Why is Father Reese So Hot and Bothered About Pastor Rick Warren

Jesuit Priest Father Thomas J. Reese has a pretty weird piece at Newsweek's Online Forum. That is Saddleback Forum -- a Catholic View It is to be expected Pro-Obama in tone. However let me give another Catholic viewpoint.

He starts out:


As a Catholic priest I found the Civic Forum at Saddleback Church a bit weird. I kept wondering what would have been the response if the event had been hosted by Cardinal Francis George in his cathedral in Chicago. (Jewish and Muslim believers might ask the same question about a similar event in their houses of worship.)
The public and the media more easily accept political activity by Evangelical clergy than by Catholic clergy. Catholic clergy are held to a higher standard. For example, Pat Robertson and Jesse Jackson can run for president, but imagine what would happen if a Catholic cardinal ran for president.
Don't get me wrong. I do not want Catholic clergy publicly getting involved in partisan politics. I am happy that church law and tradition restrict political activity by Catholic clergy. I am happy that we do not let politicians speak in our churches. I just wonder if there is a double standard here.

Does Father Reese really find this weird? I mean politicians in Protestant Churches is not exactly a new thing. Also if Cardinal George had a forum does he actually think the media would have a huge outcry? Also does he realize that Catholics have a different view of Holy Ground and Sacred Space than Catholics? For instance when I was a Baptist I never got a sense or in fact was taught that the Church I was in was Holy Ground. The Catholi Church is quite different partly because there is the BLESSED SACRAMENT!!

Perhaps Father Reese needs to ask why Pastor Warren and his one time event will have more influence on voters than any documents the United Catholic Bishops Conference has produced that touches on the political square the last 8 years.

Further I do think a former pastor (like Huckabee) and a "Cardinal running for President" is a tad different. First despite the Vatican forbidding this which I am sure the media would pick up , I think it would be awkward if a President Cardinal George got elected to the Papacy if the Benedict died. It would be tough being the Pope and Ruler of the Holy See and be President. In fact I suspect it is against the law.

For the most part, Pastor Warren's questions were appropriate. But I think the pastor crossed the line when he asked, what "would be the greatest moral failure in your life?" Whether a person took drugs and drank as a teenager or whether a person failed in his first marriage has nothing to do with the qualities we should be looking for in a president.

Really? Churches are full of people that had big moral failings (including me) that are still running the ultimate race. How people get off the ground from that is of interest to people.

His last paragraph
People who see the world colored in shades of gray, will find Obama a thoughtful analyst. Catholics will like Obama on the war and domestic programs. How we treat the least of our brothers and sisters is a good measure of public policy. Catholics call that a preferential option for the poor. He wants to reduce the number of abortions through social programs. Even his openness to talking about restricting late-term abortions is more than we have heard from other Democratic presidential candidates.

Is this really true?