Guest Opinion: Fr. Jay Scott Newman in the Lion's Den

By Rev. Dwight Longenecker
11/22/2008
Inside Catholic (www.insidecatholic.com)

As America descends further into decadence and decline, the lines will be drawn between the forces of darkness and the forces of light.

GREENVILLE, S.C. (Inside Catholic) - Last week, we at St. Mary's Church in Greenville, South Carolina, found ourselves in the midst of a perfect media storm. The Sunday after the election, Rev. Jay Scott Newman, the parish rector (I serve as a weekend assistant), published his usual column for the parish bulletin, in which he commented on the election of Barack Obama.

Offering patriotic support and prayers for the president-elect, but also lamenting his radical pro-abortion policy, Father Newman told his parishioners:"Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exists constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil, and those Catholics who do so place themselves outside of the full communion of Christ's Church and under the judgment of divine law." He concluded that, if they voted for Obama, they ought to go to confession before coming to Communion.

Perhaps Father Newman's statement could have been more nuanced. He could have clarified the matter by adding that, for it to be a serious sin, the Catholic needed to be fully knowledgeable about the Catholic Church's teaching on abortion and Senator Obama's voting record on the issue. However, this was not a pontifical statement written for the instruction of all Catholics in America; it was a bulletin column in a parish where there has been steady and consistent catechesis on the whole range of Catholic issues, including abortion.

By Monday, the local newspaper picked up the story. Father Newman was careful to ask for written questions and gave written replies, making it very clear that he could not and would not deny Communion to anyone. Nevertheless, by Wednesday the Associated Press ran the story with the headline, "SC priest: No Communion for Obama supporters." Most of the major news outlets picked up the story, and the parish was swamped with responses from across America. In the face of these distortions, Father Newman produced two documents that clarified matters.

By Friday, the Diocese of Charleston issued a statement that was taken badly by supporters of Father Newman, and over the weekend rumors ran riot about protests planned for our parish by busloads of Obama supporters. When the parish Web site crashed due to the number of visitors, parishioners concluded that the diocese had gagged Father Newman and pulled the plug on his site. (Coincidentally, my own Web site was down for servicing on the same Saturday, and before long whispers went around that I had also been gagged by the diocese and had my site pulled. None of it was true.)

What is true is that Father Newman received more than 5,000 e-mails within a few days. When the parish webmaster finally removed Father Newman's e-mail address from the Web site for his own protection and peace, e-mailers contacted me instead. I received nearly 500 replies. What interests me about the feedback from the fracas is what it says about American Catholics and American culture generally.

The mail we received can be put into four categories: Loyal, Lame, Defiant, and Demonic.

Addressing the worst, first: A small number of e-mails were spitting with irrational rage, profanity, and vulgarity. We were called pedophiles, rapists, and insane perverts. Some went on to blaspheme in the most extreme terms against the Holy Father, the Blessed Virgin, and anything sacred they could think of. These e-mails were so brimming with brimstone that they were obviously from a demented or demonized person. These I deleted with a prayer for protection and deliverance.

Those e-mails I classified as "defiant" were angry and vociferous. We were idiots and bigots. Didn't we know it was priests like us who drive people away from the Church? The writers rarely defended Obama but usually attacked Bush and McCain, assuming that Father Newman and I are ardent Republicans. The usual theme was that poverty and war were as bad as abortion, and why did we never discuss these other matters? The Catholic Church was attacked and smeared, and in most cases the writer finally revealed that he was a lapsed Catholic.

The third category I call "lame." These e-mails had little to do with Father Newman's original bulletin column, but were simply emotional responses to the misleading AP headline. They were mostly sentimental, uninformed, and rambling. Some accused us of being nasty, judgmental, and intolerant. Others accused us of hating animals and the environment and not believing in global warming. And still others worried that we were fomenting racial hatred and hoped we would mend our ways. They were mostly from souls with a particular agenda who would direct their sad anger and fear toward anyone who grabbed their attention in a news headline.

The fourth category of e-mail was from loyal supporters. Heartening e-mails from all around the country poured in expressing solidarity, support, and ...

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1 - 10 of 12 Comments

Bob
4 years ago
The idea that voting for Obama was sinful because Obama is pro-choice is preposterous. McCain is a supporter of the death penalty and is also a war hawk. These aren't pro-life characteristics.

The woman who get's an abortion and the person who performs it are the sinners.
Nola Leahy
4 years ago
I too am concerned and disheartened by those who call themselves Catholic, and yet do not accept the teachings of the Catholic Church. I would prefer a smaller church that continues to preach the truth with clarity and charity rather than have it watered down to satisfy a greater number of people. The Church was instituted by Christ - not by man. People need to remember that the Church is their means to salvation, not a means to an easy life on earth. There is no easy life on earth, I will pray for all Catholics that their hearts and minds be open to the beauty and truth of our Faith.
Eddie Fong
4 years ago
God bless you Fr. Newman,

I hope all priests stand for the Church as you did. In our Parish, we have a visiting priest who openly campaigned for Obama in his Homily. And the most scary part of him, he happen to be a director of a seminary in the Chicago area.
Holly
4 years ago
I think he is right about the next 20 years. I think were lining up for the "2 camps" as Mother Angelica I believe said.
The wheat and the chaff.
The goats and the sheep.

I hope we have the stamina to go after the one lost sheep for the 99. May God grant me patience for my brothers and sisters in these times.

Love in Christ
Holly
daniel anderson
4 years ago
Thank you for the article how do we justify our actions on judgment day?
ERIK
4 years ago
Sadly I my community which prides itself on conservative Christian values I would have to say that the majority probably would support abortion . This is I feel something which the Church must take responsibility for. The Church is here to provide spiritual guidance and direction ,,not feminists or the State who have a different role As I have said and will continue to say ,until the Church instills, through love and kindness , the desire to obey the fist commandment then society will always be in error.Only true peace on earth will put mankind into harmony with God ,only then will we be acceptable to Him , this is the purpose and mission of the Church . Erik
ASUQUO CHRIS
4 years ago
Thank you father for keeping and explaining the Catholic faith to a fast detoriating world.
Ellen
4 years ago
Father, I am glad to see this article. I sent along information to my family a few days before the election to let them know of Obama's stance on the Freedom of Choice Act, and I have to say I was suprised to get a similar response. Very few were in support of what I believed all Catholics should take to heart when it comes to a pro-life stance. I do hope the Catholic Church continues this fight and I pray for those priests who present the truth about those who lead our country. We always need more strong and outspoken leaders in our Church.
Todd Aylard
4 years ago
Thank you for this brave article, Father. And thanks be to God for priests like Fr. Newman!

It is so sad, how many in this country say they are Catholic, but think like the world thinks. I pray that God will give us all the grace to hear St. Paul, "Be not conformed to this world..." (Rom. 12:2).
Bin
4 years ago
May GOD Be Praised By All, At All Times, Everywhere!

Dear Father Dwight, I'd seen an episode of Journey Home when you were the guest, it was very enlightening.

This predicament, has, as all predicaments, brought to the fore, more clearly, than ever, the understanding of Catholics, of their own Faith.

Your classification of the responses you've received is very true, as is your assessment that in 20 yrs, there wouldn't be a non-Catholic 'Catholic', Catholics who prefer to remain non-Catholic by actions, but profess by words to be Catholic.

That would be news for quite a few, including Madam Kennedy, who pronounced her own prediction, that in 40 yrs, there would be a woman pope, yeah sure! There would be a woman pope, not in the Catholic Church, rather in the Church of the fallen Catholics.

Even inspite of the in-your-face evidence, of how media distorts the news, through their anti-Catholic lenses, people still choose to follow it.

Media is something that, if people boycott it, it'll either get its acts straight or will shutdown completely.

Is media, a necessary evil, I don't think so. Because media has played a very significant role in the decadence of the present day societies, by their portrayal (or should I say betrayal) of activities, that even a decade ago would have seemed to be consigned as morally reprehensible. Their support of such lifestyle has engendered the society with evils, that even permit such atrocities as abortion, as a right!

Such a media is not worth the time we spend on it. It certainly isn't doing any good, and more importantly is helping distort societal values and thus destabilizing the society itself.

I firmly believe that it is time that Catholics completely boycott media, till the time that they learn their lesson or till alternative Catholic Mainstream Media arises. The time is ripe for such an action. EWTN has done immeasurable good (it had weaned me from the slavery to movies), and continues to do so. But we need to have a mainstream media, that is not Anti-Catholic, but shows how Catholic a basic society is and how unCatholic societies have come to be.

A very good comparison, indeed, is looking at the societies that are only a couple of decades apart.

The effects of contraception are so evident, let us highlight the same.

Let us not let down, its time for the offensive. Its time for the Catholic Mainstream Media Channels. May GOD, WHO raised up EWTN, from nothing, also raise up a Catholic Mainstream Media Channel, that would serve HIS people and also the society at large and thus help them to grow closer to HIM.

We are called as Children of GOD, nothing less and we cannot give or become anything less.

Let our actions reflect our status as Children of GOD.

Lastly, I congratulate you and dear Fr. Newman, may GOD continue to bless you (for when we are weak, HE is strong) in your daily witness, that is often (even at times intentionally) distorted, reviled, rejected.

GOD will strengthen you. Even if a thousand were to fall at my side, ten thousand at my right side, I will not fear, for GOD is with me (Ps. 91).

GOD Bless!

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