Strategery Strategery

Jesuit Father Tom Reese

On what the official position should be now that the Bishops' official position was ignored by pro-life Catholics:

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/georgetown/2010/03/health_care_what_should_the_bishops_say_now.html

Bishops have, argues Reese, no "special charism" in divining various Court's interpretations of statutes. Humility might recognize that legislative interpretation of the Courts in various case by case scenarios might even be better intuited by lawyers who argue regularly before courts and are in the business of interpreting statutes. (Just a thought, Silly me.) Humility might further recognize that the Archdiocese might not be consulting the best attorneys around. Look at their record.

It was likely a shocker when the Catholic Chief Supreme Court Justice John Roberts did not stop the presses on the recent issue regarding the gay equal marriage rights issue- and instead the Archbishop of Washington just said- No Insurance For Any of You Spouses! Which of his legal minions thought that was a good idea? Either the brief or the result? Can you imagine a worse headline- Archbishop takes back ALL the spousal insurance- like the Seinfeld Soup Nazi- No Insurance For You!! Archbishop against covering health. For anyone.

It was also likely a shocker when the church didn't have in their back pocket Judge Holeman or any other DC Superior Court Judge, none of whom took the Archdiocese position that a referendum should be imposed on DC Citizens to vote against the Gay equal marriage rights law.

It was also probably a triple shocker when something so obviously right, like subsidized school assistance for low income kids was defeated and revoked and all church-state separation arguments in the church's (and kids') favor failed. This shows either the depth of the antipathy to what some perceive as the arrogance of the church or just some pretty awefully bad lawyering. Style counts. So does the US Constitution.

The Archbishopric Archdiocese of Washington is a non-profit corporation that covers parishes in Maryland that go as south as Saint Mary's and as north as Frederick and includes Washington, DC. Suburban Maryland interests in a number of areas may or may not be the same as the interests of DC residents who are more diverse in origins, racially, and other ways. When the "Archdiocese of Washington, DC" takes a position, it is really the position in the interest of various towns, townships and counties in Maryland as well.
The Archdiocese of Washington is pretty much O for 3 on these issues in DC and nationally. Perhaps it's time to do a little soul searching. Should the Archdiocese of Washington, DC be just that? Just DC? The positions might fare better and the church look less irrelevant.

Perhaps a study should be convened wherein it is proposed that the Archdiocese of DC (a population around the size of Vermont and larger than Cheney's home state of Wyoming) should be separated from the Archdioce of Suburban Maryland South of Baltimore.