The Scariest Catholic in America

[NeoGreen]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/03/opinion/sunday/scariest-catholic-james-martin.html


The Rev. James Martin. Credit David Gonzalez/The New York Times

The Scariest Catholic in America
Frank Bruni FEB. 3, 2018

The Rev. James Martin is a Roman Catholic rock star. His books, including one on Jesus Christ and another on the saints, have sold hundreds of thousands of copies. The director Martin Scorsese has twice hired him to consult on movies with religious themes. Television producers love him: Back when Stephen Colbert had his Comedy Central show, Father Martin popped up frequently as its “official chaplain.”

So the reaction when he agreed to speak this month to a group of parishes in central New Jersey was unalloyed elation, right?

Wrong. Within days of the announcement, parish officials were in a state better described as dread.

Check out the websites and Twitter accounts of far-right Catholic groups and you’ll see why. To them Father Martin is “sick,” “wicked,” “a filthy liar,” “the smoke of Satan” and a “heretic” on a fast track to “eternal damnation.” They obsessively stalk him and passionately exhort churchgoers to protest his public appearances or prevent them from happening altogether.

(snip)

Why all this drama? What’s Father Martin’s unconscionable sin? In his most recent book, “Building a Bridge,” which was published in June, he calls on Catholics to show L.G.B.T. people more respect and compassion than many of them have demonstrated in the past.

That’s all. That’s it. He doesn’t say that the church should bless gay marriage or gay adoption. He doesn’t explicitly reject church teaching, which prescribes chastity for gay men and lesbians, though he questions the language — “intrinsically disordered” — with which it describes homosexuality.

(snip)

And the vitriol to which he has been subjected is breathtaking, a reminder not just of how much homophobia is still out there but also of how presumptuous, overwrought, cruel and destructive discourse in this digital age can be.

on) Feel the catholic love.

The catholic church, where "moderate" homophobes give legitimacy and cover to RWNJ extremists. off)

[no_hypocrisy]

1. My first thought about your title (free association) was Cardinal Spellman.

There would be more Catholics back in The Church if it embraced Rev. James Martin.

[Voltaire2]

2. He doesnt challenge any homophobic doctrine

he just wants his church to be nicer about their homophobia.

So why would anyone who rejected the church because of its homophobic policies return?

[SonofDonald]

3. I was a Catholic altar boy for years

I never had faith and never will but I remember quite clearly that I never heard one disparaging word about anyone or any other religion, no hate whatsoever.

I've always thought Catholics wouldn't go there but it seems I was wrong.

Sad.