The Rise of the Catholic Right: How right-wing billionaires are attempting a hostile takeover of the U.S. Catholic Church

  • Thread starter Thread starter gracepoole
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

gracepoole

Guest
Newer groups—including the Napa Institute, Legatus (launched by Domino’s Pizza founder Thomas Monaghan), and the Acton Institute—use the nonprofit designation to push an extreme libertarian economic agenda. Their devotion to individualism, unrestricted capitalism, and diminishment of government services, especially to the poor and marginalized, runs counter to the central tenets of Catholic social teaching.

“I think we’re in a kind of brave new world where these groups really are setting themselves up as authorities above the authorities,” said Stephen Schneck, former director of the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies at the Catholic University of America (and a Sojourners board member). “I don’t know how else to say that. They’re challenging the legitimacy of existing structures of authority and trying to fill that space with their own agenda and their own people.”

Schneck sees the explosion of religious nonprofits not so much as a cultural phenomenon but rather “as something that leaked over from American politics,” where a flood of money influencing the direction of the two major parties is coming through groups that have little allegiance to traditional party structures or traditionally held positions and alliances.
Click to expand...

I see truth here. Which is sad, as I’d love to support these public Catholic groups but cannot because I question how “Catholic” their aims really are.
 
Last edited:
It is sad that these groups seem to be conspiring to use the abuse scandal to bring down a sitting Pope, not because of the abuse but because they don’t like him.
 
I know a priest at the center of a the Acton Institute. And his full-on acceptance of capitalism goes well beyond that advocated by the Church. Frankly, I’d never participate in another Mass celebrated by him and my mother, who lives in the same community with him and has been a committed and faithful Catholic all her life, swears she’d never attend Mass at all if he was the only priest left in town. I don’t want any part of that group.
 
gracepoole said:
I know a priest at the center of a the Acton Institute. And his full-on acceptance of capitalism goes well beyond that advocated by the Church. Frankly, I’d never participate in another Mass celebrated by him and my mother, who lives in the same community with him and has been a committed and faithful Catholic all her life, swears she’d never attend Mass at all if he was the only priest left in town. I don’t want any part of that group.
Click to expand...
What do you have against capitalism? What other system do you think would be better?
 
Like the Church, I have no problem with capitalism. Also like the Church, I have a problem with unfettered capitalism.
 
I’m just waiting until they start running into the commies trying to take over the Church
 
Outside groups trying to infiltrate churches isn’t new. There are plenty on the Left that do the same but on social issues.

A lot of Americans don’t realize this but Catholicism has always been associated with social democratic economics, which isn’t democratic socialism. Capitalism tends to be a Protestant thing and if you examine the capitalism-Protestantism relationship, it’s more American than European. I think some of that could be due to nonconformists’ distrust of established churches, who fled to the New World. Libertarian economics is definitely not shared by the vast majority of Christians outside of America.
 
Last edited:
Sojourners is not pro Catholic-it came out of the baptist Church and a cursory review of its home page and initial links show it advocating in opposition to the magisterium. I can imagine that it might find some of the institutions created by Catholics to be unfavorable.
Here are a few of the links it offers:

Sojourners - 7 Reasons Men Should Not Be Pastors | Facebook​

Married, Queer, & Co-Pastoring A Church

These two women are the first married same-sex co-pastors of this historic Baptist church in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Sojourners on Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Click to expand...
Here’s a link to the Legatus site:
https://legatus.org/legatus/

And some information offered by Legatus:

Ten Benefits​

Professional Distinction​

Over 5,000 Catholic business leaders and spouses have in common their membership in this prestigious international organization.

Support for the Magisterium of the Church​

Legatus members believe in the teachings of the Catholic Church and are dedicated to supporting the Magisterium of the Church.

Monthly Date Night with Your Spouse​

Husbands and wives share this special event each month which begins with confession, rosary and Mass, followed by a social, dinner and an inspiring guest speaker.

Exclusive Pilgrimages​

Enjoy Legatus’ annual pilgrimage where members see Rome and other pilgrimage sites like no other pilgrims.

Lifelong Learning​

Legatus provides access to the best minds in the Church, business world and society addressing the most important topics – faith, family and business.

Summit Conferences​

Legatus’ annual conference is a three-day inspirational event with a powerhouse of speakers, clergy and other attractions at top resort destinations.

Networking​

With over 90 chapters you will recognize and be impressed with the many Catholic business leaders that have committed themselves to ‘study, live and spread the Catholic faith in their business and personal lives.’

Prayer​

Chaplains set the tone spiritually through relevant homilies and orthodox liturgies. Confession and the rosary are available to chapter members before Mass.

Like-Minded Catholic Lay Leadership​

Have you and your spouse ever wondered ‘where are the lay-leaders in the Church today?’ In Legatus, every month you meet with Catholic lay and business leaders who share your Catholic faith and values.

I’d love to see more businesses supporting the faith.
 
This is clearly Fake News. The Truth is Communists have infiltrated the Church
 
Yup, the Sojourners are a leftist group pushing for Climate Change Agenda, Unlimited Immigration and Social Justice. So Yes, another Fake News publishing site
 
Yes George Soros is Funding this Leftist Media Sojourners. Just Check Google!
 
It’s either that or the Freemasons and Shriners continuing (flip over your dollar bill to see the continuing influence of both.
 
If it walks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck! Sojourner’s is but another of the progressive left’s stealth organizations developed to move into the Church. Does not pass the smell test.
If I read an article, then hold it up to the warnings of “Pascendi Domenici Gregis” from ++Pope St. Pius X and alarm bells go off, I know it is garbage. Period.
 
Some of the comments in this thread are hilarious. Specifically, the ones that are accusing Sojourner of doing the exact same thing that the article is accusing Brietbart, Acton and Napa of doing.
 
Last edited:
How about this? Rather than railing against the source, fully explain why its claims are false. Just a thought.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top