Catholic leaders' embrace of Trump and MAGA accelerated exodus of church members: report

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According to a report from the National Catholic Reporter, the exodus of Catholic church members seeking a new spiritual home accelerated during Donald Trump's four years as some Catholic leaders embraced the controversial president to the dismay of parishioners.

In an interview with one former member of the church, he admitted he was planning on leaving, changed his mind with the elevation of Pope Francis, and then Trump came along and that sealed his departure.

"A practicing Catholic all his life, Boyle was serious enough about his faith that he had spent three years as a member of a Dominican community, " NCR's Rebecca Patten Weiss wrote before noting that he admitted he "began to be uncomfortable with the church leaders' obvious promotion of right-wing political ideologies."

Boyle explained, "With Trump, it was basically like watching a car crash in slow motion. Deep down, I knew that the hierarchy and all the usual suspects were going to jump on board the Trump train, but I still hoped that I was wrong, that I was being too cynical. But, of course, I wasn't being too cynical," adding, "it was not so much that MAGA Catholics (whether lay or clergy) pushed me out the door, so much as the embrace of MAGA cut the last strings that I was holding onto."


According to journalist Weiss, Boyle's departure is one of many the church has suffered over the past ten years, before reporting, "Many who have left, like Boyle, cite their coreligionists' alliance with the MAGA 'Make America Great Again' movement as a key factor in their decision."


https://www.rawstory.com/catholic-church-trump/

[PortTack]

1. Yet there they are wanting to try and prevent a good catholic, President Biden from communion

I am just so glad I can say I’m not part of any organized religion!!

[Takket]

2. that's a shame

[Baitball Blogger]

3. No surprise. I was raised Catholic and the church just got out from under my feet.

Some Catholics are very progressive when it comes to social issues. I get along fine with them. But I have also seen Catholics go to the dark side because of their church's conservative leadership. I can understand why the church is criticized. Priests, if they follow the rules, are incels with a lot of power over people. Their churches are also corporations, so they require good networks among the leaders in the community in order to stay afloat. Leaders who can provide large donations. I have this cynical picture of priests listening to the sins of the corrupt bastards in a community, accepting their donations to provide redemption, and then turning around to tell the victims that it's God's will, and they must learn to forgive the transgressor.

What a sick society.

[Scrivener7]

4. Good.

The Catholic hierarchy seems incapable of giving a shit about actual people.

(I am a former Catholic. 16 years of Catholic schooling.)

[onetexan]

7. I gotta agree w u there. Mostly catholic schooling here as well

Its turned me into a cynic.

[abqtommy]

5. This may well be true but I remember years ago when many congregations were leaving

the Catholic Church due to the child molestation scandal. I guess "It's always something"
applies to churches too.

[Wounded Bear]

6. The Catholic church is looking increasing like Repubs...

out of touch with what actual people want and need, and prone to dictating policies regardless of their wishes.

[onetexan]

8. Its still stuck in 14th century Fox - look at the robes, the chanting & hierarchy

[Mr.Bill]

9. Six years of Catholic school here.

I turned Atheist before I left the school. I will give them credit for a good primary education, but not much else. Funny thing is, the overwhelming amount of Atheists that I meet in public or on the internet have some Catholic education in their past. An Evangelical Christian I once worked with told me Catholic school is where they train Atheists, and that's not far from the truth.

[Collimator]

12. One Of The Key Components Of A Catholic Education Is Discipline.

And the minute that you discipline the mind--which is not the same as brow-beating, brainwashing or abusing it--you create the opportunity for critical thinking.

Critical thinking is the enemy for dogma, be it religious or political. And that's why clear, basic science education scares the hell out of Republicans.

[Mr.Bill]

13. Yep, to put it simply

they taught us how to question things, and I don't even think they realized it at the time.

[DrToast]

10. Why not link to the actual article?

Rawstory is trash.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/parish/support-trump-within-church-has-driven-some-catholics-exits

[SarcasticSatyr]

11. Many of my friends are Ex-Catholic ..

but didn't the exodus start years ago when the church opposed birth control ..

[Mr.Bill]

14. I think it did in the USA.

Not sure about elsewhere.