USCCB's new Director of Public Policy an abortion advacate

The Priestly Pugilist ^ | 7/14/07 | Priestly Pugilist

[Balt]

09:49 AM 9/14/2007 - First, read this press release from the USCCB web site (hat-tip to the ever-vigilant Diogenes):

WASHINGTON (September 13, 2007)—Kathy Saile, a church advocate with a decade of experience in Catholic social ministry and Washington policy work, has been named Director of Domestic Policy for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). She starts her new position in October.

Since August 2004, Saile has been Associate Director of Public Policy for Lutheran Services in America (USA), in Washington. Previous positions include Director of the Office of Peace and Justice, Catholic Social Service of Central and Northern Arizona and director of the Archdiocese of Phoenix Catholic Campaign for Human Development, 2001-2004; and Coordinator of Social Justice and Outreach Ministries, Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, 1997-2001. She also served as a Loaned Executive to Catholic Charities USA, May-July 2003.

... Msgr. David Malloy, USCCB General Secretary announced the appointment September 13. “Kathy Saile brings to this important position strong commitment to the Catholic Church and its social teaching, impressive knowledge of key domestic issues and extensive policy and advocacy experience. Her service in diocesan social ministry and here in the nation’s capital will be great assets in helping the bishops articulate and advance the Church’s principles and policies seeking economic and social justice in our nation.”

I'm interested in the line: "...brings to this important position strong commitment to the Catholic Church..." Oh, really? Now read this, from the web site of WIN, which promotes itself as "Washington’s premier professional, political, and social network dedicated to empowering young, Democratic, pro-choice women." It's an old promo for a dinner the organization held in 2006...

Did the Left Cede Heaven? The Intersection of Faith and Politics: Throughout American history religion has shaped US politics. Recent history has focused on the efforts and effects of Conservative Christians in the Republican Party, but the Left continues to be a party of people of faith. This dinner will highlight the way liberal people of faith organize to further progressive causes.

Planners: Maggie Rosenbloom & Ellen Banakis.

Host: Shannon Hughs, Account Executive, Stones’ Phones Consulting.

Speaker: Sammie Moshenberg, Director of Washington Operations, National Council of Jewish Women; Kathy Saile, Associate Director of Public Policy, Lutheran Services.

Msgr. Malloy has obviously come up with a definition of "commitment to the Catholic Church" of which I was personally unaware.

"How could such a mistake happen?" you may ask. And there's your problem: you're assuming it's a mistake. Your Priestly Pugilist understands. You want to presume that the Catholic bishops of the United States, whatever their faults may be, believe in the Catholic Faith. So does your Priestly Pugilist (want to believe they do, that is). But wanting it doesn't make it so; and the presumption is naive.

So, how can Msgr. Malloy claim that this pro-abortion woman has a strong commitment to the Catholic Church? There are two dynamics at work here. The first is simple moral relativism, usually based on a misinterpretation (or diliberate mis-reading) of the Church's teaching about conscience - read your Priestly Pugilist's unusally lucid explaination of it in the 04:31 PM 5/24/2007 post. But more to the point is a new heresy (which your Priestly Pugilist just invented) called "administrationism." Administrationism manifests itself when a bishop of the Catholic Church views himself less as a priest, teacher of the faith and shepherd of souls, and more as the CEO of some sort of eccesiastical corporation. When this heresy is embraced, the bishop in question (or in this case, a whole country full of 'em) no longer asks, "What would Christ do?" and asks instead, "What would Bill Gates do?" When a priest, for example, succumbs to a moral indiscretion, his first concern is not the state of the priest's soul or the effect this will have on the priest's flock, but what kind of damage control can be wrought to cushion the public fallout. When asked how his diocese is doing, he automatically assumes he's being asked for the balance sheet, not whether he feels the souls entrusted to his care are hearing the truth preached to them, receiving the sacraments worthily and growing in grace.

This is why the bishops of the US can appoint an advocate for abortion to what amounts to a marketing position (we'll leave out the question of why the Church would need someone in a marketing position), and not bother about such details as to whether she's a believer. As to her alledged "commitment to the Catholic Church," look at the choice of words. It's not her commitment to the Catholic Faith that was cited, but her commitment to the institution, i.e., the corporation. In other words, she'll make a good employee.

Back in the late '80s, the future pope, Cardinal Ratzinger, who had not long been in Rome at that time, said in an interview that many bishops in the world are burying the faith under a mountain of programs and initiatives, thinking that this, somehow, furthers the cause of Christ. "What the Church needs," he said, "is holiness, not management."

By the way, here's a PP predition: once the word gets around that the bishops' new Director of Domestic Policy once lent her skills to a group dedicated to "empowering pro-choice women," look for the press release on her appointment to be pulled from the USCCB web site. Do not, however, look for her appointment to be recinded.

[Chesterbelloc]

My very polite email to Sr. Mary Ann Walsh bounced back to me. She appears to be blocking email.

[Coleus]

her mailbox is probably full.

[nickcarraway]

After they saw Archbishop Levada named to head the CDF, they figured, full-steam ahead.

[nickcarraway]

And conversely, Ms. Saile’s employment with a Catholic group doesn’t prove she buys into their agenda.

[maryz]

LOL! Right — she’s probably just someone with no convictions at all, available to the highest bidder. How reassuring! ;-)

[Balt]

Don’t want to throw cold water on the story, but is there any proof that the woman is pro-abortion? Just because she was a speaker at a liberal conference doesn’t make her so.

Like I said: Another prediction: look for Msgr. Malloy to explain to us that Ms. Saile's speaking engagement with a pro-abortion group doesn't prove she buys into their agenda. Correct. And, if that's the case, it merely proves her completely mind-boggling lack of good judgement. She ought to fit right in at the USCCB.

[Balt]

Maybe itÂ’s coincidence - maybe itÂ’s Providence - maybe itÂ’s just plain weird; but, hereÂ’s a bit of dovetailing - a wing nut, if you will, to link our two previous posts together.
It comes from The Free Library web site, and is apparently a reprint of an article from US Catholic Magazine entitled, “What do you get out of Mass,” authored by Mary Lynn Hendrickson. Of course, your Priestly Pugilist would love to expound on why the title of the article shows that the author has absolutely no concept of what Christian worship is about in general, nor the Mass in particular (it's not about "what we get out of it”); but that would distract from the revelation I want you to notice. The article included responses to a survey including, among others, the following question:

Compared to when I was young, one of the ways I think Mass has changed for the worse is:

Among the many less than lucid and insipid answers given by clue-less people who also have no idea what Christian worship is all about, was this gem:

"We've begun to regress to some pre-Vatican II activities, like singing Latin responses. I don't understand any of it!" Kathy Saile of Phoenix, Arizona.

My, my. What a small world. And it looks like your Priestly Pugilist was wrong. Ms. Saile's appointment as USCCB Director of Domestic Policy is still on the official web site, which means it's worse than I thought.

by Priestly Pugilist

Pope Benedict trying to sell Summorum Pontificum to the American bishops.
This is meant as a joke:

Unfortunately, this isn't:

[maryz]

doesn't prove she buys into their agenda.

I'm sure she's "personally opposed, but . . ." ;-)

[Patriotic1]

I think I am going to start with my own Bishop.

[SuziQ]

it merely proves her completely mind-boggling lack of good judgement. She ought to fit right in at the USCCB.

*snort* I'm afraid you're right. Many of the new Bishops are better than their predecessors, but the staff is likely still as liberal as always, and it is they who run the place, day to day.