NCR Welcome to Friday. Columnist Michael Sean Winters wonders what this campaign is doing to the Catholic Church in the United States. Sharon Lavigne, a Black Catholic woman, fights a plastics factory in Bayou Country in a battle over environmental racism. And the U.S. is not alone in political and religious divisions: Bolivia's bishops respond to an election campaign highlighted by splits in the church between Andean spirituality and more traditional Catholicism.
What is this election doing to the Catholic Church?
Columnist Michael Sean Winters argues that while much attention has focused on what the 2020 election campaign is doing to the country, it’s also polarizing the church as well. Too many bishops, he says, are failing to grasp the nuances of Catholic social teaching and have fallen into a one-issue mindset that will prove detrimental to the church well after the next president is elected.
Winters names names. Some church leaders have resorted to Republican talking points. A priest in Wisconsin argued that Catholics cannot be Democrats and received the support of some bishops. Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence questioned Joe Biden's Catholic identity.
The late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin’s consistent ethic of life offers a different model, making the abortion issue a foundational concern, not a singular isolated stance, says Winters. Republican-leaning bishops have also been joined by some Catholic lay conservative leaders, who are willing to endorse President Donald Trump despite his obliviousness in protecting life during the COVID crisis.
More background:
- Being pro-life isn't easy during this presidential campaign.
- Candidates make faith appeal directed to Catholics.
On the Bayou, Catholic leader fights pollution
Sharon Lavigne, 69, is a leader in St. James Parish (Louisiana-speak for county) opposed to a giant plastic factory proposed for the region by a Taiwanese-based company.
Louisiana political leaders say the area needs the jobs that would be provided.
But Lavigne said the area is already overly polluted and that the proposed factory would add to filthy air issues. She's also concerned that it would encroach on burial grounds dating to the slavery era.
Lavigne is the founder of Rise St. James and has enlisted the support of Catholic environmental leaders.
Read the full story in EarthBeat.
Bolivia's post-election stuggles highlight divisions
Religion played a major role in the recent Bolivian presidential campaign, with candidates polarized between traditional Christianity and a socialist candidate with appeal to those embracing Andean spirituality. Luis Arce, the socialist, won. Now Catholic leaders in the aftermath are trying to reconcile the country, one of the poorest in Latin America.
The religious split mirrors the economic and social divides in the country, with many of the poor supportive of Andean spirituality.
The losing candidate appealed to traditional Christians by combining both evangelical and Catholic symbolism. The socialist victory continues the party's dominance after the long tenure of former president Evo Morales.
More headlines
- Congressman Thomas Suozzi argues the Catholic case for Joe Biden. The New York Democrat argues that the former vice president is the morally-viable option.
- Pope Francis raised worldwide controversy when he was quoted in support of civil unions for gay couples. Now our readers have their say.
Final thoughts
Spooked by more than the specter of Halloween? Images of political mayhem intruding on your dreams? NCR makes sense of it all with extensive campaign coverage. View the full series here.
Have a good weekend,
Peter Feuerherd
News Editor
[email protected]
P.S. This is the final week of our Fall Member Drive. If you know someone who you think would like to be a member, please forward and share this email with them. Or, if you are not yet a member and are enjoying this newsletter, join the NCR family today.
Featured Advertisers
Advertisement
800-444-8910 | [email protected]
