About Those Catholics

What's so special?

SNL’s Church Lady was famous for saying “Well, isn’t that special?” Today, VP JD Vance “received blowback” for this comment during his smack-down interview on CBS News “Face The Nation”

“I think that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?”

That was part of a string of back-and-forths with Margaret Brennan, but the one that “drew the ire” of the Bishops’ spokesrobe and others. VP Vance is “a devote catholic” so he’s got the creds to say whatever he wants.

As customary, my question is Why the ‘blowback’? Because some dudes believe in certain standards and a way of life, wear fancy robes and funny hats, and understand Latin? Well…isn’t that special?

Maybe to some similar believers, but when their loaf of piety is leavened with Caesar’s coinage, the result is a hunk of hypocrisy.

In a statement from the USCCB: “Faithful to the teaching of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church has a long history of serving refugees…”. Vance didn’t, but I would submit drug dealers, gang members, convicted rapists, and murderers, some released from foreign prisons, do not fit any definition of “refugee”.

“In our agreements with the government, the USCCB receives funds to do this work; however, these funds are not sufficient to cover the entire cost of these programs. Nonetheless, this remains a work of mercy and ministry of the Church,".

Parsing the above, the USCCB is insinuating their righteous efforts are a money-losing deal – as if the Catholic Church has to scrounge for additional funds. Guilt-tripping parishioners with several varieties of Sin while scaring the Bejesus out of them with Purgatory and Eternal Hellfire isn’t sufficient? And who puts a price tag on “a work of mercy”, especially when you have as much money as God? When I checked the USCCB reference to a ‘work of mercy’, I couldn’t find any obligation to being “merciful” by illegally harboring drug dealers, sex traffickers, rapists, and their ilk. Gee… WWJD? But then, Jesus wasn’t a Catholic.

The acceptance of presumed holiness, righteousness, religious trappings, and various honorifics is the default position of the MSM and, to be accurate, society in general. It’s no different from the bowing and scraping, simpering and quivering, special parking places, and “no reservations? no problem!” deferentially given without question to smarmy politicians and ego-inflamed superstars. So much so, they believe they are entitled (“Don’t you know who I am!?!”). What did they do to earn it? Win a popularity contest? Have a microphone? Cavort in front of a camera speaking someone else’s words? Or are they somehow so much better than “ordinary citizens” like Joe and Jane Sixpack?

My grandfather said, “If you take people’s money, you have to take their shit.” If the USCCB wants taxpayer funds to do their “works of mercy”, they should expect the same “blowback” they served VP Vance.

Well? Isn’t that special?

BW