Letters

'Staunch' Catholics?

Frank Bellet

Contents - Aug 2007 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Census 2006: 'No religion' up, Christians down Lex orandi: Benedict XVI's liturgical armistice: 'Summorum Pontificum' - Fr Glen Tattersall Events: LATIN MASS CELEBRATIONS - Melbourne and Sydney University: Australian Catholic students' conference: 'an inspiring experience' - Br Barry Coldrey News: The Church Around the World World Congress of Families: grass roots ecumenism at work - Babette Francis Society: Defending faith and reason in public life - Eamonn Keane Catholics and the pornography epidemic - Bishop Robert Finn Why Catholic parents choose home-schooling - Leslie Sammut Obituary: Death of distinguished Australian philosopher John Ziegler - John Young Catholic students' joyful encounter with the Church's sacred music treasury - Gabrielle Walsh Letters: Vatican II infallible? - Frank Mobbs Letters: Stem cell 'debate' - Chris Hilder Letters: Breath of hope - Terry and Rosemary McDonnell Letters: Catholic politicians - Patricia Halligan Letters: Truth and courage - Errol P. Duke Letters: 'Staunch' Catholics? - Frank Bellet Letters: Study leave - Eamonn Keane Poetry: Shrapnel - Bruce Dawe Letters: Combating AIDS - Franklin J. Wood Letters: Education campaign - Henry Erftemeyer Letters: Fixing the schools - G. Brian Bibby DOES YOUR PARISH STOCK AD2000? Books: Jesus of Nazareth: Baptism to Transfiguration, by Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI - Tim Cannon (reviewer) Books: The World's First Love, by Fulton J. Sheen - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality - Michael E. Daniel (reviewer) Books: AD2000 Books Reflection: The Assumption: how the Christian arts honour the Virgin Mary

It is interesting to reflect on the language used by some journalists, when touching on the subject of the Catholic faith. Some might have noticed that if a journalist doesn't like some prominent figure, who is a practising Catholic, they refer to that person as a 'staunch' Catholic, mildly suggesting that the person, so described, is a bit over the top.

On the other hand, sometimes they quite loosely throw around the word 'staunchly' Catholic, when in fact that description is somewhat debatable.

Recently a Fiona Barton, described as a Washington correspondent, wrote an article on the marriage annulment of Joe and Sheila Kennedy and the subsequent overruling by the Vatican, which caught my eye.

What attracted my attention was not the main subject matter, but rather Barton's description of the Kennedys as 'staunchly' Catholic. I think we should have been spared that.

Patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr (father of the president) was a stockbroker who made his fortune on 'insider trading'.

It is no secret that each of his sons, President John, Robert and Teddy were incurable womanisers. Some might remember Teddy (the breaststroke champion swimmer of Chappaquiddick) abandoning a young woman, Mary Jo Kopechne, to drown, when he crashed his car off a bridge at Chappaquiddick.

Then there was Teddy's vote in the Senate in favour of a partial birth abortion bill (up to nine months). If all this entitles the Kennedys to a description as 'staunch' in relation to their religion, then the word has lost its meaning.

FRANK BELLET
Petrie, Qld

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 20 No 7 (August 2007), p. 15