Personally, I think this "Father" is a dolt. Not only is he using trying to use Hannity for his own egotistical purposes, he misrepresented Hannity on matters Catholic. I have never heard Hannity claim to be some sort of Catholic expert, a guru, nor have I ever heard him place himself on a pedestal concerning his religion.
Worse, he took an entirely trivial point and used it merely to attack Hannity.
I wonder if this "Father" is much of a Catholic himself?
Sure doesn't LOOK like it.
(But don't judge by me, I think of Catholicism just like the founders did!)
Far from it. He's a very well respected priest in the Catholic community (FAITHFUL Catholic community, not the cafeteria kind) and has done a LOAD of good stuff for the pro-life movement.
I have never heard Hannity claim to be some sort of Catholic expert, a guru, nor have I ever heard him place himself on a pedestal concerning his religion.
Well then you haven't been listening. For years Sean has been calling himself a "devout, practicing Catholic". If you don't follow the core tenets of the Catholic faith (for instance refusing to believe the Church's stand that contraception is intrinsically evil), then you can't be a "devout, PRACTICING Catholic". Just going to church on Sunday does not a devout Catholic make!
Like O'Reilly, I've heard Sean make troubling statements about artificial birth control being okay in some situations, and this is NOT what the Church teaches.
Moreover, Sean HAS worn his Catholicism on his sleeve. If he's so vocal about his faith, it's certainly legitimate to call him on it when he errs. Especially when the person erring is a public figure who can mislead people into believing erroneous things about the Catholic faith.
I kind of agree with you. I am not Catholic and offer no opinions on either Sean or the father being the better Catholic.
However, after reading the Fathers piece it appeared to me that he had no real interest in what Sean was going to apologise about. In other words it appeared to me that the Father had just been looking for an excuse to write a hit piece on Sean.
Having said all that-I will admit that I did go to a Catholic High School. Best experience of my life.
Oh, how did they think? I don't think you can give a general answer, because there isn't one! Speaking of general, here's a letter from time of the Founders that was written by a general.
From To The Roman Catholics of the United States of America
...I presume that your fellow-citizens will not forget the patriotic part which you took in the accomplishment of their Revolution, and the establishment of their government; or the important assistance which they received from a nation in which the Roman Catholic faith is professed.
I thank you, gentlemen, for your kind concern for me. While my life and my health shall continue, in whatever situation I may be, it shall be my constant endeavour to justify the favourable sentiments which you are pleased to express of my conduct. And may the members of your society in America, animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity, and still conducting themselves as the faithful subjects of our free government, enjoy every temporal and spiritual felicity.
-G.[eorge] Washington, March 15, 1790