https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/distinctly-catholic/archbishop-chaput-sounds-clueless-conservative-interviews
MGB: This piece has nothing to do with the current discussions on child sexual abuse, which is probably a good thing. While the issues remain, most of the Bishops involved have either retired or died. What is left is how they respond to damage control. The US is actually ahead of the game in dealing with the issue, largely because of our free press forcing it into view. The recent Pennsylvania Grand Jury action is mostly ancient history. It would take a seance to get most of the facts, save those in the records, which may or may not be accurate.
As for Chaput, everyone knows he was a culture warrior. Denver knew it first. Rome certainly knows it and has acted accordingly in denying him a red hat. As Pence is a Christian Republican, I suspect that Chaput is a Republican Catholic, in that order. Sometimes, I am not sure whether his politics are his day job or just his moonlight, but they are certainly a distraction from his primary mission to be a witness to the Resurrection of Christ.
Jesus said nothing about gay marriage or abortion, although his and Joseph's example stands against the Law at time, which mandated an attempted abortion if it was thought a woman was pregnant with someone else's child, with the result being her execution if the attempt resulted in miscarriage. Jesus did speak out against leading children astray. The Church likes to say this is about bad teaching, but it is obviously about pederasty.
The Church is wrong about marriage equality, at least before the law and probably about their refusal to perform gay marriage. Marriage is the basic adult right - forming a family and discarding your family of birth. The ceremony simply marks a transition that will or has happened anyway. This is simply a matter of both reality and even natural law, which must reflect reality, not circular reason.
As for the Nones, it is not lack of indoctrination that makes Catholics go that route, it is some of the teachers that remain in Catholic Schools. Indeed, my nephew and Godson had such a teacher and it has convinced him that the Church's teachings do not make sense. Indeed, bad theology is worst than no theology. If Christ did mean that bad teaching that lead the young astray was his point, than many in the Church would be drowning now.
It is time for the Church to end its authoritarianism, especially in matters of reason and natural law, which should be the same thing. Prelates like Chaput are not just part of the problem, they are the problem. Sadly, they won't just go away, but bless Francis for not making this one a Cardinal.
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