Posted on 03/30/2009 10:25:46 AM PDT by NYer
Christopher Buckley, the Obama loving publicity seeking son of the great William F. Buckley, writes a 500 word snicker about Newt Gingrich becoming a Catholic, the Catholic Church, and conversion in general in his piece "The Audacity of Poping" for The Daily Beast.
From the term "poping" to accusing the Church of thinking "like a $700-an-hour K Street lawyer," the piece only succeeds in being offensive and sad.
Some lowlights of Buckley's childish rant follow:
BTW: “Poping” in the headline above, which—sorry—I couldn’t resist, is the traditional, British pejorative for “becoming a Catholic.” Did you hear the news? Bertie just Poped! There will be an undercurrent of anti-Catholic bias in the commentary about Mr. Gingrich’s embrace of Rome. As the saying goes, anti-Catholicism is the anti-Semitism of the intellectual class.Firstly, among much of the "intellectual class" anti-semitism is the anti-semitism of the intellectual class. Anti-Catholicism is just as popular but in no way does it replace anti-semitism.
As for Mother Church, she’ll come in for drubbing this weekend for seeming two-faced about the sanctity of marriage. As you know, divorce is still not allowed in the Catholic Church. But here insert a large “however”—she is liberal in the granting of annulments.You see how he shifts blame by saying the Church will come in for a drubbing while he himself is the one doing it. That's what children do.
Mother Church can be rigid, but at times—bless her—she can think like a $700-an-hour K Street lawyer.Name calling?
The stated reason for it is that he wishes to worship alongside his wife, who is described on her husband’s Web site as “a devoted Catholic.” To the extent her devotedness is assessed alongside her early relationship with the then-married Mr. Gingrich, it should be borne in mind that to be “devoted” is not the same as being “perfect.”Then why bring it up? We are all sinners. This is just gossip. This is essentially the old, "She says she's Catholic but she's not perfect and therefore all religion is a lie and I don't have to feel guilty anymore for doing anything I want to do." Because those with standards will eventually fall short of them, allowing others to call out "hypocrisy" as those without standards often can and will do.
Thanks for posting this. I’ll try to look up her articles, if still available.
Might be on National Review archives, if nothing else. So much is available online these days, when we used to have to look in the “Index to Periodical Literature” and find back copies in a college library!
I don’t know if you are aware of it, but there are hundreds of William F. Buckley “Firing Line” DVDs available on Amazon. During the long, long life of the TV program, he interviewed almost every major figure, politic, literary, and artistic.
The level of intellectual discussion is fascinating to watch in this day of the 30 second sound sound bite.
I also love watching the old Archbishop Fulton J Sheen program. I think they are on DVD as well.
The re-runs of Sheen’s various programs are aired on EWTN. Re-runs are also aired on TBN.
Until then, we have T. Coddington Van Voorhes VII Part I and II.
And Mr. Buckley famously dissented from Church teaching in the 1960s with the essay, “Mater, Si, Magister, Non.”
I believe there is doubt about just who actually wrote the controversial comments referencing "Mater si, Magistra no". WFB certainly published the comments though. Interestingly I found this at National Review Online from an interview later in his life:
Lopez: Anything you wrote during your tenure that you regret?Buckley: I had belated second thoughts about the wisdom of republishing a quip of Garry Wills's in my "For the Record" column. It was the phrase: "Mater si, Magistra no," in response to a papal encyclical that got us into lots and lots of trouble with the liberal Catholic press over lots and lots of years.
I point this out since Mr. Gingrich's previous marriages occurred before he sought admittance to the Roman Catholic church, isn't this the fact of the matter?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't this aspect absolve the Catholic church from criticisms based upon the church having some sort of double-standard concerning marriage (and divorce) issues, at least in the case of Mr. Gingrich?
I'm trying to be fair here.
Nyer;
Otherwise I don't see all that much "bashing" of the church going on here, for other than the possibly unfounded criticism pertaining to Gingrich's previous, non-"Catholic", not-happening-in-the-Church marriages, most of the rest of it is aimed at Gingrich himself. If the "poping" comment burns you up, remember that he did put it in context, regardless of how you twisted that into insult, yourself.
Remember also, Buckley didn't come as some dreaded, evil, "heretical", "schismatic" "blaspheming", bound-for-an-eternity-in-hell protestant, bent upon the destruction of the Catholic church --- but as one of those dreaded, evil, bound-for-an-eternity-in-hell lapsed Catholics.
We could all properly fault Buckley's article for being gossipy.
But if I'm correct, then Buckley's article might serve to give opportunity for one (in the Magisterium?) to help teach a wider audience where it is the Catholic church does stand on such issues (even in this instance in particular?).
Certainly I'm not the only one (other than the Lord?) who has noticed had the idea jump out at them, that just maybe the Catholic church cannot be legitimately faulted for accepting Gingrich into membership, due to this previous, and admitted "sin" problem of his?
As to this "bashing" you seem to be often troubled over ----
Remember, when you are the Lord's, no weapon formed against you shall prosper...even though it's difficult to see this truth many times. Christ outwardly looked or appeared to have lost, when He was crucified. Of course we all now know that He didn't lose anything, but gained more than "the entire world" that Satan previously had offered Him.
Perhaps one should not allow themselves to hold too closely, enmity towards Buckley himself, or hold that Buckley himself should be bashed --- harshly punished (because he deserves it!), even if he is wrong in his form and content of criticism.
He's a self-admitted lapsed Catholic, after all.
Do you want him to come back to your church, or not?
If not, there probably are some Evangelicals out there who would be more than willing to assist him in building and maintaining a relationship with the Lord through Christ, thus allowing him to gain peace & rest for his soul, for a time in this present world, and for all eternity once we are all gone from "here".
“We like ourselves, don’t we, Mr. Buckley?”
Ignatius Press and EWTN sell the Fulton Sheen DVD’s, and my husband says he’s downloaded some on audio-somethingorother. I’m so behind the times. My kids watch everything on streaming video, while I’m still tied to the CD player in the kitchen!
I saw Mr. Buckley speak at my college in 1984 or -5. He had such wonderful grammar and composition ... like an upper-crust New Englander version of Alan Keyes ... all the sentences diagram!
Good observations. I’m assuming that the Church considers Mr. Gingrich’s current marriage legitimate (the details being beyond my competence). Otherwise, the local authorities would not be admitting such a high-profile candidate. A nowhere parish, where a liberal bishop isn’t watching, might confirm a convert with a dubious marriage status, but not somebody who’s all over the news like this.
If Christianity didn’t accept sinners, whom are they going to take? Not St. Peter or St. Paul, or St. Augustine or St. Francis.
And, as you point out, Christopher Buckley is, as a sinner acting unworthily of his heritage, Just Like Us. Richard Wurmbrand, the great Lutheran pastor, translated the “golden rule” as “Love your neighbor, because he’s just like you.” I’d have put a few redneck expletives in there, but I think the point is clear without them.
Mr. Buckley came from a large Catholic family, but had only one child, himself.
I once read Mr. Buckley discuss the fact that his wife was an Episcopalian, in relation to the subject of artificial contraception. In that he made no assertion that she was anything but an Episcopalian, and instead cited that fact as the reason why she saw no problem with artificial contraception, I'd be interested in some citation to her alleged entrance into the Catholic Church.
A cursory search of the Internet confirms her Protestantism, but makes no mention of any entry into the Catholic Church.
sitetest
You are correct. Mr. Buckley was quoting someone else, and only offered the comment in passing.
It did, however, come to represent the archetype of politically conservative rejection of various elements of Catholic social teaching, although it is not accurately laid at the feet of Mr. Buckley.
My apologies.
sitetest
Even if you are a redneck...
“Buckley is proof that rich people should not have children.”
William F. Buckley was a rich man’s child.
This does show, though, that God-hating is just a form of adolescent rebellion, one from which the sufferer may never emerge.
Hi Sitetest
The info I could find shows that
Boston University School of Theology Archives lists Patricia Buckley as a convert to Roman Catholicism
BTTT!
Thank you. I used to have some refinement, but with six sons, I just had to give up.
Thanks for the citation.
However, I'm not sure that it's entirely meaningful. First, I've looked at other lists of Catholic converts, and Mrs. Buckley's name doesn't show up, even while many of the names on the list that you cite show on other lists. Second, I've read Mr. Buckley talk about his wife's Episcopalianism and how it interplayed with their marriage.
I speculate that the citation is possibly spurious, or perhaps that she was a convert later in life, long after she had married Mr. Buckley.
It's interesting that the list of Catholic converts that you found is at the site of Boston University's theology school, in that BU, I believe, has a Methodist heritage. Are the Methodists keeping tabs on us Catholics?? ;-)
In any event, whether she converted early or late, or at all, Mrs. Buckley's Catholicism or lack thereof, and Mr. Buckley's Catholicism, too, doesn't seem to have assisted their only son in keeping the faith. That is the most disheartening thing for any Catholic parent. One hopes that their prayers in heaven will aid Christopher Buckley in coming home to his Catholic faith.
sitetest
As an only child and parent of an only (adopted) child, I would concur. The greatest challenge is in practicing and teaching self-restraint.
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