When last we saw Bishop Charles Chaput, he was spending his time as Archbishop of Denver upholding a decision to throw two children out of Catholic school because their parents were lesbians. In the Catholic Church, this is called Best Possible Career Move Ever. As a result, Chaput just got kicked upstairs by the Vatican: he’s been named the new archbishop of Philadelphia. A title change is likely in the offing too: The holder of the position usually gets named a cardinal, which gives him Class A voting rights when the next pope has to be chosen. (Not that we’re wishing something untoward happens to Pope Benedict or anything.)
Even by the heady standards of the Church, Chaput has been one of the most conservative defenders of all things Catholic. (This is the bishop who condemned Notre Dame for giving President Obama an honorary degree, was critical of Obama’s health care law because he believed it promoted abortion, and who said that anyone who voted for John Kerry, a Catholic, in 2004 was “cooperating with evil.”)
Needless to say, gay rights have been front and center for Chaput’s militant version of Christianity, with the bishop calling gay marriage “the issue of our time.” Earlier this spring, he praised the Colorado state legislature for stopping a civil union bill. Chaput trotted out the usual defense of marriage that’s hardly a model of clear thinking. “Same-sex unions, whatever legal form they take, cannot create new life,” he wrote in a column. “They cannot duplicate the love of a man and woman. But they do copy marriage and family, and in the process, they compete with and diminish the uniquely important status of both.” Yes, marriage is a zero sum game, and if we let anyone else into it the club, the value of membership drops. How can you argue with that reasoning?
Chaput is replacing Cardinal Justin Rigali, who is retiring after a less-than-illustrious stint during which he denied the diocese was harboring any pedophile priests—only to have to reverse himself when a grand jury showed evidence to the contrary. (He might just as easily have denied that the Sun rises in the east.) Supporters say Chaput is just the man to heal the wounds caused by the pedophilia scandal, but it might be better to say that Chaput’s philosophy is that it’s time to move on. He’s argued strenuously against extending the statute of limitations in sexual-abuse cases on the grounds that “revenge is not justice, no matter how piously one argues it.” Apparently, justice has a timetable known only to Chaput.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Photo Credit: Catholic News Service
christopher di spirito
The ugly face of Christianity on display for all to see.
Pete
This guy has never lived in the real world, never held a real job. He entered a “junior seminary” at age 13, never dated in his life (at least no women!), is the catholic version of a Moonie. He regurgitates his life time of brain-washing, and calls it eternal truth. What a shame that he will have such a position of influence, which he uses to promote his politics and hatred.
gregger
Another Archbigot for the RCC. I’m glad I gave up organized religion for lent.
Pete n SFO
When will the SPLC put the Katholic Khurch on a “Hate-watch” list?
They attack the rights of others, and vilify innate characteristics of non-members, successfully creating a climate of violence & intolerance.
Swap ‘gay’ for ‘black’ & it’s easy to see how outrageous their positions actually are…
And before anyone says, it’s not the same; it is! I’m old enough to remember being told black people weren’t as intelligent as whites, that they needed extra help b/c they weren’t as capable, that they were sexually dangerous… all of it. And, believe it or not, I was raised in the northeast!
alan Balehead
This is hate religion…they should lose all they’re tax exempt status for this….
L'Herb
Honestly, is anybody surprised by this? It’s like saying “The Bachmanns said another homophobic thing!” Duh.
Chopsie
Let the damn Catholics do whatever they want, as long as it doesn’t involve the US government. They have no credence anymore — their holy water has been peed in.
Tom in Lazybrook
I think we should start a campaign for free health care at “Catholic” hospitals in Philadelphia.
Let’s put his ‘pro-life’ credentials to the test.
Cam
So they rewared people who protect peodophiles and who are bigots. Additionally there were a series of Magdeline houses in Ireland where young unwed mothers were held and abused in virtual slavery subject to abuse and sometimes rape….the church never did anything to those priests and nuns either.
tina nicolai
Catholicism is criminal. tragic man.
Liberator_Rev
As the author of http://JesusWouldBeFurious.Org/ one of the most critical of websites of the R.C. church in America, I applaud the Vatican’s choice of Archbishop Chaput to head this most important of Catholic dioceses in the country.
Chaput’s confrontational style is likely to hasten the day when intelligent Catholics will be forced to choose between their intelligence and the rear-guard religion they are likely to have inherited by an unhappy accident of birth.
If a devout Catholic and priest like ME could escape, ANYBODY can. Check out my powerful web site (above).
Liberator_Rev
You may also want to check out the poweful material I have gathered in support of the LGBT issues at http://LiberalslikeChrist.Org/homosexuality.html .
Liberator_Rev
@Tom in Lazybrook:
Try that, and in no time the R.C. church will be raking in all kinds of government funds to provide substandard care, and accumulating a great reputation for all of its “good works”. They have that routine down pat!
Jim
One day really soon these old men will look behind them and ….there will be no one there.
McMike
Gee, could he look any gayer?
kent bailey
THIS GUY IS A COMPLETE JACKASS
Cliff
@Pete: Or maybe, just maybe his world is more real than yours has ever caught a glimpse of.
Cliff
@Chopsie: The Bishop is the last man on earth to be a “homophobe.” Please get your facts straight.
Alex
@Pete: Actually, I thought that bishops had to have relationships so they knew what they were giving up. Isn’t that one of the questions they ask them?
the crustybastard
I read “new archbishop of Philadelphia” as “new archbishop of pedophilia.”
Realizing they’d brought that on themselves, I couldn’t help but laugh. Anyway, keep it up, Vatican — your precipitous slide into irrelevance is nearly complete…and overdue by a millennia.
When the day comes that you are stripped of your fancy robes and your wealth, and you are extensively tortured then finally burnt alive — do try to remember that you were very, very effective teachers.