Closet Catholic In the White House? (you be the judge)

Creative Minority Reports ^ | April 15, 2008 | Patrick Archbold

[lastchance]

How can that be? Everyone knows that Irish Catholics spend too much time drinking, beating their wives and 28 children and dumping kittens on the highway to have time for plotting take overs of the judiciary.

[flaglady47]

“Quite to the contrary: Bush has been a Methodist. He found the United Methodist Church, which is the predominant white Methodist church in the DC area to be so political and intolerant, that, shortly following his election, he could not attend their services: no matter where he went, the pastor would angrily denounce him, pointing his finger at him as an object of hate, throughout his sermon. Bush began attending black Methodist churches (AME?), until they became too hostile following the outbreak of war.

As of late, Bush appears to not belong to any specific congregation; he has attended St. John’s Episcopal church, which is right next to the White House, many times, but plainly he must be uncomfortable with the strife of that church. If anything, his attendance at an Anglican church is consistent with seeking a more liturgical, formalized style of worship. It may well be that he is “shopping” for a spiritual home.”

I think equal to looking at President Bush as a possible convert to Catholicism, one should look to Laura Bush as an even greater candidate. I’m not sure what religion Laura was raised in, however, I see her manifesting great interest in Catholicism. She made a trip by herself with her daughter to the Vatican and met with the Pope herself. She always puts a lace headscarf on which as a Protestant she doesn’t need to do, and generally dresses in conservative black (including yesterday when meeting the Pope at the airport, as did her daughter Jenna). She has great deference for the Pope.

I think her interest in Catholicism is as great or greater than her husband George Bush’s is. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jeb Bush hasn’t been whispering in their ears also, as well as John Neuhaus. It will be interesting to see what develops here in the years to come. I too feel President Bush is seeking a spiritual home, call it a gut instinct (we females have it, you know). I think both George and Laura are seeking a new spiritual haven. Who’d want to stay a Methodist, the church of Hillary Clinton and of a rather militant liberalism in too many of their churches.

Perhaps that is one reason George Bush and Tony Blair established a good relationship in spite of being from different political parties. I think they connected on a moral and spiritual level and thus an equally strong repugnance to radical Islam which they consider a bastardization of religion. Blair’s spiritual inclinations eventually led to his open conversion to Catholicism. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same doesn’t happen with the Bush family one day in the future.

[MinuteGal]

Excellent analysis. I wonder if the Bush family has a favorite church in the Crawford area.

Leni