Gingrich Keeps Quiet on Catholic Conversion (received into Church over the past weekend)

US News ^ | March 30, 2009 | Dan Gilgoff

[NYer]

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich converted to Roman Catholicism over the weekend at St. Joseph's Church in Washington, D.C. So far, Gingrich has been conspicuously quiet about his conversion. He didn't mention it in an interview with me earlier this month that focused on his stepped-up efforts to organize religious conservatives and promote religious liberty issues.

An enthusiastic Twitterer, the former speaker has gone tweetless since Saturday. Best I can tell, Newt's one recent mention of Catholicism was a tweet last Tuesday about President Obama's forthcoming appearance at Notre Dame: "It is sad to see notre dame invite president obama to give the commencement address Since his policies are so anti catholic values."

I checked with his media team, which says that Newt is declining interview requests about his conversion for now but that he may open up later in the year.

[LibLieSlayer]

“Perhaps Sarah Palin will see the error of her ways”

Bigot!

[Professor_Leonide]

I mean religious errors, not political errors. Her only political error was trusting John McCain’s advisors.

[Professor_Leonide]

Most of his ardent fans already know this, but John Wayne also converted!

[Cicero]

So far, Gingrich has been conspicuously quiet about his conversion.

How can you be "conspicuously quiet"? Only if there is some jerk from US News who wants you to give him an interview. None of your beeswax, Gilgoff.

[buccaneer81]

Perhaps Sarah Palin will see the error of her ways and swim the Tibur too! We can always hope, right?

She was born and raised Catholic and left the Church in her 20s.

[NYer]

Most of his ardent fans already know this, but John Wayne also converted!

As did Bob Hope. The list grows longer each day.

[Professor_Leonide]

No kidding? I guess she gained her strong pro-life viewpoints as a young Catholic.

Many cradle Catholics will dabble in the evangelical Christian movement and then return home - like baal teshuvahs - which is good. Evangelical Christianity has its good points and they do try their hardest to oppose the evil of this world, so there’s definitely something to be said about that.

[Professor_Leonide]

Did Leo Gorcey convert?

[SoCalPol]

It would be a matter of Gov. Palin returning as her Parents were
Catholic and became members of their current church when Sarah was a young girl

[SoCalPol]

add Judge Borke to your list

[NYer]

Bobby Jindal, our hope for the future. Thank you for posting that list.

[Professor_Leonide]

That explains it! Sarah Palin is a very loyal lady but if she was raised right, she would have never turned from Rome. No offense intended to those other religions.

[SoCalPol]

Clarence Thomas was always Catholic but many yrs later became Episcopal and later returned to the Catholic Church

[LibLieSlayer]

RELIGIOUS ERRORS??? Seems we fought a war for Independence to have the right to worship as we please. So nice of you to prove my point... you are a religious bigot.

LLS

[dodger]

All the best to Newt but I do worry that wife #3 is a bit too tightly wound ...

[Zetman]

I am Catholic, but perhaps someone could clarify Church Law for me. I thought that if a Catholic gets divorced (or maybe gets divorced and then remarried), that they incur automatic excommunication. If this is the case, how is it that Newt is allowed to become Catholic?? If I recall correctly he is divorced and remarried. If living in that state would cause someone who is already Catholic to be excommunicated, shouldn't it also prevent a non-Catholic from being able to enter the Church (unless they first obtain an annulment)??

I am a bit dodgy on some of the finer details of Church Law in this area, so I thought this would be an opportune time to ask.

[Professor_Leonide]

No offense intended but we fought a war for the right to call another idea an error. There ain’t no law against believing a religious error and Sarah Palin is pro-life so G-d is very forgiving of her protestantism. It’s similar to a point system - you get a lot of points for being pro-life.

[SoCalPol]

Since Newt was not married in the church prior, he was not considered married in the sight of G-d

[Professor_Leonide]

No, divorces before conversion are not counted against you. And then you could also get a divorce reclassified as an annulment and then it would be as if it didn’t happen at all.

[SonnyBubba]

If I could personally appoint a president it would be Newt.
Warts and all.