Progressive Catholics Pushing Back

Yesterday, we noted (with the NY Times' MoDo) a disturbing trend by right-wing Catholic bishops to aggressively enter the political (and judicial) sphere over contraceptive provisions of the Affordable Care Act -- provisions which the Obama Administration have already compromised on, and are willing to negotiate further. But really, this isn't so much about "religious freedom," as those in the conservative Church hierarchy contend, as much as it is about creating a political alliance among right-wing dead enders against the President and Dems on this and other social issues. As discredited as the Church has become over its decades-long pedophile priest protection program, this may be yet another disaster in the making for them, given the Catholic public's overwhelming acceptance of birth control.

E.J. Dionne writes about the push back on the recent lawsuits by some progressive Catholic bishops (you know, the ones that want to care for the poor and sick for a change). Dionne writes:

"...in recent months, a series of events — among them the Vatican’s rebuke of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, encouraged by right-wing U.S. bishops — have angered more progressive Catholics and led to talk among the disgruntled faithful of the need for a 'Catholic spring' to challenge the hierarchy’s shift to the right."

While we're not hopeful that this will be a turning point, given the extreme conservatism of Pope Joseph Ratzinger Benedict XVI, it's still encouraging to see some courageous Catholic leaders swimming against the right-wing tide in their Church.