Opinion: Archdiocese Gets Caught in Washington Spin Zone

I'm sure Archbishop Donald Wuerl would much rather spend his time pastoring his flock. Instead, he's fighting the spin and misrepresentations.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Catholic Online) - I'm sure Archbishop Donald Wuerl would much rather spend his time pastoring his flock. Instead, he's been fighting the spin and misrepresentations of Washington leaders and media outlets regarding the Catholic faith.

It all started when the DC Council indicated that it would be moving forward with a resolution regarding same sex marriage. The Archdiocese made their case very clear. They opposed redefining marriage. They also wanted to see a religious exemption included that would not restrict the Archdiocese and others from offering human services.

Immediately, they were described as troublemakers who were breathing threats and demands, using the poor as a pressure point. The reports continued to be re-propagated through the district in spite of attempts for clarification through press releases, position papers and other materials.

At one point a local radio news station ran the misrepresented story and asked for comments from two government officials. When they Archdiocese called, seeking to comment on the issue, they were told that no additional callers would be accepted.

A recent Washington Post column by Petula Dvorak is entitled "Catholic officials shouldn't forsake D.C.'s poor in gay marriage fight." In the article she describes the perception of one recipient of help from Catholic Charities: "She'd heard that the Church is threatening to stop taking millions of dollars of the District's money for services such as this shelter, adoption and medical care unless the D.C. Council changes the same-sex marriage bill it is preparing to pass next month."

What we see happening in DC media is akin to the treatment of Bishop Tobin by Chris Matthews on MSNBC. The Church is not trying to become political, the media has begun to do theology.

In the case of Patrick Kennedy, the bishop was calling for a member of his flock to make a spiritual choice - do you want to be a Catholic or not? In Washington, Archbishop Wuerl is doing the same thing, defending the Church's right to remain faithful to her teachings and theology while carrying out her mission.

The Church, I'm sure, will not stop serving the needs of the poor; she will simply be forced to remove herself from any government support or areas of involvement that would require submission to the new resolution.

Even Catholic politicians don't' seem to get it. In an interview with the Associated Press, outgoing Virginia Governor Tim Kaine stated, "I'm Catholic and I think it's wrong."

Kaine, who also is chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said of the church's position. "I don't think you take your ball and go home."

Archbishop Wuerl has tried to keep the issues clear. In an op-ed for the Washington Post that appeared in the November 17 edition, he wrote, "For the archdiocese and Catholic Charities, two core tenets of our faith are at the heart of our concerns: our understanding of the nature of marriage and our commitment to expressing Christ's love through service to others. Under the legislative language before the D.C. Council, the archdiocese would be forced to choose between these two principles.

"The archdiocese has long made clear that all people have equal dignity, regardless of sexual orientation. But marriage is reserved for husband and wife because of its essential connection with the creation of children."

Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Washington, stated, "As the legislation moves forward, the Archdiocese of Washington will continue its dialogue with the Council to seek a balance of interests in the legislation - that of the city council to legalize same sex marriage and that of religious organizations to protect religious liberties."

Catholic Charities is a major contributor to human services in the district, offering assistance to more than 68,000 people. They offer shelter, nutrition, counseling, employment and job-training services, legal and health care assistance, immigration assistance and even more.

"The Archdiocese of Washington, Catholic Charities and our other agencies are committed to continuing to serve the people of the District of Columbia as we have done for more than 80 years, with the resources available to us," Gibbs said.

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Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online. He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

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