Five Catholic storylines journalists will need to follow closely as we enter 2023

There are only a few days left to go in 2022. It was a busy news year — loaded with stories with strong religion angles.

Many of those stories had Catholic angles that were important to highlight and report on. A year ago, I took a look at the top Catholic angles journalists needed to focus on heading into 2022. I was prescient in my outlook, highlighting the Supreme Court decision regarding abortion among the top things to focus on.

This is what I wrote a year ago looking ahead to 2022:

Issues around politics and religion will likely dominate once again in 2022. The abortion issue and a pending Supreme Court decision regarding access to it will be a big story in the coming year. The Catholic church, a major part of the abortion debate in this country for decades, will play a major role in news stories that will be written over the coming months.

As we prepare to ring in 2023, I want to highlight five big storylines and trends to look for over the next 12 months:

(5) Catholic politicians vs. bishops

The culture war that has embroiled many societies, especially in the United States and now Western Europe, will continue to pit Catholic bishops and politicians. It will be especially pronounced when it involves Catholic lawmakers.

We’ve already seen this with President Joe Biden and outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Both are practicing Catholics who have butted heads with many bishops who keep noting public remarks and actions by these politicians that directly clash with centuries of Catholic doctrines on a great number of moral issues.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recently elected a new president. As conference president, Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese of the Military Services will have to focus on many hot-button issues. Above all, fights over issues surrounding abortion and contraception will continue, including questions about whether politicians who openly clash with church teachings should receive Holy Communion.

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Final 2022 podcast: What parts of the Roe v. Wade story deserved additional coverage?

Everyone had to know that the fall of Roe v. Wade would be the top pick in the Religion News Association’s annual poll to determine the Top 10 religion-beat stories of 2022. That would have been the case, even if the RNA hadn’t created two lists this year, one for U.S. stories and one for international stories.

Why? I’ve been following this poll closely since the late 1970s and once interviewed the legendary George Cornell of the Associated Press about his observations on mainstream religion-news coverage trends during his decades on the beat.

Let’s briefly review some of the factors that shape this list year after year, since this topic was discussed during the final 2022 “Crossroads” podcast (CLICK HERE to tune that in). This episode was recorded while we wrestled with rolling power blackouts here in the frigid hills of East Tennessee. See if you can guess where we had to do a patch and start again!

First of all, the RNA top story will almost always be a hot political event or trend — with a religion angle. Politics, after all, is REAL news. Think White Evangelicals and Bad Man Orange. Second, it helps if stories feature clashes between religion and sex, usually in one of the progressive Mainline Protestant churches or, ideally, Roman Catholicism. Think Joe Biden, Catholic bishops and just about anything (especially if Pope Francis is involved). After that, you have slots for wars, natural disasters and newsy papal tours.

The fall of Roe v. Wade had it all, putting a core Sexual Revolution doctrine at risk, to one degree or another, depending on the blue, red or purple state involved.

I will not run through the contents of the whole RNA list. However, it’s interesting to note the wordings in some poll items, paying attention to what is included and what is NOT included therein. For example, here is No. 1 in the U.S. list:

The Supreme Court overturns the 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent and says there is no constitutional right to abortion, sparking battles in courts and state legislatures and driving voters to the November polls in high numbers. More than a dozen states enact abortion bans, while voters reject constitutional abortion restrictions in conservative Kansas and Kentucky and put abortion rights in three other states’ constitutions.

What is missing in that complex item?

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Bobby Ross Jr.

December 26, 2022

Got news?, Godbeat, Monday Mix, Abortion, Bobby Ross Jr., Music, People, Marriage & Family, Evangelicals, Baptists, Sexual abuse

Plug-In: Religion-beat pros share links to their best features from throughout 2022

Bobby Ross Jr.

December 26, 2022

Got news?, Godbeat, Monday Mix, Abortion, Bobby Ross Jr., Music, People, Marriage & Family, Evangelicals, Baptists, Sexual abuse

Plug-In: Religion-beat pros share links to their best features from throughout 2022

Earlier this week, veteran religion journalist Kimberly Winston invited me to talk about the year’s top religion stories for an upcoming feature on Interfaith Voices’ “Inspired” radio show.

Our discussion turned to the Religion News Association’s ballot for the top 10 national and international religion stories of 2022.

I boldly predicted that the overturning of Roe v. Wade would be the No. 1 national story and that Russian’s war on Ukraine would be the No. 1 international story.

Actually, those stories were obvious — not daring — choices. Sure enough, they topped RNA’s list of top stories announced after my recording session with Winston.

As I type this, I’m devouring my mom’s homemade fudge and watching Christmas movies. So rather than pick the week’s best reads and top headlines in the world of faith, as I normally do, I asked some of the nation’s top religion writers to share their favorite or most important story they wrote during 2022.

It’s a holiday week, so I didn’t catch up with everybody. But I sure appreciate my Godbeat colleagues who responded.

Power Up: Journalists share their best reads of 2022

• Liam Adams and Cole Villena, The Tennessean: Williamson County, the suburban “new frontier” for American evangelical Christianity, published Aug. 31.

• Cheryl Mann Bacon, Christian Chronicle: A final song, a familiar end, part of a year-long special project, published March 30.

• Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service: Amy Grant, ‘queen of Christian pop,’ feted at Kennedy Center Honors with sidebar Faith in the spotlight on Kennedy Center red carpet and stage at annual Honors gala, published Dec. 5.

• Deepa Bharath, Associated Press: Asian faiths try to save swastika symbol corrupted by Hitler, published Nov. 27.

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Terry Mattingly

December 1, 2022

TV-Radio, Terry Mattingly, Supreme Court, Religious Liberty, Politics, People, Marriage & Family, LGBTQ, Law & Order, Abortion, Catholicism, Church & State, Evangelicals

NPR offers a faithful Mike Pence interview: But readers will need the transcript to know that

Terry Mattingly

December 1, 2022

TV-Radio, Terry Mattingly, Supreme Court, Religious Liberty, Politics, People, Marriage & Family, LGBTQ, Law & Order, Abortion, Catholicism, Church & State, Evangelicals

NPR offers a faithful Mike Pence interview: But readers will need the transcript to know that

National Public Radio posted a story the other day with a totally predictable headline: “Mike Pence, pondering a presidential run, condemns Trump's rhetoric on Jan. 6.”

What we have here is a perfect chance to meditate on that concept that readers see all the time here at GetReligion, when dealing with the political lens through which most (#IMHO) elite-market journalists view the world. That would be: “Politics is real. Religion? Not so much.”

Things are a bit more nuanced with this particular NPR feature. To be blunt: The Steve Inskeep interview is way, way better than the feature that someone — an intern, perhaps — wrote about the contents of the interview.

The text version is — I am sure this will shock many — all about Donald Trump, Donald Trump and Donald Trump, with a near-laser focus on the events of January 6th at the U.S. Capitol.

Now, that’s a crucial subject, since Vice President Mike Pence was the man that many Trump-inspired rioters wanted to hang (or they chanted words to that effect). That’s a topic that cannot be avoided, and I get that. This is an interview that will infuriate Trump disciples and, at the same time, will leave the progressive left just as mad.

The bottom line: The interview is about Pence’s memoir “So Help Me God,” and that’s a book that has a much broader focus than recent partisan politics. I would argue — based on the interview itself — that the book’s most important contents are not linked to Trump, Trump, Trump. The most provocative parts of the interview are about federalism and (#triggerwarning) the First Amendment. But, first, here is the highlighted Trump material:

Pence faces an extraordinary challenge as a political leader whose national reputation is closely tied to the record of the Trump administration but who says the Constitution and his conscience would not allow him to follow Trump's ultimate demand. …
When a mob disrupted the proceedings, Pence retreated with family members to an office within the U.S. Capitol and then to an underground parking garage, but refused to flee the building.

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Archbishop Broglio elected to lead USCCB: Press focuses on (#surprise) political issues

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops assembled in Baltimore two weeks ago to elect a new president. Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Military Services, tasked with overseeing Catholic ministries to members of the U.S. armed forces, was elected to lead the USCCB.

The 70-year-old archbishop won election to a three-year term on Nov. 15 after emerging victorious from a field of 10 candidates. What Broglio’s election means for the church, our national politics and for everyday Catholics depends on whom you ask.

Certainly, news coverage of Broglio’s election seemed to focus on the priorities of the media organization’s own political priorities rather than impartial, fact-based reporting that included the church’s own positions on an array of subjects Broglio will have to deal with in his term.

As we say here at GetReligion: Politics is real. Religion? Not so much.

The New York Times framed their coverage under the headline, “U.S. Catholic Bishops Elect Leaders for Anti-Abortion Fight.” This is how their story opened:

BALTIMORE — A week after bruising losses for anti-abortion forces in the midterm elections, America’s Roman Catholic bishops rededicated themselves to ending abortion and elected a slate of new leaders to support that goal during their annual meeting. …
The job ahead is “perhaps even more massive than we thought,” said Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who has chaired the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. “We have to engage in this with mind and heart and soul.”
The bishops chose Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, who leads the Archdiocese for the Military Services, as their new president. Archbishop Lori, the runner-up for the presidency, will serve as vice president. Both men have taken strong positions against abortion and are expected to continue the conservative leanings of the hierarchy on an array of social issues.
Archbishop Broglio supported religious exemptions for military service members who did not want to receive the Covid-19 vaccine “if it would violate the sanctity of his or her conscience.” The Vatican had approved of the vaccines, but some Catholics and others opposed to abortion asked for religious exemptions because of the use of stem cells derived from aborted fetuses to develop some vaccines.
He has previously suggested that homosexuality was to blame for the church’s sexual abuse crisis, though studies have found no connection between homosexuality and child abuse.

There’s a lot to unpack there, but the news story managed to get the words abortion, vaccines and homosexuality in the first five paragraphs. Broglio is made out to be some deranged right-wing politician.

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Terry Mattingly

November 27, 2022

Abortion, Terry Mattingly, Surveys & polls, Social Media, Politics, People, Marriage & Family, Evangelicals, Ethics, Books, Baptists

Return of the evangelical arguments about morality, character and two-party politics

Terry Mattingly

November 27, 2022

Abortion, Terry Mattingly, Surveys & polls, Social Media, Politics, People, Marriage & Family, Evangelicals, Ethics, Books, Baptists

Return of the evangelical arguments about morality, character and two-party politics

It was totally logical for the Southern Baptist Convention to pass its "Resolution on Moral Character of Public Officials" in 1998.

Consider this "whereas" clause: "Some journalists report that many Americans are willing to excuse or overlook immoral or illegal conduct by unrepentant public officials so long as economic prosperity prevails." This was followed by: "Tolerance of serious wrong by leaders sears the conscience of the culture, spawns unrestrained immorality and lawlessness in the society, and surely results in God's judgment."

Thus, the SBC urged American leaders to "live by the highest standards of morality both in their private actions and in their public duties."

Yes, this resolution passed soon after the infamous claim by President Bill Clinton, a Southern Baptist, that "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

It was easy to predict who thought Clinton should exit the White House, noted conservative writer Marvin Olasky, who was writing "The American Leadership Tradition: Moral Vision from Washington to Clinton" at that time.

"In poker, you really don't know what cards someone has," said Olasky, reached by telephone. "You can't tell, with certainty, the character of a politician. … In that book, I argued that the state of a man's marriage was a strong tell. If he's faithful in his marriage, he's likely to be faithful to the nation."

Olasky's fellow religious conservatives praised the book. But things changed when he wrote a World magazine essay in 2016 entitled, "Unfit for power," arguing that Donald Trump should step aside as the Republican nominee.

"Clinton had denied having a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky, but her stained blue dress bearing Clinton's DNA was proof that he had used his power for adulterous purposes, and then lied about it," wrote Olasky. Then there was the videotape showing "Trump making lewd remarks about groping women's genitals. While many opponents … have criticized Trump's character, the video gave us new information about how Trump views power as a means to gratify himself."

Olasky recirculated this 2016 editorial after Trump's recent announcement that he would seek the presidency once again, igniting renewed social-media warfare among evangelicals about morality, character and the winner-take-all nature of American politics -- especially when Supreme Court seats are vacant.

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Terry Mattingly

November 18, 2022

Worship, Terry Mattingly, Surveys & polls, Sex, Social Issues, Same-sex Marriage, Politics, Podcasts, Abortion, Catholicism, Godbeat, Kellerism, LGBTQ, Marriage & Family, Pope Francis

Podcast: New York Times dwells (#surprise) on right-wing politics in the Latin Mass wars

Terry Mattingly

November 18, 2022

Worship, Terry Mattingly, Surveys & polls, Sex, Social Issues, Same-sex Marriage, Politics, Podcasts, Abortion, Catholicism, Godbeat, Kellerism, LGBTQ, Marriage & Family, Pope Francis

Podcast: New York Times dwells (#surprise) on right-wing politics in the Latin Mass wars

What do you call a Roman Catholic who believes the church’s teachings on centuries of moral theology, as in doctrines stated in great detail in the church’s official, and easily available, Catechism?

For journalists who do not trust the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops at this moment in time, here is the Vatican website copy of the Catechism.

According to the New York Times these pro-Catechism Catholics are part of a “rising right-wing strain within American Christianity as a whole” (I added bold text).

Then again, they might simply be “socially conservative and tradition-minded” folks. Or they may be people who support a “brand of new hard-right rhetoric and community” found in nasty corners of the Internet.

Then (yet) again, they may — this is the important part — be Donald Trump supporters.

But one thing they are not is normal Catholics. People who defend the stated teachings of the church are strange Catholics.

I raise this question because of a fascinating recent Times report that gained traction online for some obvious reasons. This feature was the hook for this week’s “Crossroads” podcast (CLICK HERE to tune that in). Here is the double-decker headline on what was, for me, a interesting but at times bipolar story:

Old Latin Mass Finds New American Audience, Despite Pope’s Disapproval
An ancient form of Catholic worship is drawing in young traditionalists and conservatives. But it signals a divide within the church.

What makes this story so strange?

First of all, it offers some interesting information and images about the waves of people — including many, many large young families — who are embracing the ancient Latin Mass. I would, however, note that just as many or more of these believers are choosing Catholic churches that use the modern Novus Ordo rite, but offer services packed with chants, incense, processions, traditional prayers and, yes, even the Latin form of the Vatican II text. Someone should check and see how many people are requesting Eastern Rite Catholic parishes, as well.

In other words, the current campaign by the Vatican and strategic cardinals (in some blue American zip codes, for example) against the Tridentine Mass and, in some cases, other traditional forms of worship, may be part of a broader story.

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Richard Ostling

November 17, 2022

Worship, Surveys & polls, Richard Ostling, Politics, Mainline, Jews and Judaism, Islam-Muslims, Godbeat, Evangelicals, Catholicism, Abortion, Nones

Whenever Donald Trump Era ends, what will America's religion landscape look like?

Richard Ostling

November 17, 2022

Worship, Surveys & polls, Richard Ostling, Politics, Mainline, Jews and Judaism, Islam-Muslims, Godbeat, Evangelicals, Catholicism, Abortion, Nones

Whenever Donald Trump Era ends, what will America's religion landscape look like?

“Trump is toast.”

So proclaimed National Review’s Andrew McCarthy after the most shocking Republican Party flop since, oh, 1948, which was followed by the least shocking Republican event imaginable, Donald Trump’s Tuesday announcement of a third run for president.

McCarthy joins a significant lineup of conservative pundits and media in blaming the GOP’s embarrassment on Trump and his demands for 2020 election denial with resulting candidate picks. Democrats took the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area by 12.8%, for goodness sake. The former federal prosecutor contends that Trump has not only surrendered his 2024 chances but is certain to face federal indictment.

Well, no matter what such elite conservatives suppose, Trump retains a massive grassroots following. However, the first post-election poll of Republicans and Republican leaners, from YouGov, put Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the 2024 front-runner with 42% to Trump’s 35%. A month earlier YouGov gave Trump 45% vs. DeSantis’s 35%. A poll of Texas Republicans was similar.

An intriguing Wall Street Journal package recently offered scholars’ speculations on what Russia will look like in the long term whenever Vladimir Putin’s reign ends. The media could borrow the idea to explore what the American religion landscape might look like when Donald Trump no longer rules the Republicans, whether that’s in the primaries or Election Day 2024, or Inauguration Day 2029.

If you grab the theme, also run this one past your sources: Has this secularized, former Mainline Protestant and onetime “reality” TV personality had more impact on American religion than any member of the clergy during these years?

Mainstream news? Archdiocese of Washington cancels 2023 Youth Rally and Mass for Life

Terry Mattingly

November 16, 2022

Abortion, Catholicism, Education, Godbeat, Got news?, Kellerism, Worship, Terry Mattingly

Mainstream news? Archdiocese of Washington cancels 2023 Youth Rally and Mass for Life

Once again, it’s time to play “Is this a mainstream news story?”

Actually, I don’t know if I have used that precise name in the past, but you get the idea. The goal is to discern why some events in the news are treated as important news stories — as opposed to being mere religion-market or even “conservative” stories — and others are not.

Let’s start here. With pro-abortion-rights and same-sex marriage performing Catholic Joe Biden in the White House, was this story big news? Here’s the Washingtonian headline, which was typical of many others: “Washington’s Cardinal Won’t Deny Biden Communion.”

Next question: After the fall of Roe v. Wade, were victories by pro-abortion-rights candidates and activists in “purple” states a big news story? Sample Washington Post headline: “Abortion rights advocates score major midterm victories across U.S.”

Next question: What about the election to pick the new leaders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops? The current New York Times headline proclaims, “U.S. Catholic Bishops Elect Leaders for Anti-Abortion Fight: The bishops said they would redouble efforts to end abortion; a new president and vice president are expected to continue the conservative leanings of the hierarchy.”

The answers to these three questions are “yes,” “yes” and “yes.”

Now, let’s look at a new development that — I would argue — could connect those stories. Here is the Catholic News Agency headline. “Archdiocese of Washington cancels Youth Rally, Mass for Life held at March for Life events.”

To cut to the chase: As I type this, I have not been able to find any mainstream news coverage of this story. Here is the CNA overture:

The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., announced that its annual Youth Rally and Mass for Life, which both typically take place in conjunction with the national March for Life in Washington D.C., have been canceled.

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