Archbishop Chaput just ain’t havin’ any nonsense

Archbishop Charles Chaput had a luncheon give-and-take with an audience of rather unfriendly-sounding folks, and he didn’t much take what they had to give. Or, you might say he gave as good as he got.

“Why do (religions) feel they have to impose their views on us?” asked one woman during a spirited question-and-answer session following Chaput’s speech to the City Club of Denver.

If we don’t – you’ll impose your views on us,” Chaput shot back to murmurs from the group of about 120 business and civic leaders…”For religious believers not to advance their convictions about public morality in public debate is not an example of tolerance – it’s a lack of courage,”

One questioner observed that the Catholic Church doesn’t appear to care about protecting women hurt by unwanted pregnancies.

His voice rising, Chaput replied, “That dear baby who gets aborted is who I’m protecting. Somebody doesn’t just get hurt with abortion – they get killed.”

“Who will take care of the unwanted children?” another asked.

“I’ll take any child that’s unwanted and find them a home and take care of the mother,” he said. “You have my personal pledge on that.”

To applause, another questioner observed that if the church wants to be part of public life, “When is the church going to agree to pay taxes?”

“I run 50 Catholic schools that keep you from paying more taxes – is that worth it to you?” Chaput shot back.

It was the state, he said, that recognizes that tax exemptions allow faith groups to mount masive social service programs, which benefit all society.

Notice the rather hostile tone of the writer, all of the questioners merely “asked” their questions, but Chaput rarely “answered.” He more often “shot back.” I wonder if this writer is related to Newsweek’s Christopher Dickey, you know, the fellow who believes that all John Paull II does is “impose his will” on the world.

I sure get tired of these folks. Chaput seems to be tired of them, too. And he doesn’t seem to suffer fools gladly.

Chaput who, I believe, is our first Native American archbishop, was appointed by John Paul II in 1997, and he pulls no punches and does not apologize for his beliefs – he uses no euphemisms. Like Boston’s new bishop, Sean O’ Malley, he is a Capuchin priest, who had done a lot of hands-on work with the poor and cast off.

I was especially happy to read his response re abortion. He reminded me of the Mighty (and sorely missed) John Cardinal O’ Connor, of New York, who made the same promise and kept his word, famously helping every woman who came to him seeking help. As part of keeping that promise he established a religious order dedicated to that specific charism, the Sisters of Life, whose numbers are blossoming, and they are doing life-saving work for babies and mothers, and helping those women scarred by their abortions to discover the Spring of Mercy and Redemption which is Christ. Kathryn Lopez at NRO’s The Corner suggests Chaput should perhaps go have a talk with Howard Dean, who keeps rattling off the same, “oh yeah? Who’se gonna take care of the unwanted babies,” question.

UPDATE: One of my church-insidery friends just snarked me an email: he’ll never become pope that way :-)

Me, I like a man who clanks when he walks.