Distinctly Catholic

One of my favorite commentators on religion, Mark Silk, has an interesting post about Damon Linker's thesis that we should -- the Constitution notwithstanding -- have a religious test for office. Not, of course, the kind administered by the government, but the kind administered by the press and public.

Linker is correct that politicians like to trade on their religiosity, but bristle when you press them to explain how their faith informs their public policy positions, resulting in a double standard. "Religious values matter when we say they matter, and because our pollster tells us we should put up some religious window dressing on our campaign persona, but don't expect us to explain how."

Of course, running for President or Congress is not like running for bishop -- the latter requires real political acumen! LOL.

But the debate Linker and Silk suggest is a provocative one and should be engaged.

I am simultaneously suspicious of, but recognize the neccesity for, blue ribbon, bi-partisan panels to address some of our nation's most complicated issues.

This morning, in an op-ed, Clinton economic guru Alice Rivlin and former GOP Senator Pete Domenici, announce their proposals for reducing the debt abd deficit.

My resistance to blue ribbon commissions setms from their inherently anti-democratic premise. After all, we elect Congress and the President to solve these problems. But, given the current polarization in the country and especially in its political class, I see the need for those like Rivlin and Domenici to reach, and propose, the kind of common ground that could cost a member of Congress a primary election.

ANALYSIS

Back in the day, the apostolic nuncio, then-Archbishop Pio Laghi, who was determined to re-make the hierarchy in a more conservative fashion, would say about his episcopal appointments, “One for us, one for them.” By “us” he meant men like Cardinal Bernard Francis Law, and by “them” he meant men in the mold of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. Laghi’s method had one undeniably unfortunate consequence: He bequeathed a bishops’ conference that is very, although not deeply, divided.

Bishop Michael Bransfield has been elected Treasurer of the USCCB.

Archbishop Timothy Broglio has been elected Chair of the Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance.

Bishop Joseph McFadden was elected Chair of the Committee on Catholic Education -- by a two vote margin, the closest race so far.

Bishop Dennis Madden, Auxiliary of Baltimore, won as Chair of the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

Bishop David Ricken, of Green Bay, was elected to be Chair of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis.

Winning the nod for Chair of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, was Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore.

Bishop R. Daniel Conlon of Steubenville was elected as Chair of the Committee on Child and Youth Protection.

On the third ballot, at which time the bishops were only allowed to vote for the two previous highest vote getters, Archbishop Kurtz of Louisiana was elected Vice-President of the USCCB with 147 votes to Denver Archbishop Chaput's 91.