Posted on 09/14/2007 8:08:41 AM PDT by Balt
09:49 AM 9/14/2007 - First, read this press release from the USCCB web site (hat-tip to the ever-vigilant Diogenes):
WASHINGTON (September 13, 2007)—Kathy Saile, a church advocate with a decade of experience in Catholic social ministry and Washington policy work, has been named Director of Domestic Policy for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). She starts her new position in October.
Since August 2004, Saile has been Associate Director of Public Policy for Lutheran Services in America (USA), in Washington. Previous positions include Director of the Office of Peace and Justice, Catholic Social Service of Central and Northern Arizona and director of the Archdiocese of Phoenix Catholic Campaign for Human Development, 2001-2004; and Coordinator of Social Justice and Outreach Ministries, Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, 1997-2001. She also served as a Loaned Executive to Catholic Charities USA, May-July 2003.
... Msgr. David Malloy, USCCB General Secretary announced the appointment September 13. “Kathy Saile brings to this important position strong commitment to the Catholic Church and its social teaching, impressive knowledge of key domestic issues and extensive policy and advocacy experience. Her service in diocesan social ministry and here in the nation’s capital will be great assets in helping the bishops articulate and advance the Church’s principles and policies seeking economic and social justice in our nation.”
I'm interested in the line: "...brings to this important position strong commitment to the Catholic Church..." Oh, really? Now read this, from the web site of WIN, which promotes itself as "Washington’s premier professional, political, and social network dedicated to empowering young, Democratic, pro-choice women." It's an old promo for a dinner the organization held in 2006...
Did the Left Cede Heaven? The Intersection of Faith and Politics: Throughout American history religion has shaped US politics. Recent history has focused on the efforts and effects of Conservative Christians in the Republican Party, but the Left continues to be a party of people of faith. This dinner will highlight the way liberal people of faith organize to further progressive causes.
Planners: Maggie Rosenbloom & Ellen Banakis.
Host: Shannon Hughs, Account Executive, Stones’ Phones Consulting.
Speaker: Sammie Moshenberg, Director of Washington Operations, National Council of Jewish Women; Kathy Saile, Associate Director of Public Policy, Lutheran Services.
Msgr. Malloy has obviously come up with a definition of "commitment to the Catholic Church" of which I was personally unaware.
"How could such a mistake happen?" you may ask. And there's your problem: you're assuming it's a mistake. Your Priestly Pugilist understands. You want to presume that the Catholic bishops of the United States, whatever their faults may be, believe in the Catholic Faith. So does your Priestly Pugilist (want to believe they do, that is). But wanting it doesn't make it so; and the presumption is naive.
So, how can Msgr. Malloy claim that this pro-abortion woman has a strong commitment to the Catholic Church? There are two dynamics at work here. The first is simple moral relativism, usually based on a misinterpretation (or diliberate mis-reading) of the Church's teaching about conscience - read your Priestly Pugilist's unusally lucid explaination of it in the 04:31 PM 5/24/2007 post. But more to the point is a new heresy (which your Priestly Pugilist just invented) called "administrationism." Administrationism manifests itself when a bishop of the Catholic Church views himself less as a priest, teacher of the faith and shepherd of souls, and more as the CEO of some sort of eccesiastical corporation. When this heresy is embraced, the bishop in question (or in this case, a whole country full of 'em) no longer asks, "What would Christ do?" and asks instead, "What would Bill Gates do?" When a priest, for example, succumbs to a moral indiscretion, his first concern is not the state of the priest's soul or the effect this will have on the priest's flock, but what kind of damage control can be wrought to cushion the public fallout. When asked how his diocese is doing, he automatically assumes he's being asked for the balance sheet, not whether he feels the souls entrusted to his care are hearing the truth preached to them, receiving the sacraments worthily and growing in grace.
This is why the bishops of the US can appoint an advocate for abortion to what amounts to a marketing position (we'll leave out the question of why the Church would need someone in a marketing position), and not bother about such details as to whether she's a believer. As to her alledged "commitment to the Catholic Church," look at the choice of words. It's not her commitment to the Catholic Faith that was cited, but her commitment to the institution, i.e., the corporation. In other words, she'll make a good employee.
Back in the late '80s, the future pope, Cardinal Ratzinger, who had not long been in Rome at that time, said in an interview that many bishops in the world are burying the faith under a mountain of programs and initiatives, thinking that this, somehow, furthers the cause of Christ. "What the Church needs," he said, "is holiness, not management."
By the way, here's a PP predition: once the word gets around that the bishops' new Director of Domestic Policy once lent her skills to a group dedicated to "empowering pro-choice women," look for the press release on her appointment to be pulled from the USCCB web site. Do not, however, look for her appointment to be recinded.
Sorry. The abbreviation for “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” was USSR. When written in the Cyrillic alphabet, the Russian abreviaton for USSR looks like CCCP.
I was implying that the USCCB has more in common with the Politburo of the old Soviet Union than with the Catholic Church.
Thanks!
The Annuncio is meant to work on problems between the US Catholic Church and the Vatican...
I think non-action is wrong in this case. If this appointment is rescinded by the NCCB, it would send a clear message to those in the NCCB that they need to be good examples instead of BAD EXAMPLES of the Catholic faith.
There is a time to be quiet, and there is a time for faithful citizenship and duty to the Church. I feel that action should be taken...
Gee, the photo’s a bit small, I’m not sure if that’s Mahony or Skylstad?
LOL!
It would be really interesting to find out when she served in Phoenix and why she left. Bishop Olmstead is visibly pro-life and in the first few weeks of his arrival to take over the diocese he led the pro-lifers in a rosary and, I think, procession in front of an abortion mill. Could Olmstead have caused her to leave Phoenix? Hmmm...curiouser and curiouser.
They're all a bunch of liberals/socialists/communists, etc. They're certainly not Christians.
They're all a bunch of liberals/socialists/communists, etc. They're certainly not Christians.
The USCCB has plenty of contact addresses..personally, I’d contact them all. In fact, I will and I suggess that everyone do so.
We’ve been discussing this appointment at “cafeteria is closed.” http://closedcafeteria.blogspot.com/...-director.html
I don’t know that Ms. Saile is a pro choicer but her appearance at WIN was much more insidious than the issue of her pro choice affiliation for she is nothing more than a lobbyist skilled in getting votes. The purpose of WIN, as stated in it mission, is to elect “pro-choice, Democratic women” and it supports a sordid menagerie of alternative life style and far left causes including its “Queer” group (their word not mine). What Ms. Saile did was to appear before WIN as an expert to strategize over how to get the “religious” vote to support them and their sordid causes. In other words, Ms. Saile uses her “religious” connections (she was formerly employed by the Phoenix Diocese and the Lutherans) to deceive to religious people and Catholics on why they should vote for pro abortionist, pro-”queer”, lefties and to win an election for the democratic party. This mind you at a time when the next Supreme Court appointee could end the hideous line of abortion decisions. Regardless of your political sentiments or affiliation, Ms. Saile is now the Domestic Policy Advisor for the Roman Catholic Church in America and she needs your vote. If you think that this is the sort of thing that the Church should be doing, then all this is probably fine with you, but if you are offended by the bishops engaging in this sort of nonsense regardless of your party, then you should contact the USCCB and tell them to behave like good shepherds instead of politicians.
"We've begun to regress to some pre-Vatican II activities, like singing Latin responses. I don't understand any of it!"Kathy Saile of Phoenix, Arizona, newly appointed Domestic Policy boss for the USCCB. Miss Saile does however understand how to give a speech for a pro-abortion lobbying group.
By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman
WASHINGTON, September 17, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) -- Kathy Saile, who once gave a speech on promoting liberalism at a conference held by a pro-abortion group, has been named Director of Domestic Policy for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Previous to the appointment, Saile was Associate Director of Public Policy for Lutheran Services in America (USA), an organization that serves the extremely liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), which recently declared that their "clergy" were free to participate in homosexual relationships. In her official capacity as Associate Director of Public Policy for the group, Saile gave a speech at a conference held by the organization "WIN", which describes itself as "Washington's premier professional, political, and social network dedicated to empowering young, Democratic, pro-choice women." The topic of the discussion was "Did the Left Cede Heaven? The Intersection of Faith and Politics."
The summary of the conference given on WIN's website reads: "Throughout American history religion has shaped US politics. Recent history has focused on the efforts and effects of Conservative Christians in the Republican Party, but the Left continues to be a party of people of faith. This dinner will highlight the way liberal people of faith organize to further progressive causes." LifeSiteNews has also confirmed that Lutheran Services in America has a policy of distributing birth control at clinics affiliated with the organization. A request for a response from the USCCB's press spokesman, Sr. Mary Anne Walsh, was not answered at the time of publication.
Contact Information:
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street, N.E.
Washington DC 20017-1194
(202) 541-3000
commdept@usccb.org,mwalsh@usccb.org
Sr. Mary Ann Walsh, mwalsh@usccb.org (202) 541-3200.
It took me a while to find Sr. Walsh's e-mail address so let her have it and e mail her your complaint.
Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Pro-Life/Stem Cells/Conservative Issues Ping List. Sign up and Try Conservapedia instead of Wickipedia. For a list of 300 Pro-life Websites, click on Coleus and go all the way to the bottom.
Don’t want to throw cold water on the story, but is there any proof that the woman is pro-abortion? Just because she was a speaker at a liberal conference doesn’t make her so.
I sent an inquiry to Sister Mary Ann Walsh. I’ll let you know if I receive a response.
Is there a problem with the address? It was just returned to me.
I wasn’t going to post anything on this thread but I don’t want to miss out on getting pinged with the answering letter. Your letter was great by the way.
That was B-Chan’s letter!
Sorry! I realize that now. Great leter B-Chan. Please do ping me if you receive a response.
Good ideas about Olmstead and this person’s reason for leaving.
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