They are often in lock-step with the liberal notions of the "War on Poverty," and feel it is a matter of justice for the poor that society spend large sums on welfare programs, misguided education schemes and other hand-outs in an effort to alleviate poverty. In this, I believe most of them mean well, even if they are misapplying the words of Christ with regard to the poor. They are also ignoring the repeated observations of St. Paul, especially in 2 Thessalonians, that honest work, an avoidance of indolence and "sponging" off of others are to be avoided at all costs. The bishops also seem to be in favor of an excessive catering to open-ended immigration and the furtherance of languages other than English in this country, also on well-meaning, but misguided, notions of fairness and "justice." If the bishops and priest worship Karl Marx before God, it is any wonder that Catholics are confused? When a Marxist candidate comes along the followers think his is God and vote for him.
The good intentions of the bishops and priests are the paving stones on the road to a tyrannous hell.
They don't "worship" Karl Marx. They worship Christ, and they
think that they are encouraging the means to His social ends. That they are largely wrong is obvious to faithful Catholics, but it is hardly fair to accuse them of Marxism. Are there a few who have some inclinations approaching that? Probably. But very few. And most of those bishops are approaching retirement age. Their mandatory applications for retirement will be cheerfully accepted by Benedict, you may be sure. Most bishops are merely "progressive," which, while I certainly don't hold to
that, either, is
hardly a persuasion that is tantamount to full-blown Communism. C'mon! There are "gradations" to these political slants, you know!
In any event, things are changing. Still too slowly, believe it or not, for my personal tastes, but recent events indicate that they are changing more quickly than most of us would have supposed even two or three years ago.