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Yeah, all those founding conservatives after World War II like William F. Buckley, Russell Kirk, Brent Bozell II, and Christopher Dawson were all closet liberals. Not to mention all the popes of the 19th, 20th, and early 21st centuries.

Individuals may have been conservative, but they have been few, and they are not counted among the bishops and cardinals of the Catholic church. Collectively speaking, IMO the leadership if not the "social teaching" of the Catholic church has been liberal for a long long time.

When put into the context of previous papal teaching, (teaching that has far more weighty authority I might add, because these are papal encyclicals, not mere apostolic exhortations), it would seem that Pope Francis' remarks are quite mild in comparison. This is papal teaching that goes back 120 years!
-- from the thread Pope Responds to Rush Limbaugh

the "social teaching" of the Catholic church has been liberal for a long long time.

Condemnation of socialism, not to mention abortion and homosexual acts and same-sex "marriage" is "liberal"?