What happened?
Donald Trump has assembled an advisory group of 34 Catholics.
It includes former presidential candidate Rick Santorum and Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B Anthony List, a pro-life group.
Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, is hoping to shore up his support among churchgoing Christians. One of the 34, Joseph Cella, founder of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, said he was persuaded by Trump’s positions on religious liberty, abortion and economics.
What Trump supporters are saying
In an impassioned homily at a Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children, Fr Michael Orsi said that Catholics should do everything to keep the Democrats out of office. Fr Orsi, former chaplain to Ave Maria Law School, told Catholics that, given the Democrats’ opposition to Catholic teaching on abortion, “you might not have a church to go to if you don’t vote the right way in November”. He also said that, given the Democrats’ likely appointments to appeals courts, religious liberty and the rights of the unborn would shrink.
In The Wanderer, James K Fitzpatrick also said abortion was the key issue. Trump has promised to uphold the Hyde Amendment, which stops federal money being used to fund abortions; Clinton, on the other hand, wants to repeal it.
What his critics are saying
At patheos.com, Mark Shea alluded to Trump’s past support for Planned Parenthood. Both candidates, Shea wrote, are “corrupt, pro-abortion liars”. But only Trump has managed to persuade the pro-life movement to support him. “And not merely support him but spend their days and nights defending and excusing every single filthy thing he says and does in addition to supporting abortion.”
The Week’s senior correspondent, Michael Brendan Dougherty, who is Catholic, argued that even if Trump won his presidency would be limited by public opinion, the complexities of the US system – and his own character. “Trump does not have patience.
He is distracted by trivial slights. That means he is very unlikely to sweep away the procedural and institutional hurdles to enacting his plans.”
The most overlooked story of the week
✣Assisi hosts fifth peace gathering in 30 years
What happened?
Pope Francis took part in an ecumenical and inter-religious event in Assisi, the latest instalment of the World Day of Prayer for Peace. The meeting, which marked the 30th anniversary of an initiative first launched by St John Paul II, gathered leaders from Orthodoxy, Protestant denominations, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and other groups.
Why was it under-reported?
Thirty years ago, the gathering was a major step: while some saw John Paul’s idea as a brave attempt to find common ground between religions, others thought it detracted from the Church’s claim to be the only true faith. Everything has already been said on that subject, and “Religious leaders call for peace” is not a headline likely to astonish and intrigue the reader these days.
One possible story – the Dalai Lama’s absence, maybe to avoid offending China – never developed beyond speculation.
What will happen next?
There are occasional murmurs that the Assisi meeting may have passed its sell-by date.
In 2011, Benedict XVI quietly changed the event, so that it included a joint discussion, but no joint prayer. If its spiritual value is doubted, so is its political importance: the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, which has been sidelined by most Western governments, needs more forceful efforts to bring it to public attention.
The media’s lack of interest may signify that Assisi has run its course.
✣The week ahead
Pope Francis and Justin Welby will hold their most significant meeting so far when the Archbishop of Canterbury visits Rome this Wednesday. After a joint celebration of Vespers, the two leaders will send out 19 pairs of Anglican and Catholic bishops across the world. The initiative marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of Rome’s Anglican Centre.
The Jesuits begin their general congregation on Sunday, the first since 2008. It will begin with a Mass near the tomb of St Ignatius Loyola. Delegates will appoint a leader to succeed Fr Adolfo Nicolás.
The Manchester Marian Procession takes place on Saturday, starting at 10.30am from St Edward’s church. Last year more than 1,000 people came to follow the statue of Our Lady and a wooden cross. The organisers recommend bringing “sturdy shoes (it’s about a 2-mile walk), rosary beads, a bottle of water and an umbrella”.
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