Recent comments

MR. JONES..... Excellent comments and well presented. As a Catholic myself, I see Paul Ryan and the entire debate of healthcare, abortions, willingness to go to war, etc as an example of people who are "PRO-BIRTH" and Not "pro-life". In other words, they INSIST that a child be born but refuse to accept any responsibility to help feed, clothe and educate that same child.

I have the deepest respect for Bishop Morlino, who states that Ryan's thought is in accord with Catholic social teaching. He is obviously in dialogue with Catholic leaders about it, including Cardinal Dolan, including about guarding the interests of the poor. Budget specifics are not really the competency of bishops--as several bishops pointed out, criticizing the USCCB committee that made a statement about the budget proposal. Biden is also Catholic, does he talk very much and with such an obviously healthy relationship with the bishops about moral matters and public policy? He is pro abortion and pro same sex "marriage", this cannot be justified for any Catholic. These things are always gravely wrong. Christians are highly obliged to help the poor, it doesn't all have to be through the federal government (though certainly some could or even should) and it does have to respect the principle of subsidiarity, or else you wind up with socialism or what Pope Benedict has called "statism". Ryan has stated multiple times, he does not believe in Ayn Rand, and has explained very well why not, in accord with Catholic beliefs.