"Without neo-orthodox control of American Catholicism the Religious Right will be unable to transform American society sufficiently to their liking. This alliance is based upon a sufficiently common philosophy as well as the compelling logic of sheer numbers and institutional organization. And that is why Richard John Neuhaus has been building neo-orthodox alliances within the Catholic Church and beyond for decades.
"It is becoming apparent that prospective GOP presidential contender Fred Thompson is not only making overtures to the Protestant evangelical wing of the Religious Right, but the neo-orthodox Catholic Right as well. Could this portend a possible Thompson-Brownback Republican ticket for 2008?
"Last week I examined the Catholic Church's rightward lurch towards religious supremacism, and in closing I asked: who is driving this?
To a very large extent, it is a small group of Neo-Orthodox traditionalists and a carefully cultivated group of converts.
"Last week I discussed the Vatican's recent decisions that will take the Catholic Church in entirely different direction from the tolerant spirit of Vatican II. The objective observer must ask what is the ultimate goal?
"The New York Times recently reported, Pope Benedict XVI has eased restrictions for the saying of the Tridentine or "Latin" Mass. No need for permission from the hierarchy anymore:
...the pope said that the change could both heal rifts with traditionalist groups that favor the Latin Mass as well as reconnect the church with a 1,500-year-old form of worship that faded since the Second Vatican Council, which ended in 1965.
"The Catholic Right, Thirty-one in a Series
"As we all know the craft of the magician is to use slight of hand, diversions and ruses of all kinds to perform feats of illusion that astound and entertain us. Good political scandals often arise by use of the same technique. Certain ethically challenged groups and individuals launder funds and bend or even break laws to accomplish their political purposes. We have seen this repeatedly as Religious Right groups and sometimes, individual churches, have flagrantly violated the privilege of federal tax exemption in the pursuit of political power.
""I just got back from the Auto de fe! Auto de fe? What's an auto de fe? It's what you oughtn't to do but you do anyway."
--"What a Day for an Auto de Fe, as sung by Mel Brooks in the Role of Torquemada, in the film, "History of the World, Part 1"
""The reaction of people of faith to this tendency of democracy to obscure the divine authority behind government should not be resignation to it, but the resolution to combat it as effectively as possible."--Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia, God's Justice and Ours'
Explaining Why the Issue Must be Raised (Part Three in a Sub-Series).
"The following is the second installment of a three part sub-series regarding the influence of non-mainstream, ultra-traditional Catholics now sitting on the US Supreme Court and federal judiciary.
"Opus Dei is very good at going to people of influence and promoting their own agenda. And sometimes these people don't even know they're doing Opus Dei's bidding."