No Brotherly Love for the new Archbishop of Philadelphia

Today, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are celebrating the installation of Archbishop Charles J. Chaput O.F.M. The question thus arises why Nicholas P. Cafardi, Dean Emeritus of the Duquesne Law School, would publish an op-ed in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer both maligning and accusing Archbishop Chaput of propagating a “one-issue” Catholic Church. That issue, of course, is abortion, a practice that Archbishop Chaput has consistently reminded all Catholics, including Catholic politicians, should be opposed rather than supported.

To imply that Archbishop Chaput does not care about the “broad spectrum of values,” such as caring for the poor and immigrants, is simply silly. This accusation will gain no traction among those who know the archbishop and his 23 years of revitalizing the dioceses of Rapid City, South Dakota and Denver, Colorado. It’s the predictable accusation of Catholics, like Carfardi, who have publicly supported political candidates, such as Barack Obama, with indisputable records of support for abortion.

Carfardi wants the bishops to back off the abortion issue because he knows the kind of candidates he supports will lose their luster when bishops and priests remind faithful Catholics of their political responsibility. Carfardi even repeats the falsity reported in the New York Times during the 2004 presidential campaign that Archbishop Chaput said Catholics voting for John Kerry were “cooperating with evil.” Carfardi surely knows that the archbishop produced the transcript of the interview it was based upon, showing the New York Times simply got it wrong. It was disingenuous, if not outright rude, for Carfardi to put that bit of misinformation back into circulation.

Although he claims that polling data shows the “culture-war approach” is rejected by most religious voters, Cafardi describes the appointment of Archbishop Chaput to Philadelphia as having “national implications in the 2012 elections.” Though he downplays the effectiveness of pro-life convictions in attracting voters, Cafardi tries to paint Archbishop Chaput with a partisan brush, arguing his “disproportionate focus” on the abortion issue in politics “gives the false impression that the Catholic Church is a religious wing of the Republican Party.” Surely that concern was put to rest in 2008 when 54 percent of self-identified Catholics supported Obama over pro-life John McCain. Such remarks about the bishops and the GOP only serve to underscore the need for Catholic Democrats to put their own house in order.

At the end of his op-ed, Cafardi congratulates Archbishop Chaput for his “demonstrated integrity and strong leadership” in handling “sensitive assignments” given to him by the Vatican. But, it’s impossible to put balance into an appraisal of an archbishop that is intended to poison the well from the first day of his service to Catholics in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Let’s hope such an initial volley from Cafardi will remind Catholics of Chaput’s archdiocese of the prayer and support he will need for that community to recover from its recent travails.

The question thus arises why Nicholas P. Cafardi, Dean Emeritus of the Duquesne Law School, would publish an op-ed in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer both maligning and accusing Archbishop Chaput of propagating a “one-issue” Catholic Church. That issue, of course, is abortion, a practice that Archbishop Chaput has consistently reminded all Catholics, including Catholic politicians, should be opposed rather than supported. To imply that Archbishop Chaput does not care about the “broad spectrum of values,” such as caring for the poor and immigrants, is simply silly.

Chaput is hardly a one-issue Catholic:

CHAPUT ON HEALTH CARE:

"....This is why the Church always seeks to work cooperatively with people of other faiths and no faith to secure the basic elements of human dignity for all our citizens—decent housing, a living wage, justice under the law and adequate food and health care...."
-- Archbishop Chaput, from the thread Begging Caesar to render welfare unto us: a conversation with Archbishop Chaput

"Health-care reform is vital. That’s why America’s bishops have supported it so vigorously for decades. They still do. But fast-tracking a flawed, complex effort this fall, in the face of so many growing and serious concerns, is bad policy. It’s not only imprudent; it’s also dangerous."
-- Archbishop Chaput, from the thread Health care and the common good

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver also issued a call to action urging Catholics to tell legislators that only a bill that excludes abortion is acceptable health care reform.
-- from the thread Cardinal Rigali, Abp. Chaput Intensify Warnings Against Obamacare's Abortion Expansion

CHAPUT ON IMMIGRATION:

"....in recent years, state-level efforts have been made across the country to bar undocumented young adults from the benefits of in-state tuition breaks for higher education. This is bad public policy for several reasons....SB 170, if enacted, will require that any individual receiving in- state tuition must have attended a Colorado public or private high school for three years....students who meet these significant and verifiable standards, and qualify for in-state tuition, will not be required to verify lawful presence in the United States."
-- Archbishop Chaput, from the thread Denver Archbishop Supports Tuition Equity [Chaput favors extending in-state tuition to illegals]

“Illegal immigration is wrong and dangerous for everyone involved,” he asserted. There is nothing good about people risking their lives to enter the U.S., and there is nothing good about Americans not knowing who crosses their borders, “especially in an age of terrorism, drugs and organized violent crime”. There is also nothing good about people “living in the shadows,” or families being separated, or “decent people being deported and having to start their lives all over again, sometimes in a country that they no longer -- or never did -- know.” Although flawed, Archbishop Chaput continued, the Arizona law unintentionally accomplishes the good of bringing immigration reform and its human issues to the forefront of the national discussion....“Our current immigration system is now obviously broken. Congress needs to act.”
-- Archbishop Chaput, from the thread Arizona immigration law shows need for reform, Archbishop Chaput writes

CHAPUT ON DEMOCRATS:

"....Partly because I'm a bishop and partly because I'm older and a little bit wiser, I don't belong to any political party. As a young priest I worked on Bobby Kennedy's campaign. Later I volunteered with the 1976 and 1980 campaigns for Jimmy Carter. So if I have any partisan roots, they're in the Democratic Party. But as I say in the book, one of the lessons we need to learn from the last 50 years is that a "preferred" Catholic political party usually doesn't exist...."
-- Archbishop Chaput, from the thread Denver Prelate on the Catholic Political Vocation - "Tolerance Is Not a Christian Virtue"

Sadly, Archbishop Chaput has indicated that it is the responsibility of the communicant to stay away from the Communion Rail. This is not correct. Rather, it is the responsibility of the Minister of the Eucharist to deny Holy Communion. This is a huge difference that goes against the Church's teachings regarding canon 915 as well as recent statements from the Vatican stating that the manifest pro-abortion politicians must be denied, and the burden IS upon the Minister to deny, NOT upon the communicant to stay away.
-- from the thread Will Denver Catholic Archbishop finally enforce Canon 915?

Speaking for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver has stated that a religious coalition, which recently petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to clamp down on "hate speech" by conservative talk-show hosts, has misrepresented the U.S. bishops' involvement in their initiative.
-- from the thread USCCB Denies Involvement in FCC Campaign against Conservative Talk-Show Hosts

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