What I saw at a conservative Catholic gathering in DC's Trump Tower

[trotsky]

https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/what-i-saw-conservative-catholic-gathering-dcs-trump-tower

My interest was piqued when I heard that a group of well-heeled, politically active conservative Catholics planned to meet at the Trump International Hotel in Washington for a two-day, $1,250 a person symposium. Billed as an exclusive gathering of "Catholic leaders, clergy and important DC insiders," the event didn’t sound like your typical religious conference.

As a Catholic progressive who writes about the intersection of religion and politics, I wanted to peek behind the curtain. Last week, I coughed up the hefty registration fee to listen to how an influential segment of Catholics and other religious conservatives are organizing in the Trump era. Over three-course dinners, wine receptions and panel discussions that featured academics, former and current Republican officials, and an address by Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, the symposium featured a blend of high-powered networking, liturgies, wonky policy discussions and insider D.C. political whispering.

Timothy Busch, a prominent Catholic philanthropist who hosted the gathering, set the tone during opening remarks at a National Press Club dinner attended by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and former senator Rick Santorum. "We were headed down a path that was pretty dark with a Supreme Court decision redefining marriage," he told a crowd of about 75 business leaders, clergy, religious liberty attorneys and conservative activists. While acknowledging that President Trump’s policies and rhetoric toward immigrants don’t align with Catholic teachings, he spoke in buoyant terms about the new political potential in Washington.

"In the early weeks of this administration more has been done to address the biggest tragedy, the biggest catastrophe, and that is abortion," said Busch, an Orange County, Calif. attorney who owns luxury hotels and the Napa-based vineyard Trinitas Cellars. "More has been done to benefit the causes of life, which is more important than anything we have in our society … Everything else is trumped by this issue of life."

The RCC has made it clear that abortion is its #1 social issue. You want to know why American Catholics voted for Trump, that's why. They can't stand that other people refuse to live by their religious rules.

[Kittycow]

1. My whole RC family is like that.

Whenever I ask about life on the other side of the womb, it's crickets.

[trotsky]

2. Right, very typical.

Once they're outside, let 'em starve. Horrible attitude but a lot of Americans have it.

[katmondoo]

3. This Catholic did NOT vote for Trump

This Catholic gives to Planned Parenthood, this Catholic believes in and used contraceptives, this Catholic supports Gay marriage, etc. The Church is just behind in it's social thinking.

[trotsky]

4. It's good you and many others didn't.

But a majority (thanks to white Catholics) did.

Shockingly though even a fair number of minority Catholics did as well.

[Kittycow]

5. I didn't either although I guess I would be considered lapsed.

I try to follow teachings of Christ.

I hope all the trump Catholics have their checkbook ready to fund the shredded safely net! The ones who won't be eating cat food anyway.