Category: Bishops
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The Problem With the Bishop’s View of “Faithful Citizenship”
Every four years the Catholic bishops publish a document entitled “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.” No substantial edits have been made to this document since the 2008 version. The 2008 version of “Faithful Citizenship” contained several passages (Sections 34-37) that are capable of overly broad interpretation. Groups like Catholics United and Catholic Democrats cherry-picked the following passage…
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Did the Bishops Punish Archbishop Burke?
Deal W. Hudson Perhaps it should come as no surprise that Archbishop Raymond Burke (St. Louis) lost an election at the annual meeting of the U.S. bishops last week. Over the past three years, Burke has assumed the mantle of the late Cardinal John O’Connor in pro-life matters, challenging fellow bishops to take stronger stances…
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On Being Divisive
By Deal W. Hudson Every group has its code words. These words serve an important social function they enable the members of the group to deliver a harsh judgment on others without accountability. In the Catholic world, when someone is called “divisive,” it means he is too conservative to be trusted. Those who are “divisive”…
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John Paul the Great
By Deal W. Hudson The Catholic Church in 1978 was marked by confusion and conflict. In October of that year, the conclave voted and gave us Pope John Paul II. More than 26 years later there are two dominant views of his papacy. One argues that he renewed the Church and saved it from dissent…
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Homosexuality and the Synod
Published at The Christian Review Oct. 5, 2015 The Ordinary Synod of the Bishops on the Family opened today to address the theme of “The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the modern world.” The world’s media will be watching the bishops very closely, expecting them to ratify “changes” to the…
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A Catholic Church Without Hell? Where We Are Headed.
Published at The Christian Review Nov. 3, 2015 There were many controversial pronouncements made at the Synod on the Family, but it was the “what-would-Jesus-do” comment made by Cardinal Wuerl afterward that really got my attention. In an Oct. 25 interview with Religion News Service, the cardinal was asked about the final document’s lack of…
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A Portrait of Catholic Clergy
Deal W. Hudson Published December 1, 2002 In a survey of 1,854 Catholic priests, the Los Angeles Times has provided a fascinating—and troubling—report on the state of the priesthood. The poll tells us that our priests are more satisfied with the priesthood than is generally assumed but lack conviction about central moral teachings of their…
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The U.S. Catholic Conference Strikes Again
Published December 1, 2000 DEAL W. HUDSON Catholics must wonder sometimes why the U.S. Catholic Conference (USCC) exists. On October 16, Catholic News Service (CNS) of the USCC issued a story with the headline, “Gore sees hope for ‘common ground’ movement on abortion.” Written by Patricia Zapor, based on an interview with the vice president,…
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Special Report — Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on Homosexuality: What the Bishops Didn’t Say
Published December 1, 1997 DEAL W. HUDSON When reporting on “Always Our Children,” the secular media failed to note that this was not a document issued by the entire NCCB. What must be said at the outset is that a small committee of the bishops’ conference should not be allowed to use the media to…
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Why Should the Church Continue to Perform Marriages for the State?
Deal W. Hudson Published January 2015 We take for granted that priests, and other ministers, sign a couple’s marriage license after a wedding ceremony. At that moment the state, both the individual states and the United States, legally recognizes the marriage. Priests and ministers, thus, act as agents of the government and are duly recognized…
Deal W. Hudson 