In a moment of turmoil, US Catholic bishops meet virtually
FILE - In this Nov. 10, 2003 file photo, Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, D.C., center, joins fellow clergy in prayer at the end of the opening session of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting in Washington. McCarrick who was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 served as head of Catholic dioceses in Metuchen and Newark, New Jersey, and in Washington. โThe shadow of the McCarrick report hangs over this meeting,โ said John Gehring, Catholic program director at a Washington-based clergy network called Faith in Public Life. The report found that three decades of bishops, cardinals and popes dismissed or downplayed reports of McCarrickโs misconduct with young men. The bishops will discuss the McCarrick report twice Monday, first in a private session and later in a public livestream, according to the communications office of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
No 'dogma': Democrats walk tightrope on Barrett's faith
Democrats are treading carefully on religious faith as they prepare to question President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee. โI donโt intend to question her about her personal views or private religious faith or views,โ Coons, a key Biden ally, said this past week. Fearful of losing the high court for a generation, the left is demanding that Democrats resist Barrett's nomination with everything they have. Republicans have preemptively declared any discussion of Barrettโs faith out of bounds. But specifics about Barrettโs faith, such as broaching People of Praise, would have โa bad odor,โ Franke said.
If Barrett joins, Supreme Court would have six Catholics
Itโs a striking development given that the high court, for most of its history, was almost entirely populated by white male Protestants. Margaret McGuinness, a professor of religion at La Salle University in Philadelphia, noted that Sonia Sotomayor is the only current Catholic justice appointed by a Democrat. โNo one should worry that Catholics on the Supreme Court will all agree with each other about matters of legal interpretation.โHe cited Sotomayor, with liberal views, and Thomas, a staunch conservative, as examples. There has been a majority of Catholic justices on the Supreme Court since Alito joined in 2006. โI donโt think thereโs any scheme or plot to bring Catholics to the Supreme Court,โ he said.