[Maximilian]

If the Church continues to crawl into bed with the federal government (read: vouchers, Faith-based initiatives), and takes government money then it will have to do what the government tells it to do.

Excellent point! Precisely correct. The decision in California was actually a good one because so-called Catholic Charities admitted in court that they did not meet the legal requirements of a religious organization. The Catholic Church will destroy the last remaining tiny vestiges of credibility it still possesses when it follows the advice of idiots like Deal Hudson and gets in bed with Republican party charity programs.

[dangus]

Oh Gawd, so unless you are in the direct employ of the diocese, you have no freedom of conscience? Some fine authoritarian hellhole you prescriobe!

Yes, as the law reads, Catholic Charities is not a religious organization. It is however an organization of people who are brought together out of their religious conviction and common faith. What the court should have done was throw the law out as being grossly unconstitutional:
1. Because its definition of "religious institution" is too vague
2. Because not only employees of religious institutions have first-amendment rights
3. Because the law usurps rights and authorities not legitimately controlled by the state.
4. Because the law affects areas that are not legitimate state interests.

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

Perhaps he doesn't speak out enough, I will grant you that. But I think you also don't give him enough credit. He is not arguing for a passive victim Church, but a Church that must boldly live in the world and proclaim Christ Crucified, something that represents Hope in a world without it, something that represents Truth in a world without it. I think he would fight and die for The Church, unlike other bishops.

Sadly, he is spending a great deal of his time dealing with the aftermath of the scandal, the proble of which lies with his predecessors in the city of Chicago. At the Student Mass at the Cathedral he gave the most powerful homily I have ever heard, not the wishy-washy homily I was expecting. It was a powerful sermon on morality and Truth. The Truth as proclaimed by The Church and the duty of the Faithful to live in that Truth, to proclaim that Truth, and to understand that Truth. For an audience of many liberal touchy feel types, the homily was not what they had in mind.

[patent]

The Catholic Church will destroy the last remaining tiny vestiges of credibility it still possesses when it follows the advice of idiots like Deal Hudson and gets in bed with Republican party charity programs.

Frankly, I don’t think you define the Catholic Church the same way I do, nor the same way the Church does.

patent  +AMDG