DON VINCENZO writes:

It is rare –  truly rare – that a member of the modern-minded “Catholic” clergy will actually stand up and be counted for his steadfast commitment to a  dogmatic belief that has been part of the Church’s long tradition, for the members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops prefer to take the path of least resistance in dealing with anything or anyone that might, horror or horrors, bring bad publicity. But, God works in wondrous ways. Take the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Norfolk, Virginia.

A parish priest, Rev. Dan Beeman of Holy Trinity Parish, actually raised the question that seemed to have escaped the Virginia episcopacy: why did the organizers of the parade, the Norfolk Chapter of the Knights of Columbus, invite the Governor, Terry McAuliffe, to lead the procession? As the parish priest pointed out, “Governor McAuliffe stands contrary to the Catholic Church in not one but may of the most essential teachings of the Church in the political arena.” Hence, Rev. Beeman would not allow his parish to participate in the march.

For those unaware of the facts, Gov. Mc Auliffe, whose entire political career has been a major “bundler” or fund raiser for the decadent Clintons, amassing a small fortune in the process, became Governor of the Old Dominion despite having absolutely no ties to the state; in short, he bought the election. That aside, as Rev. Beeman wrote, the governor has promised repeatedly that he will be a “brick wall” against any form of abortion restrictions, and has presided over a same-sex marriage. But we are told by the governor’s spokesman that, “The Governor is a lifelong Catholic who takes his faith very seriously,” so Rev. Beeman must just be mean-spirited in his criticism.

Perhaps embarrassed by the kerfuffle created by this insensitive priest, both the Bishops of Richmond and Arlington (Virginia) chimed in and joined in questioning the wisdom of choosing Mc Auliffe to lead the parade. It should also be noted that the Lt. Governor, who shares the views on abortion and homosexual marriage, was invited to lead the parade last year, but declined to do so after howls of protest. Perhaps the Knight of Columbus organizers are slow learners.

What Rev. Beeman did was to take his vow as a Catholic priest seriously, for implicit in that lifelong dedication is confronting of the enemies of the Church at every and all levels. Far too often, however, the Church’s hierarchy in America reeks of a political correctness. A minor skirmish in Norfolk has been a modest victory for the Catholic cause, but how far that victory will redound in other locations is very questionable.

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