Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego recently told the dissident National Catholic Reporter that while “some voices” are urging the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops “toward a more confrontational stance toward (Joe) Biden and the new administration,” he considers that to be “contrary to the tradition of our conference” and ultimately “counterproductive.”
Instead, McElroy hopes that Catholics will be “proud collaborators” with the pro-abortion politician, particularly on addressing issues of “racial justice and division which have been so exacerbated in the last four years” and responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
McElroy delivered his comments to the Reporter after Archbishop Jose Gomez’s unexpected announcement that the USCCB will form a working group to examine the “additional problems” arising from Biden’s support of abortion rights despite his professed Catholicism. According to Gomez, the president of the USCCB, this “creates confusion among the faithful about what the Church actually teaches on these questions.”
The San Diego bishop, who is on record saying “It is not Catholic teaching that abortion is the preeminent issue that we face as the world in Catholic social teaching,” told the Reporter that the bishops’ conference “should engage and mobilize with great strength and power” on abortion-related questions but insisted that the “tenor and the framework that the conference undertakes at this moment” should emphasize “the importance of dialogue, encounter, and mutual respect.”
Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, who shares McElroy’s opposition to “single-issue voting,” echoed this commitment to maintain a pleasant demeanor in dealings with a radically pro-abortion administration, saying, “It’s always been the posture of the church that we will speak with our political leaders in a polite, mutually respectful manner.”
Both bishops emphasized that a Biden administration would advance their aims on immigration. “In San Diego, we have 200,000 undocumented men, women and children,” McElroy said. “We need to legalize these families that have been living in the shadows for 10, 15, 20 years….”
The above comes from a Nov. 27 story on LifeSiteNews.
It’s always about Pride for Big Mac
The Diocese of San Diego has ceased being Catholic and has become a non-governmental organization.
The diocese preaches social justice, just another term for democrat socialism!
Well that says it folks! You can’t be surprised by anything the bishops say or do this is not the 1950’s when Roman Catholicism was Roman Catholicism and everything was normal.
Catholics are free to reject the leftist personal political opinions of this bishop. The man’s views are so obscured by rainbows that his ability or even desire, to lead souls to heaven is legitimately called into question.
What is the matter with that man? He wants us to be proud collaborators with Joe Biden? Perhaps he should be worrying about Joe Biden’s soul.
It’s not either/or is it? We ought to cooperate when good can come of it, and become loyal opposition when necessary. To not cooperate in justice and peace and the common good is to cooperate with injustice, fractionalism, and shoot-oneself-in-the-footism.
“Collaborator”: perfect word for our Vichy bishops who want to cooperate with a pro-choice “catholic” Biden
Like every American citizen, His Excellency has the right to express his opinion. The polls I have read all indicate that the majority of Catholics voted for President-elect Biden. Our nation needs acceptance and healing.
Are you serious Dona nobis pacem? Acceptance and healing? ha, ha. Where have you been for the last four years when the fake, unhinged, deranged media was attacking Trump daily calling him Hitler, White Supremacist, Nazi, KKK, Liar, etc. The fraudulent polls you read is more like it. And how is it acceptance to want to keep killing the innocents, promoting sodomy, which is deadly to the body as well as the soul. infringe on religious liberty, support terrorist groups like BLM, Antifa, taking guns away, and infringing on our right to free speech?
The polls that dona reads are the left-wing fake news radical networks. All lies and voter fraud!
Sorry, Dona– you really goofed! You really are not Catholic, are you! Whom does McElroy serve, as a bishop? God! And what are his job duties, to God?? And whom does he lead, amongst his “sheep?” What are his job duties, as a Shepherd, to Biden, the “sheep?” I will make it real clear and simple. McElroy and Biden both ought to be excommunicated!
It seems to me that you can oppose, strongly and publicly, with Biden and Harris on the issue of abortion; take to the streets if need be, but still “collaborate” with the administration on which we agree, such as feeding the poor, sheltering the homeless, good basic healthcare, strong economy, and much more. One strike and your out isn’t usually very helpful. Even within the church as well as the nation, we must bring an end to the division, the hate, the unwillingness to work for the common good.
Not gonna cooperate like a Vichy stooge Bob.
Bob, not much chance for unity when the Trump half the country is called racist hater homophobe Nazis by baby killing commies.
I’m not interested in unifying with that.
Ah Bob One you are very predictable after spending the last 4 years of calling Trump supporters nazis and bigots, you now want “unity for the common good”. You were calling one strike on us for last four years.
Bob One …Would you have collaborated with a man like Hitler if he supported those issues?
Bob you’re old enough to remember what a Quisling was , the common good can be twisted and profaned to all sorts of evil ends , neither of these two are our friends.
Bob One I will continue the division with people like you
The bishopric of Robert McElroy was reserved by Pope Francisco even while he was a San Francisco priest opposing the incorporation of saintly Fr. Illo. McElroy has proven true to the Marxist path of American priests under The Argentinian Peronist Pope. Shame on our American Church.
The Church cannot cooperate with evil. The Church did not become “proud collaborators” with evil emperors like Nero or Diocletian, nor should it have anything to do with the evil the Democrat Party stands for and seeks to impose on us.
Let’s be clear: When the hierarchy promoted sexual abusive priests, it cooperated with evil. So while we all want that cooperation to end, it can take place.
Clinton R– yes, the early Christians could never “cooperate” with the evil Roman emperors, like Nero and Diocletian, and their Christian-killing regimes. Many people today forget that the sacred role of the Catholic cleric is to evangelize the dark, sinful, secular world– and bring it to Christ. To help Christ build His Kingdom on earth. The sacred role is waiting, there– so our Pope and his clerics had better get busy. “McSnake-in-the-Grass” is not working at all for Christ. No vocation. Dead.
You are comparing apples and oranges. The early Christians were martyred for not obeying Roman laws ordering them to give worship to the Emperor or other idols. They were obeying God and the Faith. Early Christians who were killed when attacking pagan temples were denied the crown of Martyrdom.
Anonymous, no, the early Christians were daily preaching, evangelizing, making thousands of converts to Christianity. Many new converts became martyrs for Christ. They broke the Roman laws, being Christians– but they were very active in evangelizing. Finally, they were so successful, all Rome got converted, and their Faith became the state religion.
We need to kick out the 200,000 who have been here illegally. We need to deport those people who have been breaking the law for 10, 15, 20 years.
kathryn, when did Christ ask us to “kick out” anyone? Doesn’t Jesus welcome us all equally? Wasn’t that is very point?
Equality I agree but breaking the law is questionable. What if everyone decided to break the law? Of course, we sympathize with those who were brought here by their parents through no fault of their own. But we can’t open our borders and let who knows what in. Maybe the solution is to try and help people come here legally.
Many of them came here seeking asylum, they are not here illegally. Why do Christians want to kick people who only seek legal protection from persecution? Doesn’t seem very Christian to me.
Fake asylum claims. They’ve been coached how to game the U.S. immigration system.
It’s called the 4th Commandment: Honor Thy Father And Mother. The 4th Commandment includes obeying the laws of our country too. Especially the laws regarding legal immigration!
I’m not sure kicking illegals out is the solution, but I am confused how in 5, 10, 15 or 20 years these people have not applied for citizenship. They certainly have had time to do many other things. Why have they been encouraged to continue to break the law? 5 to 20 years? That’s a long time to do nothing about something that effects your life and is illegal.
You can’t apply for citizenship when you come in illegally.
thats a long time cooking your meals for you and cleaning you houses for you, don’t you think?
You have someone that cooks your meals and cleans your house that isn’t your spouse?
Funny, I don’t seem to recall McElroy offering the same words in 2016 when Trump was elected. I guess “acceptance and healing” (DNP 4:44) only applies to leftist politicians and their policies– promotion of abortion, gay marriage, transgender rights, gutting the first amendment, doxing, cancelling those who in conscience opposing any of the above, and offering socialism as the panacea for our economic woes. In short the entire Judeo-Christian worldview is to be attacked at its core, and accepting this will bring healing and productive results. Why thank you B. McElroy for your articulate advocacy for Uncle Screwtape. He couldn’t be prouder.
As Catholic News Agency noted early during Trump’s presidency:
Feb 22, 2017 / 12:04 am MT (CNA)
If President Donald Trump is the candidate of “disruption,” similar disruption is needed to build a better society, Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego told a gathering of faith-based groups co-sponsored by the Vatican.
“Well now, we must all become disruptors,” the bishop said Feb. 18 at the U.S. regional gathering for the World Meeting of Popular Movements, which aims to promote structural changes for greater justice in racial, social, and economic areas.
The audacity and blatant double-standard of those promoting division and questioning the legitimacy of the 2016 election now demanding cooperation, collaboration and unity!
Confused– Jesus also taught good discipline, not to break laws wrongly for your own self-interest. Many people today, confuse Christian Love with just “warm and fuzzy” feelings, along with permissiveness and irresponsibility.
Ah, and then there was Trump, the most vocal pro-life President, but McElroy never “proudly collaborated” with him for four years. McElroy’s agendum is in being ecologically Woke, and we’ll be hearing from him about how we’re all “corrosive” and “repugnant” if we Catholics don’t join him in the Cult of Wokeness.
Well vocal, he certainly was. Pro life? He procured more abortions than any president in history.
There are so many clergy who are wolves in sheep’s clothing. We need to expose them to show how they are using the Church to promote an ideology and not the Gospel of repentance, conversion, and salvation. McElroy is weak but cunning like a snake. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Continue to expose him to save the Church and the sheep of Christ.
‘Proud collaborators’ of what? Of his abortion stance, same sex marriage stance, reception of Holy Communion when sin to him doesn’t matter and he could care less how he blasphemes Our Lord? Sorry but I don’t collaborate the the devil or his minions.
Shame on him.
I was going to add my comment but it’s already been said multiple times. Good job, guys!
McSnake-in-the-Grass
Hymie, good for you! That’s what I have thought, ever since “McSnake” slithered around San Francisco, all those years! McSnake-in-the-Grass!
CCC 75.
The smoke of Satan has entered the Church.
It’s not smoke anymore it’s men in red hats , waving to their friends, they are not hiding anymore.
You mean people who wear MAGA hats?
No , the cardinals , mccarrick , mahoney , etc.
Correction he is in firm operational control
I daresay, the Good Lord has seemingly raised up men like Pope Francis and this Bishop for a specific purpose: they seem to be the perfect shepherds for the likes of many who comment on this here blog. I am serious. Those two shepherds have your number, people. They just seem to know the spiritual deficiencies of the habitués of this website; they seem to know exactly which difficult terrain to lead you people through; and isn’t that one of the tasks of a shepherd: to lead sheeple where they need to go spiritually, though the sheeple may be unwilling? They are leading you out of pride, hubris, stubbornness, vitriol, intolerance, irreverence, and dissent.
What do I mean by that? Well, just listen to yourselves. What are you so angry about with this Bishop? That Catholics may have to “collaborate” with a possible Biden Administration? Why, what would you rather the American Church do? Ignore Biden just as the left-wing ignored and demonized Trump? If so, then you’re really no better than the left-wing radicals, are you? That this Bishop seems to have a pastor’s love for those who struggle with same-sex attraction? Why, didn’t Our Lord Himself scandalize the “righteous” people of His time by forgiving and associating with prostitutes, tax collectors, and other notorious sinners? Or that he wrongly denied that abortion is the preeminent issue of our times? Yes, that was grossly false, but hey, he may have to answer for that to God, but definitely not to you.
Mind you, though I am at times baffled myself by this Bishop’s words, I know better than to pour venom and contempt, as you folks do routinely and shamefully, not only for him, but for anyone you dislike. Just read your comments! “Marxist,” “stooge,” “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” “devil’s minion,” “snake-in-the-grass.” Even if you don’t like his politics (and I don’t myself), is this the way to talk about an anointed shepherd of God’s Church? Or do you only have reverence for Republican bishops? Or maybe only those willing to sue the state to open up our churches, or who offer the TLM?
People, I know you all want to get to heaven. Can you honestly say that you can get there by throwing stones at God’s ministers (even if you know you’re in the right) from the relative comfort of your anonymity? You’re not their judge. They are answerable to God, not to you.
His interview was with the National Catholic Reporter, which is not faithful to Church teaching on everything. His writings there (such as this one) and the one about the election could be seen to be drawing some of that audience closer to the entire Catholic Truth.
https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/bishop-mcelroy-us-catholics-politically-homeless-face-hard-choices
There are many reasons why it would alienate many of the people who post here, including a lack of forgiveness for some of his past choices, such as support of Father Martin, and throwing people out of meetings. People also mistakenly believe that he called them a cancer in the Church. He didn’t but you know the Internet.
Bishops are only called to lead those in their diocese. But with NCR he is speaking to a national audience.
He is not my bishop. My bishop does not support Father Martin and he is very pro-life but he still gets trashed online by those who feel the need to do that.
First Jon, look at your source, NCR, a dissident paper. Do you consider Cardinal McCarrick a shepherd or Weakland or any other Cardinals who disgraced the Church? Or how about the many Popes who were bad? Please stop the sanctimonious comments.
Ronnie is wrong on all counts. I do not read the NCR. Secondly, when Ronnie and the rest here cast stones at the ministers of the Church (unjustly and with great contempt), they are being sanctimonious in the first place. All I am doing is defending the Church and her ministers and her teachings. Carry on people. Carry on.
Corrected. But his interview with a dissident paper, which is contrary to the teachings of the Church, was my point. Do you cast stones at Cardinal McCarrick or Archbishop Weakland? Or don’t the victims matter to you, hundreds if not more who were abused by McCarrick. Sickening and all those who covered-up for him, all those ministers who looked the other way? Who will stand up for these teenage boys and young men? Contempt, yes, for this abomination and I’m afraid that says a lot about someone if they can’t be justly angry at this scandal instead of looking the other way. And how is it defending the teachings of the Church by ignoring the confusion by this Pope and McElroy who are leading people astray with confusing messages?
Referring to us as sheeple is insulting. They are answerable to God as we all are , but they need us to support them financially so in a very real way we are their judge.
Right. And what does referring to a bishop as “devil’s minion” called? I rest my case. At least I am included in the sheeple, which by doing so ceases to become “derogatory.”
I remember as a new Catholic how confusing all the political and social justice remarks by my bishops was. They need to say if it is binding as sin if we obey or do not obey and they need to say whether it is necessary for belief.
The 1960s secular social justice and politics fads in the Church are of the Vatican II era.
You might want to read all the traditional writings of the Popes of previous eras, on these matters– they are very good! Try reading Pope Leo XIII’s excellent encyclical, “De Rerum Novarum.” The Magisterium, Sacred Scripture, and Sacred Tradition are three main parts of the Catholic Church. Many of the bishops today, are honestly not real Catholic bishops– they are apostate and heretical. But there are excellent bishops, too, and those are the only ones to listen to.
Based on your definition, apostate vs. excellent, my only choice is to listen to those who agree with my opinion of what the truth is?
No. This has nothing to do with your “opinion ” Anonymous. Who is a Church cleric who is a faithful follower of Christ? Follow only that one. Real simple, Anonymous. Use your head.
Use your head, Anonymous, and only follow Church leaders who are following Christ”s Truth! Consult the Catechism if in doubt. To follow Jesus has nothing to do with your “opinion.” It has to do with Faith and obedience.
Thank you for replying to my comment. I will take your suggestion.
You are looking for an easy answer. Do this. Don’t do that. We all look for easy answers. A check list to make sure we get to heaven.
But the reality is that there are no easy answers. Even the Church teaches that there are no easy answers. We have to discern within our own hearts how to “do this, shun that”. That is called conscience. Even if we act according to some kind of checklist, God imbues us with conscience so that even if we are on an island, we can hear the call of God.
That conscience is guided by the moral proclamations of our bishops. To them we owe a diligence of faith – which is to say that we assume they guide without error and we obey them with moral authority. Unless and until our own conscience guides us elsewhere, yet still, we are bound by filial faith to not scorn them in the mean.
A voice– sorry, Christ’s answers are easy! He neatly summed up the Jewish Law, didn’t He! — “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might, and love your neighbor as yourself.” One simple sentence. to sum up the Law and the Prophets! What is hard– is Obedience to Christ’s teachings! We are fallen human beings, in a world of sin! Obedience is where people fail!
@ jon …. How dare you say that faithful Catholics who comment here, i.e., “you people”, have “spiritual deficiencies”! Noteworthy is your own self-approving observation that Bishop McElroy’s comments on abortion were “grossly false”. Hmmm. Yes, Jon, McElroy will indeed answer to his flock now and to God later. He is supposed to be our moral guide, but he has also been seduced by the wailing Sirens of a disposable culture, wherein misguided clergy assign infanticide to a lower moral scale.
“Snake-in-the-Grass” has worked all his life, to promote the homosexual agenda in society, against Christ’s holy teachings.
I support Bishop McElroy! Biden deserves a chance. Trump was given his chance which he promptly corrupted with criminality, ties to Putin and quid quo pros!
Oh no the Russian hoax is back. The fake news continues on. You gotta love how people will give anyone a chance even though they support evil.
Another mouthpiece of the political, the Russia gate thing was a hoax, what you couldn’t stand is that Hillary was denied office and the globalist plans were delayed.
Dona,
What I can find online is that the Catholic vote was essentially tied in the 2020 Presidential election: the split between Trump and Biden was within the statistic margin of error of polling. Do you have a citation for a poll finding otherwise? Not meant to be snarky, I’m actually curious about the truth of the matter.
Of course, it is possible to be collaborative with a Biden Administration over issues where the Church and Feds agree while still properly withholding Holy Communion from him given Canon 915 and letting everybody know that’s not fine for a Catholic politician (or Catholic generally) to be pro-abortion and pro-choice. It’s a big Church: we can walk and chew gum at the same time.
Not that the presumptive president is likely to appear at my parish, but he certainly is not welcome to receive Communion here given his scandalous support of abortion and same-sex marriage.
@ FrMichael – We Catholics have been left reeling these past few years because of the hierarchy’s dereliction of ecclesiastic duties. I frankly don’t know how faithful priests can stand it either. We’ve endured clerical sex crimes, egregious cover-ups, diocesan bankruptcies, Vatican accounting corruption, and even pagan objects being given places of honor at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Now, still, we faithful have to fight for our faith against a new deceit, that of bishops of the Church promoting a Revised Truth. I never thought I would be typing these words, but many clergy have deceived us and scandalized us and have lost so much moral authority. I appreciate this forum because those of us who respond to the articles are not radicals; in fact, we are concerned Catholics who love our faith and our Church, and will fight for it.
Amen!