Ready, Shoot, Aim: Did the National Catholic Reporter try to Harm Deal Hudson?

A recent article in the National Catholic Reporter was an example of "Ready, Shoot, Aim". It was not based on facts and it had no real news value.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Catholic Online) - On February 20, 2009 Joe Feuerherd of the National Catholic Reporter wrote a story entitled "Brownback questions political foes' Catholicism". In it he referred to an appeal letter sent to supporters of a group named "Catholic Advocate", under the signature of Senator Sam Brownback. "Catholic Advocate" is an outreach project of the Morley Institute for Church and Culture, which also publishes "Inside Catholic". "Inside Catholic" is one of my own daily reads. It is an" E-Zine" which is edited by Deal Hudson. The article was picked up by other news sources in a kind of feeding frenzy. From what I can see, at least one of the purposes of this NCR article appears to be detraction.

In the first part of the letter, the Senator asked the recipients of the letter to do all they could to prevent the deadly "Freedom of Choice Act" (FOCA) from ever making it to the President's desk. Well, the United States Catholic Bishops, many pro-life Catholics, other Christians, other people of faith and people of good will, individually and in associations, are committed to this very same end. This deadly Act would undo all progress which has been made in the great human rights struggle of our age to defend our first neighbors in the womb from being intentionally killed through procured abortion. The letter also accurately relayed that the President has promised to sign the Act if it reaches his desk.

In the next part of the letter, the Senator pointed out the facts concerning the voting records of some of his fellow Catholic Senators. They are on record as being sponsors of this Act. This is a clear violation of what they know as Catholics to be the infallible teaching of their Church. This teaching is not simply a "religious" position but is rooted in the objective truth confirmed by medical science and the Natural Law that the child developing in the womb is a human person. Senator Brownback simply pointed to these facts. He names the five Catholic senators who, by sponsoring this lethal and seriously immoral legislation are being unfaithful to their Baptismal obligations. He writes: "It is with Christian charity - and in fraternal correction that we say to them: You can't be both Catholic and Pro-Abortion."

In this Section of the letter Senator Brownback wrote nothing different than what the Holy Father said to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in Rome on Wednesday February 18, 2009. That exchange was reported by the Vatican Press Office immediately after it occurred: "His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development."

So, what is Mr. Feuerherd's real objection to this letter? After all, he writes for a newspaper that bears the name Catholic. He knows what the Catholic Church teaches concerning the fact that every human person from conception to natural death has a human dignity which must be respected and protected. He also knows the obligation that this fact brings to bear upon Catholics elected to Public Office. Next he reaches again in his attempt to find a story. He writes:

"A spokeswoman for Catholic Advocate said the letter was sanctioned by Brownback." "Approval came from the senator's office," Brenda Steele said in a Feb. 20 e-mail provided in response to NCR's questions.

"But Brownback spokesman Brian Hart said, "Our chief of staff ... had never seen, heard of, or approved it." Hart said Brownback's Senate staff has "reached out to both the organization responsible and the mail house [responsible for printing and distributing the letter] and directed them not to use Sam Brownback's name, signature, likeness or representation in any way moving forward and expressed that we are not pleased with the content of the letter."

He insinuates in the article that "Catholic Advocate" did not have permission to send this letter under the Senator's signature. This now appears to have possibly been an effort to create a controversy so as to undermine the actual content of the appeal. I can reveal to all of our readers that I have received an E-mail correspondence from a source. It was addressed to Dr. Hudson. It was written by the Senator's Chief of Staff, Glen Chambers. It's contents put this second effort to manufacture a controversy to rest:

"Deal -

As I mentioned to you on the phone, I think we've gotten to the bottom of the confusion over the mail piece. Neither the Senator nor I had seen the letter or were aware of it. I figured out that you did get permission to use his name on the piece from a former campaign staffer in February of last year.

However, as I mentioned, we'd like to stop any future mailings you have planned using the Senator's name.

Sorry about the confusion.

Thanks

Glen Chambers
Chief-of-Staff"

Next, Mr. Feueherd turns to an oddly convoluted argument in his effort to create a controversy out of this matter. He argues that the pointing out of the voting record of these five Catholic Senators by fellow Catholic Senator Sam Brownback is somehow:"...unusual, and perhaps unprecedented in modern times, for one senator to question the religious practices of another." I must ask the obvious question. How is one member of the Catholic Church addressing dissident members of that same Church concerning actions which are directly at odds not only with the infallible teaching of their Church but with medical science and the Natural Law a matter questioning their "religious practices"? It simply is not. In Catholic Moral teaching there is no distinction between intentionally killing a child in the womb and intentionally killing a two week old child after birth. Catholics are tired of having dissident members of their own Church vote and legislate in such a scandalous manner.

Finally, it appears that the writer of this article commits detraction. He publicly brings up a matter in Deal Hudson's past for no apparent reason. It appears to this writer that he did so to harm him. The matter mentioned by Joe Feurhard occurred many years ago. It is public record. It simply is not newsworthy. It was forgiven and absolved in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As to that last point, let's remember that Joe Feuerherd is writing for a Newspaper which bears the name Catholic!I trust he respects the efficacy of the Sacrament.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of respecting the reputation of our fellow men and women in these words: "2477 Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury. He becomes guilty: - of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor; - of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another's faults and failings to persons who did not know them; - of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them." The Code of Canon Law, Par. 220 reinforces the seriousness of this offense with these words: "No one may unlawfully harm the good reputation which a person enjoys, or violate the right of every person to protect his or her privacy."

All of this leads me to my own personal conclusion. The recent article by Mr. Feuerherd was an example of "Ready, Shoot, Aim". It was not based on facts and it had no real news value. It appears to have been an effort to undermine a legitimate concern of millions of Americans. I am numbered among them. We believe that claims to being concerned about the poor are undermined by legalized abortion. After all our smallest neighbors are, in the words of Mother Teresa, the "poorest of the poor".

What I personally find most disturbing about this article is that it brings up the past of a man in order to injure his reputation. This, in my opinion, is simply not good journalism. However, it is even more disappointing when the article appeared in a Catholic Publication.

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