny in dealing with the question of whether Mahoney  should vote (that public shame makes the crime worse and it is excusable if the boss does nothing).  No.  Mahoney should sit this one out.  While I agree that the New Evangelization should be about exciting the base who already goes to Mass on a fairly weekly basis (although better music would held - an no music at some Masses), it really is about outreach.  The problem is that people did not leave because they had problems with Jesus - they left because they have problems with the Church and how it deals with dissent (rather badly I am afraid).  This requires deeds, not words, including an honest look at where it is wrong or is associated with the wrong people.  Unless it drops its insistence that it is always right on natural law teaching, the New Evangelization is wasted air.

Silk's Sound Advice on SSM | National Catholic Reporter

Silk's Sound Advice on SSM | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: He is spot on.  It will not be the state which requires performance of same sex unions, but the families involved) since marriage is described in Judaism as the joining of two families into one.  His argument on the rights of individuals to religious freedom trumping institutional rights is as applicable to the HHS Contraception controversy.  Governments might well require that such unions by employees be recognized n the same way that gay spouses will be covered by the military.  The bottom line is that the right of moral scorn (disagreeing with another's morality) cannot be considered part of religious freedom any more than yelling fire in a theater is freedom of speech.

Vargas Llosa in English | National Catholic Reporter

Vargas Llosa in English | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Right on the money.  Sadly, the Pope Emeritus; efforts to resist modernity have just made it more likely to occur more quickly.  The irony is still that when arguing natural law, a claim of authority annihilates the primary assumption of argument by reason and truth alone that is at its heart.  In the end, his attempts at quelling relativism intensified it.

Profile of Cardinal Ouellet | National Catholic Reporter

Profile of Cardinal Ouellet | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: More modernity, as the Cardinal is accused of, or rather simply admitting that there is truth outside of Catholic doctrine on moral issues (a key component of both natural law and biblical study), is sadly needed in the Church.  I still talk to theologians who talk about Adam and Eve or the dodge "our first parents" with a serious tone, when likely there were no such people.  Evolution put us here and migration moved some early humans out of Africa and into the Middle East (where there was comingling of DNA with Neanderthals.  Maybe that step down the evolutionary ladder was the original sin.  That is but one example where outside research is proving truer than doctrine.  The other notable one is sex - from Continence to female priests to gay marriage.  Indeed, there is much work still to be done to usher in modernity - like seriously looking at the ontology of the soul in comparison with conception, gastrulation and death.  While we need a Pope who can tell the Trads in CDF to shut up and listen to the rest of the world,

it is more necessary to find someone who is brave enough to advance long needed reforms, beefing up cooperation with criminal investigations of bishops and priests involved in sexual abuse, the creation of new Patriarchies in the western Church, making them Autocephalus on matters of faith and morals and thus opening the door to allow protestants to come back into the fold.  These reforms will happen regardless of whether the next pope, Peter the Roman, initiates them or fights against them - since once he has been martyred, they will happen anyway.

Reforms We Need | National Catholic Reporter

Reforms We Need | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: If the Vatican ever admitted that the Congregation for Bishops was a personnel board, it would be liable for their actions, or rather their inaction, in the abuse of minors (and attempts to cover it up).  That would make the Vatican a defendant in each suit.  Not a bad idea, considering how the bishops are appointed.

This is a lot of work considering that both Our Lady, St. Malachy the explosion of Mt. Aetna and the Italian financial crisis all point to the destruction of Rome and the death of the next pope, with no further western claimants to the Petrine throne (leaving it firmly in the East).  The best administrative action the Curia and the next pope could undertake would be to organize linguistic or national patriarchies now, leaving them with all curial functions within their areas.  Africa should have either one or three such papacies - depending on whether or not the French and English language churches honor the title of the Pope of Alexandria, who is supposed to be Primate of All of Africa.

What's this 'new evangelization' thing, anyway? | National Catholic Reporter

What's this 'new evangelization' thing, anyway? | National Catholic Reporter by John Allen.  MGB: If it means scaring them in with Hell fire, it won't work.  If it means sharing the joy of the resurrection, it might.  I know this is two sides of the same coin, however Heaven can begin now by doing the work of the Lord, while Hell is what life can be like when trapped in some of the miseries of life.  Bottom line is that if this is about Jesus, it might be successful.  It it becomes about following the rubric, it is wasted air

USCCB Puts $1 Mil Into Immigration Reform Push | National Catholic Reporter

USCCB Puts $1 Mil Into Immigration Reform Push | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: This is good news.  Much better than wasting money supporting the Republican Party through its Pro-Life office.  On immigration, we might actually get a bill passed.  No chance on abortion - largely because first trimester concessions having to do with miscarriage will never, ever, be allowed.

Populism, Chavez & Obama | National Catholic Reporter

Populism, Chavez & Obama | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Chavez can be understood better if you look at his enemies and who was assisting them. While his populism went too far against what we understand as civil society, the banana republic dictators the CIA would have set up would not have been any better - and likely would have been worse.

As far as Obama, sometimes events force action - like with Sandy Hook Elementary. As for the Continuing Resolution, MSW is a victim of bad timing. The House passed one today on a bipartisan basis (with the Budget Control Act in force, they cannot move too far from the imposed spending caps - although they did give the Pentagon its full budget).  It looks like the sequester is in for good, but recall that the Bishops worked with congressional leaders and the White House a plan to fence in certain programs for the needy so that they will not be cut.  Sometimes, its just time to do the math and vote.  This is one of those times.

As far as same sex marriage, I don't see him as its strongest champion.  He has largely been on the sidelines.  I don't expect MSW will agree with his new position, which is sad because the anti-equality position is sloppy reasoning and relies on authority rather than truth.  If my 64 year old uncle Carl (now deceased) could marry a 54 year old woman in the Church, with no possibility of fecundity - the argument that sex must have generative intent is out the window.  Further, if God makes marriages rather than the Priest (which is what they tell us in pre-Cana class) than that truth is as true for gays as it is for the rest of us.  Finally, marriage is the basic adult right to abandon your family of origin and become one flesh (legally one person) in the forming of a new family.  Without such a right, under the law the gay person is a perpetual infant in times of extremis.  Note that the one-flesh language comes from the Bible and it is about more than just sex.   As luck would have it, everyone younger than our generation sees no problem with gay marriage.

MSW on B16's Political Legacy | National Catholic Reporter

MSW on B16's Political Legacy | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: A well done piece, although not letting bishops hide from prosecution for sex abuse deserves a mention.  On same sex marriage, one would not expect so much of the oldest member of the Vatican.  I suspect the new pontiff and especially the American Church will stake out a new position.

Peppard: Where Are GOP Women? | National Catholic Reporter

Peppard: Where Are GOP Women? | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: If there is anyone in the USCCB who has not gotten the joke that any controversy is passed and there is nothing to go to the mat for needs to seriously take a chill pill.  Indeed, it could be argued that their reaction to the HHS mandate (which was organized by the White House) is why the GOP has a woman problem.

Melady: Gun Control is Pro-Life | National Catholic Reporter

Melady: Gun Control is Pro-Life | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: They should also be anti-smoking.  More seriously, instead of putting pressure on the outside world, it should be creating an environment within the Church so that no Catholic teen loses a shot at an education by being a parent (boys too) and that every worker at a Catholic-owned company receives health care that includes good mental health care and a bump in salary for every child.  This should start with Church operations but include every firm where Catholics own stock.

Silk's "Job Posting" for Pope | National Catholic Reporter

Silk's "Job Posting" for Pope | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Cute, but I would add bravery in the face of great resistance the change and the ability and willingness to abandon medieval government structures for the modern world.  Knowledge of how to distribute treasures equitably and divest institution into smaller divisions a major bonus.

Elie Knows Better | National Catholic Reporter

Elie Knows Better | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.   MGB: Many in the Church are justifiably at their wits end, as what in ancient times was the Spirit of Prophesy (what we now call self correction) is now seen as disloyalty.  It may be time to raise the stakes - although rather than missing Mass simply leave the collection envelopes at home or put contributions in escrow - especially those the the Cardinal's Appeal.

Mahony & Mercy | National Catholic Reporter

Mahony & Mercy | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The issue demands to be dealt with. Cardinal Mahony cannot be compelled to absent himself from the Conclave, however if he is under arrest by the Los Angeles authorities, he will not be attending.  Without probable cause to hold him, he can attend.  He could provide a powerful example, however, by staying home.  I'm not even going to start on Burke, who is a dark horse for the papacy if the Cardinals are looking for someone to take a bullet.

Sede Vacante - Part II

In my last column, I reviewed the Papacy of Benedict XVI, noting that he was right on economics and the fact that it should not influence fecundity and wrong on the tyranny of relativism, of which he was an unwitting practitioner by letting authority trump the better argument in natural law discussions.

In this part, I will speculate on the next pope, Peter the Roman.  In predicting popes, one must be aware of the fact that, whether the papal prophesies of St. Malachy are true or not (and they look pretty accurate to me), they are accepted as true by many in the Vatican.  Here is what they say about the next papacy:

In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit [i.e., as bishop].Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills [i.e. Rome] will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The End. (from Wikipedia)

Likewise, the Third Secret of Fatima, while applied to Blessed John Paul II, seem more applicable to Peter the Roman.  Again, from Wiki:

Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. 

While many thought this to be the end of time (and some still do), it will more likely have to do with either natural disaster or Italy going the way of Greece.  I suspect that no one who goes into the conclave will want the job.

Many bloggers in the Catholic world are also wondering whether the next pope will be a pastor, a reformer or an administrator.  I am not sure there is a difference between the three things, especially if there is a mess to clean up.  There is also an open agenda on healing relations with the Eastern Church.

I suspect that the recent pope made headway in that direction that Peter will finish, including the creation of more linguistic or nationally based patriarchies within the Western Church.  That would allow the satisfactory settling some of our most controversial problems on a linguistic or national Church basis, from women's ordination to gay marriage to ordaining gay women.  Individual Churches can go as fast or as slow as they wish.  A national or linguistic Church will also remove the Protestant exception to an overreaching papacy, leading to more unity in Christendom within nations and the opportunity for the Church in America to do more in the educational and social service realms than it already does with more direct taxpayer support.

In other words, the next pope must be willing to step on some toes.

If Peter shares the belief that Rome will be destroyed, or sees it happening, he might also do the right thing and give in on the question of liability for individual bishops who looked the other way as clergy molested our youth.  In this case, the right thing would be to sell off much, if not all, of the art in Vatican City.  When Rome is a ruin, it will be gone, so it would be best to have it not go to waste.

In other words, Peter will be the kind of pontiff who does what is necessary.

I know just the guy.  Although he is not a Cardinal, I don't believe any Cardinal wants the job.  There is a bishop, in Washington, DC (making this a local story) who is here because he did in fact take on a financial scandal in the Vatican and did the right thing.  He is none other than our own Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Carlo Mario Vigano'.  May God have mercy on his soul.

Sede Vacante - Part 1

The title is Latin for the seat is vacant.  It refers to the fact that the Pope is now the Pope Emeritus.  The current issue of our local diocesan paper, the Arlington Catholic Herald is quite the hagiography of his reign - and reign is the operative terms as the Vatican and its bishops are run like a medieval organization.  If you want their take on the Papacy of Benedict XVI, go to http://www.catholicherald.com/ and look at any article.

I have two points to make, which I have been raising in commentary on the National Catholic Reporter's blogs, which can be found at http://ncronline.org/ - and especially those by local blogger Michael Sean Winters, whose blog is Distinctly Catholic.

Much has been made of recent criticism of the Pope by conservatives.  This is due to his rather liberal economic letter, Caritas in Veritate.  That letter throws a strong lifeline to economic liberalism and links it to Catholic sexual teaching - which is the one thing I agree with him regarding contraception - no one, whether they be a U.S. Catholic family or someone receiving overseas aid should have to limit family size due to monetary consideration.  Society should respond to fecundity, not the other way around.  Someone needs to tell the President that it is members of his family that they want to limit the fertility of.  Of course, people encouraged to use natural family planning for economic reasons are making the same moral statement.  The radical nature of Benedict is that this is not a good Catholic choice if truly considered.  Of course, if that were really stated with full throat, many Catholic organizations would be scrambling to pay their staffs better.

The second point is about his fear of the Tyranny of Relativism.  Anyone who knows very much about the Vatican's approach to natural law reasoning has to chuckle a bit about that.  In secular philosophy, natural law means that reason rules the argument - period.  Even in an absolutist schema, whomever makes the better argument wins the discussion point.  Vatican natural law reasoning is a bit different.  The Vatican claims the authority to settle all discussions of natural law.  It uses the Bark of Peter as its justification, however the fact that the Pope wears red shoes and a red cape originally at the sufferance of the Roman Emperor at Constantinople shows that the Petrine See is really at New Rome.  I will say more at that in the next column.

Profile of David Schindler | National Catholic Reporter

Profile of David Schindler | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Well done. This school of thought will thrive in the future, while many others will not.

DiNoia's Homily Yesterday | National Catholic Reporter

DiNoia's Homily Yesterday | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The Gospel passage is the one I use when anyone tells me that New Orleans was flooded for being friendly to gays, or who think the US is doomed for leaving people to their own business. Interestingly, no one used a deservedly doomed metaphore for either Sandy Hook or for Staten Island, so often these taggings of deserved retribution say more about the speaker than the subject. AS for the Acolytes, blessings upon them, for they will be priests in interesting times.

Give Us A Pastor | National Catholic Reporter

Give Us A Pastor | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: You will only get pastoral bishops when pastors elect them. That is true of Popes as well. I am currently working on a series of articles on the last Pope and the next one - rehashing mostly what I commented on here (saving those comments to my FB wall for easy retrieval). I suspect that because of Malachy and Fatima prophesies, they will elect someone who will take out the trash and do what is needed to close out the ledger of Rome (including gutting the Vatican of art - now that would be Pastoral). He will also be someone they hate, because he is prophesied to be killed by a Roman soldier accidentally. Even though he is not a Cardinal, because none will take the job knowing how it ends, I suspect they will pick the Papal Nuncio to the US, Carlo Maria Vigano'.

The Sequester Arrives | National Catholic Reporter

The Sequester Arrives | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: $85 billion in cuts in the size budget we are dealing with means little (unless you are unemployed with benefits about to run out and facing the prospect of federal furloughs).  For me this is personal.  They need to kick this grand compromise down the road until they know whether the uninsured will buy policies on the exchange or wait until they get sick to get coverage.  This decision will be made by the market for health insurance stocks.  If investors are jittery, there will be plenty of time for leadership and compromise.  The only question then is single-payer or subsidized public option - both of which will involve higher taxes per employee (either payroll or consumption).  The best they can do now is pass a biennial deal allowing discretion in the sequester by department secretaries (in other words, rescission authority) and some goal for tax reform (although I would rather they wait on that too - I'd rather use rich home mortgage deduction savings to beef up a child tax credit to $500 a month (federal).  Regardless, they should push budgetary issues to the end of 2014 when we have an election and can get rid of more Tea Party members (either because their base vote dies off or because some are running for Senate - also a fools errand).

Dolan Breaks Ice | National Catholic Reporter

Dolan Breaks Ice | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Having written official letters like this, they are a product of what the author means and staff effort.  I suspect they either had a different staff person do this than those who worked on taking Valerie Jarrett's bait or that person who had taken the bait was given an opportunity to exercise some humility (which is well earned).

Should the Next Pope Be a Theologian? | National Catholic Reporter

Should the Next Pope Be a Theologian? | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: What we will get is pope who will face imminent crisis in Italian civil order and in the Church.  The younger spirit of Vatican II generation (who where children during that time, not priests) is quickly advancing in numbers in the Episcopacy.  Many have been conservatively silent and that may not last.  Expect great change under Peter the Roman.  Note that since Benedict announced his intention to retire, I have mentioning the Malachy and Fatima prophesies.  There is a reason for that.  Whether or not they are true is not the case (although they are mostly spot on).  The question is whether the Cardinals believe in them.  If that is the case expect someone either courageous to make needed change or stupidly conservative who will avoid change until it literally kills him.  If the latter, it will be the one too pompous to not take the job - which does not bode well.  We will know shortly.  (My votes are either Burke or Law).

Ivereigh on Pre-Conclave Frankness | National Catholic Reporter

Ivereigh on Pre-Conclave Frankness | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The remark about it taking a few generations could give those of the liberal bent some hope that the current generation of cardinals have been waiting out their chance to reawaken the Spirit of Vatican II in the Church - and possibly go further in reform - making us more like the Orthodox, which allows variation in some moral teachings between Great Churches (for instance Continence before celebrating Mass) and may one day be a bit quicker on dealing with gay priests honestly, married priests, married gay priests, female priests, married female priests (may wife and sister both will sign up) and married lesbian priests.