by Tom Gallagher
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Former House Speaker and newly-minted Catholic, Newt Gingrich, has retracted his racism claim against U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Thank God.
Racism is reprensible.
U.S. Catholic bishops agree and in 1979 issued a pastoral letter on the topic. The letter's opening paragraph says this: "Racism is an evil which endures in our society and in our Church. Despite apparent advances and even significant changes in the last two decades, the reality of racism remains. In large part it is only external appearances which have changed."
In 2003, Archbishop Harry Flynn of St. Paul-Minneapolis issued his own letter on racism.
With Mr. Gingrich's ugly smear against another public official, where is the outrage from Republican bishops and right-wing Catholic groups? It appears as a double-standard applied to Catholic politicians and public figures -- conservative bishops and fringe groups publicly denounce Catholic Democrats, but give Republicans like Mr. Gingrich a pass.
