Priests shouldn’t engage in partisan politics—except?
By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Jul 10, 2018
Bishop Michael Warfel of Great Falls-Billings has reprimanded four priests who appeared in clerical collars, as VIP guests, at a rally for President Trump in Montana. And rightly so, because priests should not take part in partisan political activities.
At the same time, Cardinal Blase Cupich has enthusiastically backed a demonstration led by Father Michael Pfleger, which blocked traffic on a major highway in Chicago.
It’s true that Father Pfleger’s demonstration was not organized to support any specific political candidate (although it was certainly intended to make some politicians squirm). But is that really the crucial difference?
Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
