Kathryn Jean Lopez, editor of National Review Online, notes how clearly the Catholicism of Nancy Pelosi differs from that of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Prof. Scott Carson has some pointed observations about the Pelosi anti-catechism. Now that Joe Biden is the Democrat VP choice, we could just as well say the same of his Catholicism. Or that of John Kerry. The list goes on, and on. As Archbishop Charles Chaput implies in a homily quoted by KJL, such people are Catholic in name only. I call them 'CINOS' for short. So, why do they attain a measure of success with their appeals to "the Catholic vote"?They manage it because their "Catholicism," such as it is, is pretty much that of a substantial segment, if not a plurality, of American Catholics. CINOs in the electorate help to elect CINOs to office. Over time, that has become the most visible obstacle to the Church's effort to evangelize the culture. How can there be a "Catholic" witness in the public square when so many powerful Catholics are CINOs, just like so many other Catholics who help to elect them?
Nothing will change unless the clear majority of American Catholics actually embrace Catholicism in reality, not just as an inheritance from which they can pick and choose to suit their inclinations. In other words, Catholicism for them will have to become faith rather than opinion. Then we'll get lots more Bobby Jindals—which is exactly what we need.
