Francis at Independence Hall | National Catholic Reporter

Francis at Independence Hall | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: Of late, when the bishops speak of religious liberty  they really mean religious privilege and religious power.  It is good when religious leaders speak in the public square about matters that are in the public square - i.e., matters for legislation. Once they have been trasferred to the realm of individual rights, most poignantly privacy (although there is a speech right to attack religion which was not upheld when Lennie Bruce needed it most), there the matter is out of the public square.  The first of these was birth control.



Abortion could be in the public square if the pro-life movement quit trying to repeal Roe, accepted it is as law and worked on using the 14th Amendment to regulate when someone is a person. Of course, they can only go so far before they bump up against reality.  If you recognize the legal rights of first trimester aborted embryos their cohort mates that died in miscarriage would also receive the same panoply of rights, both tort and criminal - and that would be a disaster.  Anyone comes to my house asking about a family miscarriage would likely provoke assault against the officer. The truth is, any federal legislation that could pass would likely look like Roe v. Wade in its effect, which is why the movement does not put in a bill.



Gay marriage is out of the public square.  Now the battle shifts to within the Church, where it deserves to be.  Expect a lit disunity as families of gay marrieds start insisting on a Church blessing (and expect some gay priests to give it - or worse, seek marriage themselves and leave the priesthood like many straights did after Vatican II).



Sadly, I doubt anyone briefed Franics on these matters using these facts.  Maybe Obama did, he taught Con Law.  The Bishops, however - and MSW, seem blissfully ignorant about what is and is not an issue.



Immigration is an issue and the optics were great. Sadly, unless the pro-life folks are convinced to turn immigration into a scored Life issue as far as voting on the bill is concerned, nothing will happen this Congress.  Pity that.  I doubt the USCCB has that much juice, which was their problem with Obamacare too.  They need to get out of any coalition that expects loyalty to flow only one way - to the GOP.  Making sure they do would be a good thing for the Pope's agenda, except that anyone who would brief him on this is probably compromised. More's the pity.



As a side note, I listed to one or two of the speeches by couples.  They seem to have been sticking to the kind of topics that bishops like.  Not too many dissenting voices, in fact, not any.  Chaput's hand in this is clear.  It's not dialogue if its scripted or even "reliable."  It's only propoganda not fit for adult minds.