The Hub of Politics

The Boston Herlad, already distinguishing itself as the Catholic-bashing paper in the region, followed-up their disgraceful Saturday coverage of the Boston Archdiocese's decision to flee the adoption business with a couple of pieces on Sunday that are not worth leaving for your dog to pee upon.

It's hard to know precisely where to start with these pieces - they are both a treasure-trove of Faith-o-phobia and political correctness. But as we have to start somewhere, let's lead-off with the least obnoxious of the two - the "news" story written by Laura Crimaldi and Kimberly Atkins (you remember Ms. Atkins, right?) - complete with a finger-wagging picture of the Prince of Chappaquiddick, The Swimmer himself, the ultimate Cafeteria Catholic, Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Once again, you don't get past the first paragraph without certainty as to the final destination:

Catholic Charities of Boston's historic decision to pull out of the adoption business rather than help gay households start families sparked worries from coast to coast yesterday that other Catholic agencies might follow suit at the expense of children looking for good homes.

Oh. My. Gosh.

Let me see, we have CatholicsHateGayPeople™, TheChurchHurtsKids™, and ItIsAllAboutTheChildren™ - all in one sentence! This must be some sort of record.

It continues...

Here in Massachusetts, the four gubernatorial candidates said they do not support legislation promised by Gov. Mitt Romney to exempt religious groups from the state's anti-discrimination laws so the Catholic Church can continue its adoption work while openly excluding gays.

Explain to me again why I should spend my time trying to get Lt. Governor Healey elected? Or Christy "It's all about Me" Mihos? If this is the sort of leadership I can expect from either of these Profiles in Courage then I suppose I may as well just stay home.

But I've digressed...

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco already has pledged to reconsider its practice of allowing gays to adopt through its social service agency at the urging of its former archbishop, Cardinal-designate William J. Levada, who is now prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican.

What does it tell you that even San Francisco is reconsidering this policy?

Before I get so angry (again) that I start to spit, please allow me to skip to the end...

At a campaign rally in Dorchester yesterday, U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) said it was a 'sad day' for adoption.

"Catholic Charities has done an exceptional job of helping children and that is what I am most concerned about. And that is a sad day for the children that need help," he said.

Let me put this as delicately as I am able: Bite me, Senator.

But as if that were not enough, we are then compelled to come to terms with the predictable unctuousness of The Herald's resident "expert" on all things Catholic: the pro-choice, pro-Homosexual-Marriage, divorcee - Ms. Margery Eagan:

Most days, I tell myself this band of blind men will not drive me from the church of my birth, the faith of my family and a source of strength, comfort, joy and, some days, even transformation.

Why let the terrorists win?

Oh swell - so now the Archbishop of Boston is a terrorist. Nice. Really nice.

Believe it or not, you have to subscribe to get the rest of these marvelous insights so let me spare you the expense and provide some of the "choice cuts" before I cancel my subscription:

Most days, I manage to dismiss the latest enraging fulmination out of Rome or Lake Street with that well-worn line from The Big Man himself, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Yep - and you are, of course, an expert on The Doctrine, The Tradition and The Teachings. Hubris doesn't begin to describe it.

But some days - and this is one of them - it's particularly hard explaining to my children why mother keeps dragging them to a church which, fresh from turning a blind eye to child abuse, now decides gay adoption is "gravely immoral" and does "violence to children." It's 2006, not 1906.

Ah, so we're back to TheChurchHurtsKids™.

Celibate men isolated from the world may not know, up close and personal, any healthy, happy, gay households. But lots of today's children do, and they, and the rest of us, see this latest pronouncement for what it is: bigotry born of ignorance.

Slander, followed by canard, followed by more slander. Par for the course for Ms. Eagan.

But Ms. Expert-on-all-Catholicism was hardly even warmed-up by then:

This archdiocesan emperor has no clothes, by the way. Everybody knows who allowed the "gravely immoral violence" to the children, year after year, again and again.

Broken-records, anyone?

Ms. Eagan then decides to dazzle us with her unquestioned mastery of Cannon Law:

As for the argument that bishops have to follow the Vatican's rule, it's ridiculous. Bishops, like everybody else, have free choice.

Uh, no Margery. They don't. It's called following the Teachnigs - and it is not negotiable. But for someone like you - fixated on "choice" as you are - I'm sure something as minor as the Principles of The Church are merely guidelines, after all.

Yet here I am, a faith-filled Catholic throughout this mess, constantly asked to defend myself.

Faith-filled? Perhaps. But Margery, there are many names used to describe "faith-filled" people such as yourself, and Catholic just is not one of them.

And to people like me, people who dare to question why she continues the charade of her "faith" to The Church, she offers only the following:

I stay because the Catholic hierarchy and Catholic purists want people like me - we not-buying-the-total-program so-called cafeteria Catholics -- to go. They'd prefer it, I'm convinced, no matter how much money we've got. Join the near-beer Episcopalians with their gay bishop just out of rehab, they say. Become a Jew for Jesus, they say. An anything-goes Unitarian. Whatever. Just leave. Take off. Get out.

Make me, I reply.

But Margery dear, you've already left. Voluntarily. Years ago. That you continue with the charade in spite of all evidence to the contrary (such as your own writings) is your problem, not The Church's.

However, this is a free country and you can go-around continuing to call yourself a Catholic all the live-long day. Fine - no one will stop you. But that I can go-around calling myself the Crown Prince of Freedonia does not make it so. Think on that for a minute once all your buds at The Herald and WTKK pause from patting your back and singing your praises.

For the sake of our remaining nerves, and so I avoid running afoul of copyright laws, I will spare you all the rest. There is only so-much holier-than-thou condescension one can take - and Ms. Eagan was in rare form in that regard yesterday.

Suffices to say that I'm sure we will have to continue to endure the rantings of "experts" like Ms. Eagan going-forward. It's just the Herald will do so without me paying their salaries as my subscription will be canceled shortly.