Prominent liberal Catholics have warned the US attorney general’s devout Catholic faith poses a threat to the separation of church and state, after William Barr delivered a fiery speech on religious freedom in which he warned that “militant secularists” were behind a “campaign to destroy the traditional moral order”.
“At least it helps me understand why Barr has been so willing to put his own reputation on the line to defend Trump so fiercely in every battle,” beginning with the congressional investigation that is likely to end in the president’s impeachment, he said. “Trump is Barr’s imperfect vessel in serving a much higher cause: the gospel.”
Barr did not address the fact that many of the policies of the Trump administration are strongly opposed by the Vatican. Pope Francis has repeatedly pleaded for the United States to open its doors to more refugees, even as Barr has defended policies that turn away or imprison immigrants seeking refugee status at the US-Mexico border, even separating parents from their children.
Barr’s speech at Notre Dame was a reminder of a fact often overlooked in analysis of Trump’s political base – that while the president enjoys the support of many high-profile right-wing Christian evangelical leaders, he has also surrounded himself with conservative Roman Catholics associated with organizations that some others in the faith consider extreme.
Liberal Catholics, on the other hand, said they were dumbfounded at Barr’s willingness to so publicly link his Catholicism to his work at the justice department. O’Brien said he worried that under Barr, who was sworn in last February, that the justice department could impose a de facto litmus test on federal judicial candidates, requiring them to commit themselves to “natural law”.
This is mallarchy William Barr The Trump Administration is a symbol of corruption how dare U make speeches about immorality & a link 2 a lack of religious convictions It's pure hypocrisy all you need is a conscience to do the right thing Ur holyer than thow attitude is insulting
It should alarm everyone
“Liberal” Christians. We can disagree somewhat but there is only 1 Word. It doesn’t really deviate. It’s not the Constitution.
nycsouthpaw it alarms any loyal American
nycsouthpaw There is no such thing as a liberal catholic. They believe eternal torture is reasonable and just. Stop pretending they have anything to say about morals or ethics.
nycsouthpaw Bolshevik Bill?
Barr's speech was like Satan preaching a sermon at church.