Rumor check
November 20, 2008, 10:12 am
Posted by Margaret O'Brien Steinfels
Last night someone told me that the rumor sailing around DC is that George W. Bush will become a Catholic upon leaving office. Anyone else heard this?
Will definitively establish us as a church of sinners!
on November 20th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Margaret, we have always been a Church of sinners. The Good News is, God’s is LOVE and MERCY.
on November 20th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Tony Blair will be one of W’s godparents.
Sorry, but I know nothing of the soon-to-be-ex-president’s religious intentions, though he’s expressed his admiration for JPII and B16 on several occasions.
on November 20th, 2008 at 11:22 am
I hadn’t heard this one, but of course everybody knows Laura is divorcing him as soon as he leaves office. Will this mean he can’t remarry?
on November 20th, 2008 at 11:23 am
And maybe Jeb Bush, a convert to Catholicism, will be the other godparent.
on November 20th, 2008 at 11:58 am
though he’s expressed his admiration for JPII and B16 on several occasions.
“Thank you, your holiness, awesome speech” is one of my all-time favorite Bush moments.
on November 20th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Divorce? I guess the Pauline privilege wouldn’t apply–unless, of course, he’s really a pagan.
on November 20th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
“Last night someone told me that the rumor sailing around DC is that George W. Bush will become a Catholic upon leaving office. ”
I guess that means he’s been attending RCIA for the last two years.
on November 20th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Mollie–
One of my favorite W moments, too. It’s funny without intending to be so (that’s what makes it so memorable), but–now don’t jump all over me for saying this–kind of endearing in a non-Catholic, down home friendly Texan kind of way. Ever gracious, B16 didn’t seem fazed or bothered by it. I still laugh every time I see it, though.
on November 20th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
B16 probably took it for evangelical-talk. What W seems to have had in mind was “Awesome speech, dude” and stuck in the Your Holiness instead, which makes me laugh every time I think of it too. My children have bookmarked the clip and play it all the time when people come over. In an odd way, it is endearing, and makes one wonder all over again why W ever left that plum job with the Texas Rangers.
on November 20th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
“but–now don’t jump all over me for saying this–kind of endearing in a non-Catholic, down home friendly Texan kind of way. ”
I agree, William. I work with entrepreneurs from all over North America. He reminds me of many of the small business owners from the South that I deal with. If not for the accident of genetics, he might have had a nice little Microsoft or Cisco business.
on November 20th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Why shouldn’t he become a Catholic? Catholic leaders were the only ones who gave him a bye on torture while the Evangelicals severely reprimanded the W administration for these terrible crimes. W is just responding to some ridiculous Catholic casuistry which can make some awful things seem right. No one supported W in the Iraq war and his torture regime more than the Catholic theocons. Benedict can appoint him a Knight of Malta so he can lead the crusade against the Muslims.
on November 20th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Wow
and coservatives get lectured about “hate”
on November 20th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
I don’t know what you meanf, Sean. Fostering war and torture subjects political and moral leaders to rightful scrutiny.
The story about John XXIII when asked by a young Jew to convert is telling. He told him to remain a Jew. Though John eventually relented the point is well taken, Conversion is too often an act of triumph among disreputable factions rather than true conversion of the heart. More politics than heart. Those unlike us are going to hell kind of mentality.
It is not being Catholic that is important. It is the following of Jesus. Jesus is the essence not Catholicity.
Some will write back and say why do I stay a Catholic. I choose to stay Catholic and encourage Catholics to put Jesus and love of others above Catholicity.
Ceremonial conversions can be quite suspect.
on November 21st, 2008 at 7:25 am
How Tony Blair-ian of him!!!
on November 21st, 2008 at 6:06 pm
I wouldn’t put too much stock in this rumor. We’re still waiting for Ed Koch. :)
on December 7th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Posted by Bill Mazzella
on November 20th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Why shouldn’t he become a Catholic? Catholic leaders were the only ones who gave him a bye on torture while the Evangelicals severely reprimanded the W administration for these terrible crimes. W is just responding to some ridiculous Catholic casuistry which can make some awful things seem right. No one supported W in the Iraq war and his torture regime more than the Catholic theocons. Benedict can appoint him a Knight of Malta so he can lead the crusade against the Muslims.
What a loon!
on December 7th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
What a loon! Bill Mazzella I mean! WOW!