How small-c catholic liberals attack what they don’t like (Catholic Caucus)

WDTPRS ^ | July 11, 2011 | Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

[NYer]

In the past I have mentioned that catholic liberals right now are using the clerical abuse issue as a blunt instrument with which to bludgeon any issue or any person they don’t like.

If they don’t like, say, the Church’s teaching about the impossibility of the ordination of women, the Church should change its “policy” because, of course, the bishops failed to prevent the sexual abuse of children. If they don’t like that a bishop sticks to the Church’s teaching on contrary-to-nature unions, then he should just shut up, because bishops failed in the sphere of clerical abuse. If they don’t like the new translation of the Missal, then no one should use it because the bishops didn’t handle the abuses thing well enough.

If they don’t like a particular bishop…. you get my drift.

Here is an example of this from National Catholic Fishwrap.

Sacrifice at the altar of God

by Thomas C. Fox on Jul. 09, 2011
NCR Today

Rita Ferrone, author of several books on liturgy, has written in the July 15 issue of Commonweal a searing critique of the New Roman Missal translation set to take affect in November.

These are tough years for the U.S. bishops who have fallen under dark clouds for their failings in their handlings [sic] of the decades’ long clergy sexual abuse tragedy in our church. To the failing of protecting our children from clergy abuse many will now be adding another: the failure to protect clear and simple — and meaningful — English in our mass liturgies from an assault by ideologically led bishops.

Here is how Ferrone concludes her remarkable Commonweal analysis:

[...]

Ferrone, whom I may look at more closely in another entry, goes on to sneer at the new translation along the same tired lines, concluding that people might get used it the new texts eventually but, she adds ominously, they shouldn’t.

Tom, Rita… I agree wholeheartedly! If you don’t like the new, corrected translation, just say no.

Your best approach is to promote the widespread use of Latin so that no one is forced to suffer with the horrible new English translation. Eh-vur.

In any event, this opening in the Fishwrap article was a good example of how liberals work. If they don’t like someone or something they will make a connection – no matter the stretch – with the sexual abuse issue, or will perform some other fan dance of moral equivalency.

Conservatives generally resist this sort of smear tactic. They opt instead to stick to arguments rather than ad hominem attacks or these false comparisons.

[NYer]

Ping!

[notaliberal]

Oh Yeah! A few (small c) catholics on FR who post several times a day negative articles about the Catholic Church. Once in a while they post a positive one, ya know, just to stay fair and balanced. We know them well by their agenda.

[Tax-chick]

Just ask Rita if she thinks it’s always wrong for adult homosexuals to have consensual relationships with mature adolescents ... and watch her scurry for cover.

[Cronos]

This is the same stance taken by the gays in New york to try and shut up the Archbishop.

[RobbyS]

Since Valican II, the modernist project has made great headway. The most tragic turn is the infidelity of so many priests. First those who abandoned their calling to return to the world. Second, the decision of so many who remained to bend the knee to the world. Third, the presence of so many closeted unbelievers both among the clergy and the laity who seek to commandeer the resources of the Church for their own purposes.