When it comes domestic investments and budget priorities, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops clearly aren't on the same page. As it turns out, neither is House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).
Given the severity of the cuts in the House Republican budget plan, and the way in which the poor are punished by the GOP agenda, the Bishops said in a letter this week the party's budget fails to meet certain "moral criteria" by disproportionately cutting programs that "serve poor and vulnerable people." They added the cuts are "unjustified and wrong."
Ryan, who, like Boehner, is Roman Catholic, appeared on Fox News yesterday, and was largely dismissive of his church's concerns.
For those who can't watch clips online, the thrust of Ryan's argument was, "Um, these are not all the Catholic bishops."
At first blush, this might seem compelling. After all, the letter was signed by the Rev. Stephen Blaire, bishop of Stockton, Calif., and the Rev. Richard E. Pates, bishop of Des Moines, not every member of the Conference. Ryan wants to make it seem as if he was rebuked by a couple of rogue prelates, instead of his own church's leadership at the institutional level.
But as Nick Sementelli explained, Ryan's wrong: Bishops Blaire and Pates "weren't speaking as individuals. They wrote in their official capacity as chairmen of the USCCB's Committees on Domestic Justice and Human Development and International Justice and Peace, respectively. Their views are rooted in a long history of Catholic social teaching on these issues and do represent the official position of the Church."
USCCB spokesman Don Clemmer added, "Bishops who chair USCCB committees are elected by their fellow bishops to represent all of the U.S. bishops on key issues at the national level. The letters on the budget were written by bishops serving in this capacity."
To be sure, there's a compelling case to be made that conflicts between politicians and their church is a private matter, but given the larger context, there's nevertheless some real political salience to these developments.
Just at a surface level, it's politically problematic for Republicans, who generally claim the high ground on matters of religion and righteousness, to have the leaders of Boehner's and Ryan's own church criticizing them for trying to punish poor families during difficult economic times.
But we can go further. Remember, for example, that Republicans just spent weeks arguing that those who disagree with the bishops on contraception are guilty of waging a war on faith. It's tough to say the bishops' views on public policy aren't terribly important so quickly after saying the exact opposite.
And then there's the fact that Ryan, just last week, said his Roman Catholicism inspired his right-wing budget agenda.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), whose budget plan recently passed the House in a party-line vote, says his faith contributed in shaping the proposal, which he says is consistent with Catholic teachings.
"A person's faith is central to how they conduct themselves in public and in private," Ryan said in an interview released on Tuesday by the Christian Broadcasting Network. "So to me, using my Catholic faith, we call it the social magisterium, which is how do you apply the doctrine of your teaching into your everyday life as a lay person?"
If Ryan is going to rely on his faith to sell his plan, it's unhelpful to have his own church's leadership argue publicly that he's wrong.
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"...it's politically problematic for Republicans, who generally claim the high ground on matters of religion and righteousness,..."
Just another chapter in the chronicles of GOP Hypocrisy! The GOP stand with religion when they want to keep women barefoot & pregnant, and lower paid; now however, the "Church" is wrong in telling the GOP "leaders" that they're being immoral in their treatment of the poor, wow.
So in 24 hours the bishops condemn Ryan's budget, the Pope censures nuns for focusing too much on the poor instead of damning gay marriage, and a bishop compares POB of being like Hitler and Stalin. Who is running the asylum? I guess conscience is king when it agrees with the powers that be.
The chief of the IRS is incompetent and should be replaced if they don't at least issue a reprimand within the next 30 days.
This is a no-brainer.
So the catholic church has refused to give their sacraments to various politicians over issues.
I want to see them stand up for people potentially dying because of the Republican policies and refuse sacraments to these folks.
Looks like Boehner and Ryan are CINO. I was raised Catholic and I went to Catholic school for 8 years. We were taught to take care of those less fortunate than we were. To Honor you Mother and your Father equally. Mark 10:25 It is easier to pass a camel through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven. And these two are rich men!
So basically you know where they're going.... :-)
You didn't learn much in 8 years of Catholic school. They taught YOU to take care of the less fortunate, not the US federal government. The constitution dictates what the US federal government should do, and the Bible and Catholic doctrine dictate how we should live our lives as children of God. Bottom line - Ryan is correct, 2 bishops wrong. And Madow's so-called expert is also wrong - not all bishop's approved of this statement, and their electing these two liberal bishops to this post is not implied approval. They all can think for themselves on matters of policy. The contraception argument is church doctrine - no negotiation allowed. Go back to your religion text books and read more carefully.
With their dogged insistence on over-the-top, callous, lack of humanity, there's just SO much to hammer Republicans on right now till election day. And you know what? I don't the spineless Democrats will take advantage of the opportunity. It'll be just more debate style civility from people who won't learn you have to fight fire with fire.
The real problem is that you have to fight and that's where Democratic Party goes into hiding. When the rhetoric gets hot, they hide and return as GOP Lite.
The GOP is a political party while the Dems are "all others".
There is just something that is so disappointing and not reconciled about all of this that goes on with our politicians and the rich. An average person can serve in the military and even give their lives to help protect America and people who are not even in the military that have done things to help protect and even save lives of others that receive no pay of any sort and do these things because they care have in a sense been betrayed in what lacks in the integrity and morals of these politicians. The average American who abides by the law, morals and ethics has nothing but seen how endlessly too many politicians have broken that trust the people have in our Democracy. If anything these politicians and rich people should be ashamed of what they have done and still continue to do. I have even come to question the very things that I have done to help and save peoples lives without any pay of any sort, if it was really worth it as all it seems to do is benefit arrogant and corrupt rich people who could careless what they do to others.
Wait, did he just say "no tax credit for those who are not here illegally"? Ryan can go suck a bag of dicks. He should be forced to wear a Scarlet W..
"Just solutions, however, must require shared sacrifice by all..."
"Government and other institutions have a shared responsibility to promote the common good of all, especially ordinary workers and families who struggle to live in dignity in difficult economic times…"
"If cuts to the federal budget need to be made, savings should first be found in programs that target more affluent and powerful interests."
Shared sacrifice. Shared responsibility. Common good. Does the Conference of Catholic Bishops' rhetoric and theme sound familiar? The comments mirror statements made by President Obama. But when Obama says it, the GOP paints it as Socialism, class warfare, and envy.
OK, now I'm really confused....
The Republicans- those wonderful proponents of a "Christian America" - are upset because some church leaders call them on the carpet for being 'hard on the poor'. OK.. I get that part.
But now these same political hacks are trying to marginalize this issue ?? WTF !!
My (obvious) conclusion is that the Republicans apparently don't think the Catholics are "Christian enough" to understand.
My inquiry: Will someone please explain to me how a Baptist or Methodist is 'somehow' inherently a better follower of Christ - thus a better American ??
I suppose Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, etc., ad infinitum -- can't be "real" Americans either, huh ??
I'm getting sick and need to go throw up......
To the GOP, a good Christian, or good anything for that matter, is one who looks like me, acts like me and agrees with me. Everyone else will (can) burn in hell.
Alrighty now...this is Ryan as RYAN...when you AGREE with him his 'faith informs him' when you don't agree than they are 'lying'...(see comments on the Defense budget). He is so completely psycho that he believes HE and only HE is always right and will attack ANYONE or ANY CORPORATION that disagrees with him. Even when he backtracked on calling the generals LIARS he said they were 'misinformed' and 'sucking up to Obama'...and that's how he rolls.
So far as I can tell the NYT is not covering this story. Why is that?
Ryan scolds less fortunate Americans for geting help from the system designed to help them, so he guts the system.
Catholic Bishops scold Ryan on his budget, because it guts the system.
The Vatican scolds Nuns for taking care of the poor, (most of which are in the system about to get gutted.) because the Nuns are not scolding Americans for living an alternative lifestyle, and making their own choices.
What a screwed up world we live in.
The Catholic Church is a one political issue organization, abortion.
Sure, they'll talk about social issues, but when it comes right down to it, at the end of the day they make speeches against the politicians who support them on social issues, but disagree with them about abortion.
The Catholic Church hierarchy is just as hypocritical as their Republican political buddies.
Unfortunately, you didn't place the word hierarchy in the first sentence. A majority of Catholics supported the dems in 2008.
The male church leadership of the Roman Catholic Church is continuing to wage war on the Obama administration's contraception mandate, all in the name of religious freedom. This male run hierarchical institution openly opposes adequate health card for women and children through their resistance to health reform. Now, "men in dresses" of the Roman Catholic church have waged war against reducing global poverty, the oppression of women, the abuse of children, and the caring for the elderly and disenfranchise by attaching and silencing the thousands of women religious (nuns) throughout the U.S. Please Rachel, bring JOAN CHITTISTER, OSB, to your show and offer a voice of substance, determination, compassion, and wisdom for the many nuns who are besieged and burdened by this outrageous behavior of the Roman Catholic male leadership. PS/ I am friends of Cathy Garrett, Laura Conaway's aunt, in Jackson, MS. Aunt Cathy sends her love!
The IRS must revoke 510 (c) 3 tax exempt status for Catholic parishes.
The Catholic Church caused the Dark Ages the last time this kind of thing got out of control.
I'm sure that Ryan has the same thought process going with the Catholic bishops as he did with the generals over the Defense budget. He knows that they really DO want to cut programs to the poor. They are just saying they don't because they are being coerced by the WH. He knows better than they do what they want.
If you don't believe him, just ask him.
Rep. Ryan used Social Security benefits to go to college, so he could learn to follow Milton Friedman & Ayn Rand.
He wrote speeches for Jack Kemp. Is Rep. Ryan a Gold Bug, too?
It seems that Rep. Ryan is a "Cafeteria Catholic", who picks and chooses which Catholic teachings to follow.