Links for 05/19/16 | National Catholic Reporter

Links for 05/19/16 | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: There is orthodoxy and then there is orthodoxy.  For those things that are only knowable by faith, the way to truth is by agreement.  There is no proof of the divinity of Christ or the dynamics of the Trinity, so the Church settled on what seemed like the likely story.  We may be totally wrong, but its the story we agreed to.  Of course, theologians sometimes propose changes, but that would take an ecumenical council of both the Eastern and Western Churches, including the orthodox Protestant sects.  Other things can be known by reason and evidence, as well as common belief.  While I am sure there is unorthodoxy on matters of agreement due to bad cathecises, much of the picking and choosing is going on because the culture is changing and the Church is not (and science is backing the culture).  In that case, picking and choosing shows intelligence, not a lack of faith.



Richard Doerflinger is probably the person most responsible for the lack of room between the bishops and the Republican Party on abortion and many other things.  Indeed, it was apparent from his published biography until it was scrubbed because people were noticing.  That he identifies so much with the decision to upend pro-life Democrats who supported the ACA shows pure partisanship, even if he is now seeking to atone because the pro-life Democrats are more likely to be off the reservation in calling for more social spending.  The inaptly named Susan B. Anthony Fund simply lied and the Church went along with the lie.  Indeed, they championed it, especially in vengeful actions against the Sisters, up to and including the inquisition of the LCWR, which has recently been ended.



Bravo to Bishop and Ryan for coming to an agreement with the Administration.  While I am still leary of how the oversight board is being appointed, Obama seems to be fine with it.  Oversight boards tend to gravitate toward what is necessary (unless they are staffed with bondholders).  This one should be no different (and will likely be very much under the influence of the Island's congressional delegate - just like in DC with its board. As for the bondholders, I suspect it is the hedge fund managers who are driving the opposition because they will be the ones losing commissions and customers.  Capitalism means that you put in your money and you take your chances.  If you could never lose, then capitalism becomes simple authoritarianism, which cannot and should not be sustained.