Have Conservatives Become Cafeteria Catholics? (Catholic Caucus)

The Intelligent Catholics Guide ^ | August 2, 2014 | Maureen Williamson

[NYer]

Father Dwight Longenecker

I generally like Fr. Dwight Longenecker’s blog; but this morning I read one that is just off base. Called “The Rise of Conservative Cafeteria Catholicism,” it attacks conservative Catholics for being critical of Pope Francis, saying that they have now become “Cafeteria Catholics.”

Fr. Longenecker defines a liberal cafeteria Catholic as among other things “a liberal who picked peace and justice issues but was silent on abortion….picked up on the fellowship of the Lord’s Supper but declined the idea of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass….[they] liked the authority of the individual conscience but put Humanae Vitae on one side.”

“Now,” says Fr. Longenecker, “with Pope Francis the cafeteria Catholics are the conservatives. They splutter and fume at Pope Francis….they disagree with him about this and reject his words about that just as avidly and with as much fervor as the liberals used to reject Pope Benedict.”

First of all, I see precious little in the conservative Catholic press critical of Pope Francis. Second, I know of no conservative Catholic who would disagree with Pope Francis on matters of faith and morals.

Cafeteria Catholics who are liberal are not generally just “silent on abortion.” Those who are politicians actively support pro-abortion laws and regulations like the HHS Mandate. Those in the general public vote for these politicians. Such actions put one on the road to hell.

If we conservatives are critical about Pope Francis for his remarks, say, on homosexuality when talking to reporters on the way home from World Youth Day, it is because they were ambiguous about the moral issue of homosexuality in a time when Catholics are fighting same-sex “marriage” in countries throughout the world. We have all had those words used against us. However, no one suggests that Pope Francis is pro-same-sex “marriage.”

Being critical of Pope Francis’s words in this case will not put one on the road to hell. Nor will disagreeing with his emphasis on what issues are most important in the world today.

Except on matters of faith and morals, no pope is above criticism – from liberals or conservatives. All Catholics, liberal or conservative, must abide by the Church’s teachings on matters of faith and morals. A cafeteria Catholic is one who picks and chooses which of those teachings he follows. I don’t think conservative Catholics do that.

[NYer]

Ping!

[Legatus]

I read Fr. Longenecker’s blog entry earlier today and decided this was just another case of him blogging too much. He and pope Francis both need to find something more important to do with their time... like posting on Freep! :)

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Schismatic trads? Maybe. Conservative Catholics? No.

[verga]

St. Catherine of Sienna. We are in good company.

[Arthur McGowan]

If Williamson represents Longenecker’s post fairly, then he’s a boob.

[Salvation]

Agree with your analysis.

[Heart-Rest]

Fr. Longenecker is obviously confusing the term "conservative" with the term "traditionalist". They do not mean the same thing.

While all real Catholics should always show great respect toward the Pope, that by no means dictates that they have to swallow or agree with everything a Pope says or does (or a Bishop, or a Priest, etc.). Popes, bishops, and priests have been known to say and do things that were unquestionably wrong, and Catholics always have to use prayerful discernment to recognize when something said or done is "not quite right".

To blindly accept everything any member of the hierarchical clergy says without weighing it for "truthfulness", represents suck-up sycophantish behavior identical to that of Obama "groupies" who believe Obama can say or do no wrong. "Conservative" in a Catholic sense means "Orthodox", committed to accepting and following all of the teachings of the Church, not just a subset selection of them, so, by definition, they are not "cafeteria Catholics.

The Father is wrong in his terminology, and sounds like he's advocating accepting everything a Pope ever says, which (of course) the Church does not teach. (Sometimes it is wrong to just tiptoe down the middle of an issue like abortion, or various perversions, in a tepid, lukewarm fashion.)

"I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth."   Revelation 3:15-16

(St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us.)

[ex-snook]

Frankly he lost me.

[FourtySeven]

However, no one suggests that Pope Francis is pro-same-sex “marriage.”

LOL.

Mrs. Williamson (Miss?) obviously hasn't been to FR.

I have seen this suggested right here. And yes, by Catholics.

FR. Longenecker may be overreaching on his blog post but he's not ENTIRELY off the mark, especially when Francis dares to say anything about the duty of the Christian to be charitable.

And yes, it's a duty, and yes it's true: the money you own now is not "yours" as if you have a "right" to deny some to the poor.

Not as a Christian, not as a Catholic. I know that rankles some on here, but again, while FR. Longenecker may be too broad in his criticism, there is some merit to what he says. You don't have a "right" to the money you own when there are people starving around you.

The government doesn't have a right to it either. So this isn't "Marxism" or "socialism" (before someone stupidly accuses me of that). This is Christianity.

This is Church teaching and this is all Francis has said.