America Magazine Goes After Me for My Response to Sr. Maureen Fiedler
August 27, 2009 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
Well, I feel as if I’ve finally “arrived.”
True, over the years, my name has been mentioned disparagingly a few times in the pages of America, but what appeared in its online edition today has reached a whole new level of invective (even by America’s standards of invective).
I responded yesterday to Sr. Maureen Fiedler’s obit piece on Senator Ted Kennedy in NCR (“He Made Me Proud to Be Catholic”), and my comments obviously hit a raw nerve among that community of disciples over at America, as evidenced by my being roundly chastised by one of their writers today.
Honestly, I don’t think my remarks were in any way untoward, but clearly, that interlocutor disagrees. In just six irrate paragraphs, he manages to brand me me a “boor,” a “loudmouth,” “ignorant of history,” “callous,” “inhumane,” “indecent,” and “hateful” — all the while insinuating that my comments on this issue (and those of other pro-life people) are simply a “rant.”
Kettle, meet Pot. Pot, meet Kettle.
I was wondering what would cause me to "come back" to the politically conservative side of the Catholic faith- It was you and Ted Kennedy who did so. Amazing, because even as a socially conservative economic liberal Catholic, Ted Kennedy was always a disgrace to me.
When I was Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church in Dallas, TX you came and spoke on more than a few occasions, always well-received by the people. Last night when I heard you speak of this on Catholic Radio I recalled Pope Bendict's first year in office. A comment he made brought him great criticism but it is true. Essentially the Pope said that there can be no true dialogue if reason is not present. Your reasoned remarks were met with an emotional reaction. Reason was not present in the reply to your remarks. They replied with sentiment – emotion. Flannery O'Connor once stated that "Sentimentality always leads to the gas chamber." You exposed the "gas chamber" which is the abortion industry in our country and you were vilified for it. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Thanks for standing up for Him in speaking the Truth in Love. Fr. Paul Weinberger, St. William Church, Greenville, TX
Bravo Mr. Madrid, Fight the good fight, run the race.
Thank you, all, for the encouraging words.
We all know, of course, that this has nothing to do with who's ever heard of me or my work. In the big picture, I'm a nobody. What's important here is that people understand that the popular hagiography surrounding Senator Kennedy — even more fanciful and idealized now that he is dead — is largely untrue with regard to the myth that he was always and everywhere seeking to protect and defend "the least among us." As I pointed out in my note to Maureen Fiedler, he was an implacable enemy of unborn children and their right to life.
For a man who accuses you of condescension, he said this about you: "Someone named Patrick Madrid, who runs a blog and is involved with something called the Envoy Institute at Belmont Abbey in North Carolina, decided to attack my colleague…"
He apparently forgot to add that you are involved in some little magazine and radio show and have beliefs about something called the "Magisterium".
Patrick, you respectfully spoke the truth. God bless.
Mr Winters' name calling shows he has descended to the ad hominem argument, because you are right and he can't make a good case against it.
Patrick, you arrived decades ago. More people know your name than…whoever it was…who wrote that piece in America.
And, of course, you were right. Not only were you right, you expressed it with respect and compassion…something Mr. Winters did not manage to do.
Good stuff coming from both you, Mr Madrid and Father Z at WDTPRS on this topic. 🙂
Thank you for standing up for truth and those who have no voice.
I am honored to call you a friend.
I haven't commented on the website but I provide a brief commentary on your stand and a link to the site on my blog.
Blessings and Peace be with you!
Teri
As bad as America Magazine has become, Michael Sean Winters is the worst of the lot.
Strangely Mr. Winters was quite upset previously over the public funding of abortion in the current bill, but when it comes to someone like Mr. Kennedy who was the architect of pro-abortion Catholics he has totally missed the boat. Voting for minimum wage laws does not balance 50 million innocents killed,
I support you in your comments.
I've responded on their website briefly…
My responce:
I 'second' all those comments in support of Mr. Madrid.
I would only like to add briefly my additional thoughts.
The present move to rename the health care bill after Sen. Ted Kennedy only in my mind continues the legecy he leaves behind.
THE SUPPORT OF ABORTION!
One can rename the bill anything one wants to (KennedyCare), it doesn't change the contents of the present bill.
IT STILL SUPPORTS ABORTION… PAID FOR MY THE GOVERNMENT (AKA YOU AND I).
While we can't judge the man (that God domain) we can still judge his actions.
That being said
Peace
WestCoastCatholc
That rant over on America is despicable. Who is that guy?
So far most of the comments are in support of you as am I…
Congratulations Patrick!!! I join you in your sentiments about the late Ted Kennedy.
Sarcasm: How dare you demonstrate public disobedience to liberal-Catholic dogma by failing to praise, extol, and celebrate a prominent liberal Catholic while minimizing his dedication to intrinsically evil causes! Your punishment will be indignant, emotionally charged public criticism and lots of name-calling.
Seriously now: Thanks for speaking the truth. What an embarrassing display at NCR and America!
All the saints who spoke the truth were persecuted by the insecure people who disagreed with them. Kennedy was not an example of a good Catholic. You are.
As I said in a comment over there which has yet to be posted:
"A writer (Winters) who says the following about a political foe….
Dr. Mary Ann Glendon certainly seems to think it a moral impossibility to share the stage with the President. Given the fact that her last employer, the Bush administration, committed torture which is, last time I checked, an intrinsic moral evil, it is rich to hear her lecturing about moral outrage. I do not doubt Dr. Glendon acted sincerely. She just acted as a sincere Republican. I hope the bishops who are in such high dudgeon about Obama will demand that Dr. Glendon be forbidden from receiving any Catholic honors until she renounces her association with the Bush administration. Unlike Obama, after all, she is a Catholic and clearly falls under the prohibition of such awards to those who violate the Church’s fundamental moral beliefs made in the 2004 document "Catholics in Political Life."
…is in a tenuous position to castigate others for boorishness, rendering judgment, ignoring a lifetime of good works and being a partisan loudmouth.