Heres what I saw when I attended a conservative Catholic gathering in DCs Trump Tower

[rug]

The entrance to the Trump International Hotel in Washington. (Getty Images)

March 17
By John Gehring
This opinion piece is by John Gehring, Catholic program director at Faith in Public Life, and author of The Francis Effect: A Radical Pope’s Challenge to the American Catholic Church. Gehring attended “Public Policy and Our Catholic Faith” on his own accord, took notes and recorded some of the talks and then offered this piece to The Washington Post for publication.

My interest was piqued when I heard that a group of well-heeled, politically active conservative Catholics planned to meet at the Trump International Hotel in Washington for a two-day, $1,250 a person symposium. Billed as an exclusive gathering of “Catholic leaders, clergy and important DC insiders,” the event didn’t sound like your typical religious conference.

As a Catholic progressive who writes about the intersection of religion and politics, I wanted to peek behind the curtain. Last week, I coughed up the hefty registration fee to listen to how an influential segment of Catholics and other religious conservatives are organizing in the Trump era. Over three-course dinners, wine receptions and panel discussions that featured academics, former and current Republican officials, and an address by Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, the symposium featured a blend of high-powered networking, liturgies, wonky policy discussions and insider D.C. political whispering.

Timothy Busch, a prominent Catholic philanthropist who hosted the gathering, set the tone during opening remarks at a National Press Club dinner attended by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and former senator Rick Santorum. “We were headed down a path that was pretty dark with a Supreme Court decision redefining marriage,” he told a crowd of about 75 business leaders, clergy, religious liberty attorneys and conservative activists. While acknowledging that President Trump’s policies and rhetoric toward immigrants don’t align with Catholic teachings, he spoke in buoyant terms about the new political potential in Washington.

“In the early weeks of this administration more has been done to address the biggest tragedy, the biggest catastrophe, and that is abortion,” said Busch, an Orange County, Calif. attorney who owns luxury hotels and the Napa-based vineyard Trinitas Cellars. “More has been done to benefit the causes of life, which is more important than anything we have in our society … Everything else is trumped by this issue of life.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/03/17/heres-what-i-saw-when-i-attended-a-conservative-catholic-gathering-in-dcs-trump-tower/?utm_term=.20ee19e6a94c

[guillaumeb]

1. Recommended:

The ending:

Conservative Catholics who feel emboldened in the Trump era will continue to strategize and look for political openings. But along the way they risk being relegated to cheerleaders for the administration if they downplay or ignore how poverty, the environment and the command to welcome migrants are central to traditional church teachings. Perhaps looking to Pope Francis, rather than Donald Trump, would be a good place to start.

I know many who talk of being pro-life, when what they demonstrate is that they are pro-fetus. A consistent pro-life position, in my view, must embrace all of a life, not simply the birth.

[FakeNoose]

2. I'm old enough to remember

... the days when Catholics were all - or mostly - members of the Democratic Party.

If anybody voted for the GOP they were too ashamed to admit it, back in the 60's or earlier.
Of course I'm only talking about American Catholics here, but the church has spent too many years consorting with the devil.
Is the cause of ending abortion really worth it?

I don't think so!

[rug]

3. Catholics have been a key constituency for the Democratic Party for decades.

They still are, demographics and all.

[FakeNoose]

5. Abortion changed everything

The Catholics have put their eggs in the wrong basket.

I was raised a Catholic but I have large issues with many of their policies.
The last 35-40 years have been awful, for many reasons.

[rug]

6. No, its position hasn't changed.

What has changed is that it's become political slang.

[sharedvalues]

13. I've been to Catholic masses where the priests tell the congregation to support pro-life (i.e. GOP)

The Catholics ruined themselves by allying themselves with the GOP over abortion.

It's sad to see priests or cantors asking the congregation to "pray for our political leaders especially those who believe in the life of the unborn". Sad because the politicians that support that also support the death penalty, denying people healthcare, and treating the poor badly.

[napi21]

4. I'm Catholic too but I don't believe any Gov't has a right or duty to even have an opinion on

abortion. I personally would never have one, but it's none of my business what decision someone else makes. IMO what this new admin. is trying to do to the poor, minorities, and our planet are far more serious and offensive, and damaging than the abortion issue. I'm sure the people at that symposium are also against any birth control. Whoopee for them! One opinion works completely against the other!

I attended 12 years at an all girls Catholic School. They taught that a woman must submit to her husband. Even if she's sick or tired, so mush have sex with him when he desires it. The ONLY birth control that was acceptable was the Rhythm method, and both parents must gladly welcome as many or as few children as God send them.

EVERY Catholic I know, without exception, use or have used birth control. In fact, It wouldn't surprise me if the majority of people who attended that symposium used BC too.

Sorry folks. You have been put into the group known as hypocrites!

[FakeNoose]

7. I agree

The Catholic Church is wrong about this, and it's blinding them to all the evil in the GOP.
Conservatives are happy to use the Catholics, and make them think they care about abortion.

I was raised a Catholic and I've all but quit the Church over their politics.

I don't think this is happening in other countries, only in the USA, but I could be wrong.

[CincyDem]

8. While it sounds trite, this has always impressed me as one of the greatest statements of faith.

I personally would never have one, but it's none of my business what decision someone else makes.

Sorry - couldn't resist the comment. Hopefully not intruding. To me, a wonderful statement on the pro-choice/anti-choice debate.

My decision is mine. Your decision is yours. Now, let go have a drink.

We'd all be better off if this was a more common expression of what it means to be faithfully pro-life without getting caught up in being judgmentally pro-life.

[rug]

10. Prochoice and proabortion are two diferent things.

[MFM008]

9. They will never stop

Women and abortion.
They should concentrate on feeding sheltering...you know all the stuff Jesus said to do.
Abortion is a tar pit they should not drink from.

[ribrepin]

11. Somebody else recommend so this can go to greatest page

[47of74]

12. Did they all get their 30 pieces of silver for attending?

And if so was it at the beginning or the end of their little bund meeting?