The American Spectator

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br> Pompton Lakes, New Jersey /p>

I am disappointed at the article by Jeremy Lott "Crisis Management" in The American Spectator's Online Edition. While I think Mr. Lott reports several important items concerning the recent difficulties of Deal Hudson, I believe the bandwagon effect has taken over this whole story and missed point altogether. Also, one of Mr. Lott's characterizations of Fr. Benedict Groeschel and his analysis of the crisis of priestly sexual misconduct is misleading and inaccurate.

Despit the faults of Deal Hudson that led to his resignation from Crisis, I want to go on record saying that I think the loss of Dr. Hudson's voice in the public square is a tragic event for faithful Catholics. In recent decades I can think of no other orthodox Catholic that has been as effective at getting the Catholic voice heard at the highest levels of government. As such, the Bush administration and all faithful Catholics tired of the politically correct Catholicism peddled in so many quarters, benefited greatly from his clear, courageous, and faithful voice. I admire Dr. Hudson and his efforts to speak clearly in season and out of season the truths of the Catholic faith to the powerful of our land.

While he did, indeed, make some serious mistakes morally, personally, and politically in his life and in his efforts in the public square, the overall net effect of his efforts have greatly benefited all Catholics who actually believe the tenets of the Catholic faith and think these truths make an important contribution to our national public life. For awhile, due to Dr. Hudson's efforts, the President of the United States and his administration heard an authentically Catholic voice, clearly articulated, politically savvy, and faithful to Catholic teaching. No longer did the National "Catholic" Reporter and the New York Times Catholics have the corner on the market of the "Catholic" voice in public life. For once, the voice of doctrinal dissenters -- those who consistently reject the most fundamental teachings of the Catholic Church and still call themselves Catholics in order to preserve their living -- were effectively shut out. This feat alone deserves our praise and support.

No doubt, the temporary shutout of dissenting "Catholic" voices by Dr. Hudson's efforts is the real source of the dissenting Catholic press's zeal to report of Hudson's moral failings. By contrast, one wonders where was the reportorial zeal and moral outrage of these Catholic dissenters when Archbishop Rembert Weakland was discovered to have had a homosexual affair and then engaged in a coverup financed with nearly $500,000 of Archdiocesan funds? And where was the outrage of these Catholic dissenters when Bishop Patrick Ziemmann of Santa Rosa, CA was forced to resign due to substantiated charges of gross immorality and criminal fraud? Both of these men were described by the dissenting Catholic press as "tragic figures." In as much as the mystery of inequity can tear at the fabric of any of our lives, they were "tragic" figures, but it is important to remember that faithful, orthodox Catholics suffered greatly under the leadership of these men. Despite his failings, faithful Catholics benefited from Dr. Hudson's efforts and we should mourn the fact that his sinfulness has undone his good work. And, of course, in solidarity with all of us who are sinners, we should remember St. Paul's words -- "there but for the grace of God go I..."

As to the characterization of Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel as "controversial", I am just perplexed. What is controversial about him? He is a holy and prolific priest, whose retreats, conferences, books, and tapes have touched millions of lives. Having read his book on the crisis of priestly sexual misconduct and listened to his tapes analyzing this crisis -- given at a forum hosted by Deal Hudson -- it is quite unfair to Fr. Groeschel's analysis to simply characterize it "as largely blaming journalists." Perhaps Fr. Groeschel's willingness to analyze the crisis from a truly Catholic theological, moral, and spiritual perspective, rather than from talking points provided by some public relations firm makes him controversial.

p>I believe the bandwagon effect is in play here -- when Deal Hudson was at the top of his game, people pretended to be delighted to be in his orbit in public and then viciously sniped at him in private. Yes, he has made some terrible mistakes and committed grave sin, and maybe he is still struggling to come to terms with the harm he has done. Whatever the case may be, he did something no other orthodox Catholic in recent memory was able to do -- get the ear of the powerful of our land and shut out dissenters who pervert Catholic teaching and call it progress. And for that I am grateful. Dr. Hudson, is truly a tragic figure -- because so much of the good he has done and the faithfulness his positions embodied, has been tainted by the bad he once did. At least he acknowledges that what he did was sinful and hasn't used this occasion -- as the dissenters always seem to do -- to call for a change in Church teaching concerning sexual morality. He deserves our prayers, because "there but for the grace of God go I..." Let us never forget that and let us mourn the loss of his voice in the public square. br> -- Fr. Phillip W. De Vous br> Blessed Sacrament Church br> Fort Mitchell, Kentucky /p> p> WISEGUYS

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