by Andrew Zajac
Not too long ago, it was Catholics vs. Protestants as the former looked for respect in a country dominated by the latter.
Now, with a President, albeit a Protestant, enamored of Catholic theology, it's Catholics vs. Catholics as the liberal and conservative wings of the church vie for influence.
(Pope Benedict XVI conducted a papal press conference aboard his jet en route to Washington today. AP Photo by Pier Paolo Cito)
The latest example: the liberal Catholics United have called out the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast for shilling for the Republican Party.
"Although the event (slated for April 18 in Washington) is billed as nonpartisan, its board of directors is made up entirely of Republican operatives, several of whom are engaged in Catholic outreach for the GOP and for presidential candidate John McCain," Catholics United said this afternoon in a press release.
In effect, Catholics United accuses the prayer breakfast of cafeteria Catholicism -- picking and choosing which elements of church doctrine to uphold. In this case standing stoutly behind opposition to gay marriage and abortion while offering less support to the church's anti-war and anti-torture messages.
That's a bit of table-turning, since left-leaning groups like Catholics United have long been accused of devotion to the social gospel elements of church teaching while paying less attention to rules on sexual behavior and other elements of personal morality.
Maybe Pope Benedict XVI, newly arrived in the U.S. today, can heal this rift in his flock.
Read the whole Catholics United statement here: Download file
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