Rendering Unto Caesar: Papal Politics‏

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

Observers of the American political scene have pointed to a misstep on the part of a Roman cleric in Peoria, Illinois, the town made famous by the expression, "Will it play in Peoria?" The monk, Friar Jenky, has jeopardized the tax exempt status of his organization by overtly campaigning in the most recent election. He distributed a letter to congregants calling for the ouster of the incumbent US President on the grounds of the HHS mandate to cover modern methods of birth control and other treatments for employees of the Roman Church.

His letter is reproduced here:


Notice that he claims that promoting the techniques women use to maintain control of our own bodies is a "sin." He does not specify against whom it is a sin, but he does drop the name of a legendary Jewish philosopher who was famous for thumbing his nose at ignorant and despotic religious clerics. Since the edict against the use of modern methods of birth control came from a Roman pontiff, I assume that the sin is a sin against the Roman pontiff rather than against the Jewish philosopher. One might even say that it is a sin against the material Creator or even against Caesar himself. I can think of worse characters to sin against.

Friar Jenky needs to be awakened to a few of the realities of his situation. For one thing, he needs to understand that administering schools and hospitals in the US makes him and his fellow monastics subject to the laws of the US. He is not in a medieval monastery in the Italian mountains anymore. He needs to become aware that there are other sins besides those of his own narrowly educated order. For example, there is the sin of violating laws against political campaigning in tax sheltered venues. Finally, he needs to hear the Good News that the Earth is no longer flat and immobile.

Do you think the IRS should yank the tax exempt status of Friar Jenky's organization? Should Rome be held accountable when its minions wander from the path of respect for local laws?

Links: Esquire's commentary on the monk in question. Think Progress' commentary on the letter. Playing in Peoria.

Comments

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

The monk, Friar Jenky, has jeopardized the tax exempt status of his organization by overtly campaigning in the most recent election.

Actually, that's not the case. He can do basically whatever he wants, because the IRS has suspended all audits of religious organizations to check for violations of the 501(c)(3) requirements (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/03/political-activity-religious-groups_n_2069128.html).

Russell Renwicks, a manager in the IRS Mid-Atlantic region, recently said the agency had suspended audits of churches suspected of breaching federal restrictions on political activity. A 2009 federal court ruling required the IRS to clarify which high-ranking official could authorize audits over the tax code's political rules. The IRS has yet to do so.

Because they can't decide which of their officers has the power to do it, they don't do it at all. Hooray bureaucracy! Incidentally, the Freedom from Religion Foundation filed a lawsuit recently (http://ffrf.org/news/news-releases/item/16091-ffrf-sues-irs-to-enforce-church-electioneering-ban) seeking to force the IRS to enforce the rules. It will likely fail (IMO they have no actual standing in this suit), but it's interesting to watch.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

Unlike the Vatican, IRS policies are subject to change.

[404.livejournal.com]

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

The inquisitors have always been pussycats. It is the executioner you have to watch out for.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

I believe Alucard probably expects them....and that they'd be wanting the fluffy pillow and comfy chair in a hurry. ;)

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

Jesus is powerless to save us from Mitt Romney. Obama, on the other hand, ...

[mutive.livejournal.com]

I'd really love it if the Catholic Church would become half as interested in, say, advancing its official position on the death penalty or social welfare as it seems to be in birth control and abortion.

It would be pretty awesome to watch, say, Paul Ryan become excommunicated because he wants to deny the suffering Medicaid. ^_^

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

The Vatican only pays minor lip service to social justice in order to keep its coffers full. The HHS mandate is actually a social justice issue because the Vatican seeks to treat its own employees as second class citizens.

[mutive.livejournal.com]

Do you have a source for that, or should I assume that this is merely opinion?

[telemann.livejournal.com]

I'd really love it if the Catholic Church would become half as interested in, say, advancing its official position on the death penalty or social welfare as it seems to be in birth control and abortion.

The American Bishops conference were pretty vocal about Paul Ryan's budget plan, and called it immoral because its treatment of the poor. Also quite a few theologians and teachers at Georgetown held a news conference, asking Ryan to stop invoking Catholic teaching as justification for his Libertarian leanings and instead call it by its proper name "The Gospel of Ayn Rand."

[dwer.livejournal.com]

for what it's worth, this letter is pretty tame compared to other religious leaders outright endorsing Romney or other conservative politicians, and/or speaking out against Obama.

That having been said, I think all religious organizations should have to pay taxes.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

What about educational and charitable organizations? Would you tax them as well?

[oportet.livejournal.com]

While it seems obvious what his point was, he never says not to vote for Obama. I think he was careful enough with his wording where it won't be a problem. In other words, he'd make a pretty good politician.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

It could come down to the difference between the spirit and the letter. The anti-Obama spirit is rather self-evident.

[harry-beast.livejournal.com]

Maybe this well intentioned Bishop didn't realize that encouraging his parishioners to vote was against the law. Is criminalizing this sort of free speech a voter suppression measure aimed at Catholics? Regardless, I think that having the IRS target political opponents represents a misuse of Executive power. Criminal acts should be dealt with by the judicial branch, not by the government bureaucracy, even if, like the Department of Education with its SWAT Team, they have the firepower to dish out some good old fashioned religious persecution.

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

criminalizing this sort of free speech

good old fashioned religious persecution.

Making them lose tax exempt status is literally Hitler.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

I did not argue that this was a criminal violation. It comes across as a violation of tax exempt organization rules. The punishment for such is not criminal prosecution, but denial of tax exempt status.

[peoriashows.livejournal.com]

You don't even know the half of it! The Peoria Diocese has, by all appearances and actions, become an organized criminal mob wreaking havoc on the old neighbohoods. Their hospital is the second biggest employer in the city (it's a joke if that's a non-profit,) the city leaders consistently bow to them in fear, they terrorize neighbors who wont sell them their properties for parking lot space (There were 2 mysterious arsons last year within a block of the main cathedral, both in ideal parking spaces) and they are diliberately tearing down working structures in their historic neighborhood out of spite to the neighbors who want to preserve their propertyt values.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

The Church has an ancient ally in the form of the Black Hand.

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

Preaching from the pulpit is a time-honored institution and the only difference between then and now is that people are recording it.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

Another difference is that people are learning to take what is preached with a grain of salt.

[auntiesiannan.livejournal.com]

Why don't you try posting this in catholicism?

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

Do you recommend it as a forum?