Bishop Hypocrisy

Over at the National Review, the right-wing nutbags are celebrating a decision by Archbishop Raymond Burke. It has been reported that Sen. Claire McCaskill, who was asked to speak at her daughter's Catholic school commencement, was uninvited because of her record on abortion and stem cells.

Sen. McCaskill not welcome at Catholic school commencement
By Margaret
Gillermanand Jo Mannies
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/01/2007
Sen. Claire McCaskill, who had been invited to speak at her daughter's Catholic high school commencement, was told last week that she was no longer invited because of church policy rejecting her positions on abortion and embryonic stem cell research.

McCaskill had been chosen to speak at the graduation this month at St. Joseph's Academy in Frontenac.

Sue Brown, a spokeswoman for the Catholic Education Office of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, said the education office had recommended to the president of St. Joseph's Academy that McCaskill not be permitted to speak because McCaskill's positions are contradictory to church teaching.

McCaskill's camp, however, puts the blame for the decision on Archbishop Raymond Burke.

This isn't unusual. We've seen Archbishops do this type of thing before, and seen them intimate that Catholic Democratic politicians won't be able to take communion.

If this is their policy, fine. I think it is exclusionary, but the Archbishop's have every right to do so. But then they better not invite Republicans who support the death penalty, because that's against church policy. And they shouldn't allow any Republican who's been divorced to speak, because divorce is against church doctrine. And well, the Pope opposes the Iraq war, so basically no Republican should be able to get communion.

Of course, we know that won't happen. And that's what makes the Archbishop's actions hypocritical. He's not opposing McCaskill because of her Catholic positions, he's opposing her because of her progressive positions. This is purely a political move and if the Archbishop wants to become political, he should do so. But his church ought to lose its tax exempt status. Somehow, I'm willing to bet his Republican nature will rebel against the idea of losing such a sweet tax break.