The Catholic Case For Gingrich, For Now

The Washington Post ^ | 12/14/11 | Thomas Peters

[marshmallow]

Are Catholics helping fuel the rise of Newt Gingrich? He swept Catholic Vote’s online Thanksgiving Straw Poll of Catholic voters with 44 percent out of over 13,000 votes cast. Santorum came in second with 14 percent and Mitt Romney placed third with 10 percent. Anecdotal as it may be, it’s clear that lots of Catholics like Newt. Why?

For one, he is Catholic, having converted in 2009. He subsequently produced a documentary of Pope John Paul II’s battle with Communism in Poland, Nine Days that Changed the World, that has been well received by Catholics. That documentary first put Gingrich back on my and many other Catholics’ radar. He highlighted what he learned from the experience of producing Nine Days in his speech to the annual Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, which is well attended by Catholics active in politics and probably garnered him more good will.

To the fact that Gingrich has re-married twice, as part of his coming into the church he went through the annulment process and as a result of those findings is validly married in the eyes of the church. This may not impress those who do not like or understand the church’s annulment process, but it does give Catholics who wish to forgive Gingrich his previous infidelities some evidence that he has attempted to make right. Catholics, as often as they encounter scandal and disappointment in their elected leaders, want to hope that forgiveness and conversion is possible, too.

On the core issues of life and marriage, Gingrich is seen as strong on both issues and has managed to move past one serious blunder on the life issue. After telling Jake Tapper of ABC News that he believed life begins at “implantation” – a huge disappointment to many pro-life Catholics.........

[Legatus]

Just because he was a Presbyterian and then a Southern Baptist doesn’t automatically indicate he was Baptized. It’s not at all uncommon for unbaptized catechumens to be received into the Church from the various denominations at the Easter Vigil along with baptized candidates.

[BenKenobi]

It’s extremely unusual for someone to be both a presbyterian and a southern baptist without being baptised. How is that even possible?

And yes, it’s unusual for someone to become Catholic having been a member of another church to receive baptism. Most are like me, having been baptised and then confirmed in the Catholic church.

[BenKenobi]

“Mr. Gingrich was confirmed into the church on Sunday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Capitol Hill and celebrated that night, according to The Hill, with friends at Cafe Milano, one of Washington’s most insider-y dining establishments. His guests included Cardinal McCarrick, the retired Cardinal of Washington.”

See, I was correct. You are mistaken. Newt was confirmed into the Catholic church. He was not baptised Catholic. Same as me. That makes sense.