Anti-Catholicism & Archbishop Dolan

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from the Archdiocese of NY, Archbishop Dolan.

archny.org/news-events/columns-and-blogs/blog—the-gospel-in-the-digital-age/index.cfm?i=14042

Below are the opening Paragraphs Of Archbishop Dolan’s Article
He is speaking out against Anti-Catholicism

Your Thoughts & comments are appreciated.

Anti-Catholicism

October 29, 2009

The following article was submitted in a slightly shorter form to the New York Times as an op-ed article. The Times declined to publish it. I thought you might be interested in reading it.

FOUL BALL!
By Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan
Archbishop of New York

October is the month we relish the highpoint of our national pastime, especially when one of our own New York teams is in the World Series!

Sadly, America has another national pastime, this one not pleasant at all: anti-catholicism.

It is not hyperbole to call prejudice against the Catholic Church a national pastime. Scholars such as Arthur Schlesinger Sr. referred to it as “the deepest bias in the history of the American people,” while John Higham described it as “the most luxuriant, tenacious tradition of paranoiac agitation in American history.” “The anti-semitism of the left,” is how Paul Viereck reads it, and Professor Philip Jenkins sub-titles his book on the topic “the last acceptable prejudice.”
 
The leaders of the Roman Catholic always have acted like living saints, holy, and all knowing servants of God. The church heirarcy doesn’t show its humility very well.
The idea that a priest forever, and must be protected from the anti-catholic element, shouldn’t protect dishonest, pediphiles, adultrers, from jail.
The Catholic Church would be stronger and more respected if all of the priests, bishops and Cardinals responsible for this past scandal were in jail and not in some protected retreat.
No married priests, thats not the answer.
If we must allow the Sabboth, Sunday obligation to be satisfied by a daily Mass, then lets do it.
There must be one million Catholic Masses offered each day, let one of the them satisfy our weekly Sunday obligation, we need good holy priests, not married, not female.
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johnXXIII said:
The leaders of the Roman Catholic always have acted like living saints, holy, and all knowing servants of God. The church heirarcy doesn’t show its humility very well.
The idea that a priest forever, and must be protected from the anti-catholic element, shouldn’t protect dishonest, pediphiles, adultrers, from jail.
The Catholic Church would be stronger and more respected if all of the priests, bishops and Cardinals responsible for this past scandal were in jail and not in some protected retreat.
No married priests, thats not the answer.
If we must allow the Sabboth, Sunday obligation to be satisfied by a daily Mass, then lets do it.
There must be one million Catholic Masses offered each day, let one of the them satisfy our weekly Sunday obligation, we need good holy priests, not married, not female.
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Thank you for your comments, but I’m not sure what they have to do with Archbishop Dolan’s comments regarding anti-Catholicism in American society. You are correct to note that the Church, including the heirarchy of the Church, must be genuninely concerned with the sins of clerics as much as with the sins of laity, but even with the scandal of trusted priests abusing Catholic youth, there is no excuse for anti - Catholicism. As the Bishop noted in his article, the American Church can handle honest criticism and expects it. Honest criticism can galvanize the Church towards positive change, but Catholics should wonder why the Church is subject to harsher criticism, and even slander, when other parts of society are scrutinized with a jaundiced eye and less severity. I don’t think Archbishop Dolan is asking for leniency for the imperfections of Church members or that he thinks the Church should be excluded from critique. Rather, he is asking for fair treatment in the media and the rest of society. Catholics certainly are American and more than a few have given their lives for their country. We have nothing to prove to our fellow Americans. But we do remember that anti - Catholicism has been a part of American society since the beginning and it is only recently that Catholics have felt able to participate fully in all aspects of American society without falling under suspicion. The Archbishop is absolutely correct to point out that anti - Catholicism is never far from the surface in American society and that we have a duty, as Americans and Catholics, to insure that equality is maintained as an essential trait of our nation.
 
I live in a semi-small southern town, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much anti-Catholicism I have heard. I do my best to not argue or be nasty (though I fail miserably at times… thank God for confession!), and instead just point out that person’s logical falicies with charity, say how sorry I am they have so much hate and I hope they find peace, and offer to pray for them.

I would say that it is certainly the last acceptable prejudice, since if one were to speak against blacks, gays, non-married cohabitators, etc… basically any other group the way Catholicism is spoken of, one can expect some informal negative sanctions and possibly formal sanctions if these things are spoken about at work. On the other hand, saying those things about Catholics can possibly cause positive sanctions, or at least is viewed as a neutral.

I do have to say this doesn’t describe everyone here, and in fact, the 40 Days for Life that just ended down here was co-vigilized (if that’s even a word… 😉 ) by one of the mega-Baptist churches, and we invited the pastor of that church to speak a few words at the closing ceremony at Sunday. I know there were some friendships formed between the both the Catholic and Southern Baptist “vigilantees” (so to speak)

I guess what I’m trying to get at is we should find what we all have in common with others, and focus on that… also get to know the other people as, well, people first, and let them see how in love with Christ and God we are, and break down these prejudices and biases on a person by person basis. Hopefully, then, the next time someone speaks ill of Catholicism in their prescence, he or she will correct that person, or at least say that there is at least one Catholic they know that doesn’t fit that profile.

And if there is still prejudice and horrible treatment because we are Catholics, well, these words from Jesus himself offer me comfort: “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Also, there is another verse that speaks of how the servant is not greater than the master, and since Jesus himself was persecuted and insulted greatly, then could I expect any less?
 
Archbishop Dolan is right, but response really needs to be stronger.

I would say that the problem is that most Catholics are too passive when faced with abuse of and falsehoods and distortions spread about the church. The Da Vinci Code made millions for its producers with very little in the way of opposition. Imagine such a film made about Muslims or Jews - and how far it would have got. Even the successful boycott of The Golden Compass film was largely organised by US protestants.

Catholics are too willing to sit back and take all sorts of lies and calumnies against the church and do nothing about it. As long as that goes on, the treatment will continue.

Now i know someone is at this moment itching to type out a post lecturing about “turning the other cheek”. To save them the bother - that is all very well, but it doesn’t prevent a vigorous defence of the Church and faith being made, along with strong objection to slanders unfairness and lies. The lies against Christians in the 1st and 2nd centuries were strongly responded to - or they would have gained more currency. Victorian anti-Catholicism was only moderated when Catholics united to boycott and oppose the newspapers, films and media products that derideed and abused them. The trouble today is that too many western Catholics not only fail to organise such boycotts and counter protests, but go out and continue buying the New York Times and viewing films and programmes made by the abusers of the faith.
 
Quite frankly, I have found outside of fundamentalism, phrases like ‘whore of Babylon’ will generate odd looks from people. In short, they will think you are just a little off your rocker. I am talking ‘rank and file’ Protestant pew warmers. They might disagree with certain things about the Catholic Church (usually the Pope is high on the list), but they do not know enough about theology to really care.
Outside of fundamentalism, it is atheism that does most of the attacking. Since the Catholic Church is the most visible Christian Church. I’ve noticed this in the UK. They attack the Anglican church relentlessly.
 
Axion said:
Archbishop Dolan is right, but response really needs to be stronger.

I would say that the problem is that most Catholics are too passive when faced with abuse of and falsehoods and distortions spread about the church. The Da Vinci Code made millions for its producers with very little in the way of opposition. Imagine such a film made about Muslims or Jews - and how far it would have got. Even the successful boycott of The Golden Compass film was largely organised by US protestants.

Catholics are too willing to sit back and take all sorts of lies and calumnies against the church and do nothing about it. As long as that goes on, the treatment will continue.

Now i know someone is at this moment itching to type out a post lecturing about “turning the other cheek”. To save them the bother - that is all very well, but it doesn’t prevent a vigorous defence of the Church and faith being made, along with strong objection to slanders unfairness and lies. The lies against Christians in the 1st and 2nd centuries were strongly responded to - or they would have gained more currency. Victorian anti-Catholicism was only moderated when Catholics united to boycott and oppose the newspapers, films and media products that derideed and abused them. The trouble today is that too many western Catholics not only fail to organise such boycotts and counter protests, but go out and continue buying the New York Times and viewing films and programmes made by the abusers of the faith.
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As Catholic Apologists we are that Frontline defense of the Church.
You have all Made some good Points ( though I did detect some real rancor on that 1 vile subject). Abp Dolan was in no way playing down the just opprobrium ( hope that’s the correct term) that occurs as a result of Our (the Catholic Church’s) mistakes & our sins. But he does correctly point out the clear & intentionally biased responses that result. If any had looked at the kinked studies in the article they would have seen that The RCC’s percentage of Sinful Leaders is smaller than the other groups. That in no way excuses it. But serves to demonstrate the Media Reporting Bias that still exists today.

As you have pointed out we all need to do our part to overcome this pernicious & foul discrimination being practiced by the enemies of the Church.

Regards & thank you all for your help & support in combating these
prejudicial practices. 👍
 
Joint pro-life efforts can definitely help. When people work side-by-side on the issue they can forget the hostilities and build some appreciation and friendship. I’ve seen that a little in my own area.

In some ways, Protestant anti-Catholicism is a part of the religion. The main purpose of Protestantism was to be against the Catholic Faith. So, some people think that anti-Catholicism is an important part of their religious views. Preachers will make up lies about Catholicism and they never question themselves about how ignorant they really are.

When these anti-Catholic preachers are exposed for their shallowness and complete ignorance of history, it becomes embarrassing. I think this realization causes some people to convert to the Catholic Faith also.
 
Roman_Army said:
Unfortunately, this “major defender of the Church” has very limited influence and very weak. 😦
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Possibly true, but at least they are doing something!

God Bless Archbishops Dolan, Burke and Chaput and all those who speak courageously!

**We are all charged to defend the Truth of Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church, no matter what the cost to us.
**
**"And he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mk 16:15). Congress just passed the ‘hate crime’ bill and now it is potentially a ‘hate crime’ to speak the Gospel.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” (Jn 15:18)
**
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

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