Publisher of Catholic magazine forced to resign

Washington Times ^ | Wednesday, September 22, 2004 | By Julia Duin

[JohnHuang2]

The Washington Times
www.washingtontimes.com

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Publisher of Catholic magazine forced to resign

By Julia Duin
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published September 22, 2004

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Deal Hudson, publisher of Crisis magazine and, until recently, a top Bush political adviser on outreach to Roman Catholics, will resign from the magazine at the end of the year after five of his most influential columnists pressured the board to get rid of him.
    The columnists, who include some of the nation's best-known Catholic scholars, told the board in a letter that they would leave the magazine unless the board ejected Mr. Hudson, 54.
    According to two scholars familiar with the letter, the columnists were angry about an Aug. 19 National Catholic Reporter (NCR) expose on Mr. Hudson's sexual liaison with an 18-year-old student in 1994, an action that cost him his tenured professorship at Fordham University and a $30,000 settlement.
    In addition, specific accusations of more recent sexual misconduct had come to the board's attention, one scholar said.
    "This was not about one incident 10 years ago," he said. "It's surprising it was held down as long as it was. I haven't gone out of my way to track Deal Hudson's improprieties -- I could be doing nothing else. But you began to wonder after a while if they are true."
    The five columnists include the two founding editors of the magazine: Michael Novak of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and University of Notre Dame philosophy professor Ralph McInerny.

[NYer]

Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

We made the disapproving call on this on FR some time ago.
A feeling of vindication mixed with some sadness is a relief.

[kcvl]

On Aug. 18, Hudson quit his post as an adviser to the Republican National Committee on Catholic issues. "While I have no intention of being dissuaded by personal attacks, I will not allow low-brow tactics to distract from the critically important issues in this election," he wrote on the website of National Review.

[nickcarraway]

Now that the NCR has done it's job, everyone can go back to supporting abortion.

[Aquinasfan]

"This was not about one incident 10 years ago," he said. "It's surprising it was held down as long as it was. I haven't gone out of my way to track Deal Hudson's improprieties -- I could be doing nothing else."

Sounds like the sack was necessary. Too bad. Prayers for Deal and his family.

[patent]

>>>Now that the NCR has done it's job, everyone can go back to supporting abortion.

NCR is pretty pathetic, as you note, but I really can't see this guy hanging around at this point. Especially true if the offenses are continuing, as alleged (without support) in the article. At that point he really has to go. We don't need "leadership" like that.

patent

[ninenot]

We don't need "leadership" like that.

We already have certain Bishops---

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Basic rule of thumb : sexual immoral misconduct disqualifies
you from leadership of Catholic institutions and organizations.

[hummingbird]

I can't recall the name of his EWTN series. Wonder if he will be continuing at EWTN. I don't regularly watch his programs but enjoyed the interviews with the Sister from Nashville.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

You called it!

[Maximilian]

The article says that the board determined that the magazine cannot survive with Hudson at the helm. The question now is whether it can survive without Hudson at the helm. We can all hope that the magazine will meet the fate that it deserves.

It's worth clicking on the link, BTW, since there are several interesting tidbits about the circumstances and the names of the people who turned on Hudson, including Michael Novak. I wonder if the man who wrote the article "Sex Every Day or Even More Often" attacking the Church teaching on birth control has any qualms about pointing the finger at skeletons in others' closets?

[american colleen]

"I wonder if the man who wrote the article "Sex Every Day or Even More Often" attacking the Church teaching on birth control has any qualms about pointing the finger at skeletons in others' closets?"

That's a fair question.

I'm sure the magazine will stand or fall on its own merits as magazines are wont to do.

I find it hard to comment either way without knowing whether this was over the one episode or are there others... can't take 'off the record' unsourced material too seriously.

Not so much here as on some of the blogspots, it is amazing to read the reactions to this (and the original NCR slimey story) sorry mess. More circular firing squads amongst the non-liberal Catholics.

[Maximilian]

Not so much here as on some of the blogspots, it is amazing to read the reactions to this

I think the reason is, that despite all the self-criticism of the debate here on FR, we are truly concerned with the essentials of the Catholic faith. The debate really gets down to the nitty-gritty. For those, however, who are more tied up in the political culture, then the fall of someone like Deal Hudson is a major, major event. It's ironic that on a political website like FR, the Catholics would be less politically inclined and more concerned with doctrines rather than personalities.

[american colleen]

It is kind of ironic that most on FR don't seem to care whether Hudson goes or stays since he is touted as (one of) the Catholic liasons to the pres. I don't think most Catholics even know (or care) who he is, to tell the truth.

Well, when a private sin is made public and the figure it concerns is a public persona, these things happen, they should happen - although in this case I think NCR should have refrained since the sin seems to have been repented and repaid (losing his career as a professor plus the $$ settlement). I'm sure NCReporter published what they did for a political reason. I am assuming this is a one-time failing on Hudson's part until and if the facts are known.

One more reason to be glad we are not public figures whose past repented sins are fair game to some with axes to grind.

Amy Welborn's blogspot has a lot of ongoing back and forth on this - some attended the event and dispute the newspaper account, some are liberals and some are traditionalists... spans the spectrum of us.

[Maximilian]

Amy Welborn's blogspot has a lot of ongoing back and forth on this - some attended the event and dispute the newspaper account, some are liberals and some are traditionalists... spans the spectrum of us.

Thanks for the link. Very interesting discussion going on over there.

[Antoninus]

I'm no great fan of Deal Hudson, but this is clearly a case of leftist/secularist swine at the NCR using the politics of personal destruction to get rid of a political/religious enemy.

Deal Hudson is an imperfect man, but I'm convinced that the NCR is a tool of the devil. Vade retro satanas.

[Antoninus]

Basic rule of thumb : sexual immoral misconduct disqualifies you from leadership of Catholic institutions and organizations.

Unless you're a bishop in Albany, NY. In that case, you just hire Mary Jo White and everything goes away...

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Perhaps Hudson should have been a bishop in NY then.

Crisis has been declining in quality for some time. Hudson should not have been entrusted with such a prominent and public leadership position with that kind of problem in his background. Seems like they need to work on the vetting procedures at Crisis just like in the chanceries and seminaries. A tragi-comic farce.

God can do the forgiving. Converts who jockey for position and power in church institutions need to be screened more carefully just like the clergy.

Crisis should return back to more what it was like in the '80s when it had a real edge under the name Catholicism in Crisis. McInerny, Novak, and Schall did a good job with the product back then.

The church as a whole needs to get back in touch with real Catholicism and real Catholic intellectual culture.

"If it looks goofy, kooky, and absurd, chances are it might be. Heads up, everyone!"

[cherry]

Is NCR a leftist type "Cathlolic" paper?