Quote of the Day

While [Archbishop Nienstedt] does not explicitly call on Catholics to vote for Republican candidate Tom Emmer, he does not have to do so. Any Catholic Minnesotan who watches the archbishop's DVD and the candidate's television ad - both issued in the same week – receives a one-two punch and knows exactly who the archbishop is championing.

The archbishop may not have explicitly crossed over the IRS tax-exempt line, but – with NOM's help – he is walking the tightrope. By associating so closely with a political organization, he runs the risk of endangering the charitable status of the archdiocese and – with that – the hard-earned money with which the Catholic faithful of the diocese have entrusted him.

Similarly, Carl Anderson who leads the Knights of Columbus is risking something perhaps even more hallow: the legacy of the Knights of Columbus. Knights work year-round to raise money for the needy and promote service in the church. "Charity" is the first of their four core principles. I imagine the majority of Knights never imagined that their Supreme Knight would take the money meant for charity and contribute millions of dollars not to the poor, but to political battles [over same-sex marriage].

Pope John Paul II referred to the Knights of Columbus as "the strong right arm of the Catholic Church." I can only hope that the Knights do not let Carl Anderson change their mission from knights who serve the church to knights who serve the political right.

– Nicole Sotelo
"Knights, Minnesota Archbishop Endangering Church Neutrality"
National Catholic Reporter
September 30, 2010

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Where to Donate Your Unwanted Copy of the MN Bishops' Anti-Gay DVD
The Minnesota Bishops' Last Ditch Effort
It's a Scandal
Misplaced Priorities
Exposing NOM's "Shameful" Behavior in Minnesota
The Minnesota Bishops' Unholy War