Brief: Bishop Bootlicker Barron

Matthew digs into the fascism-enabling political theology of Bishop Robert Barron and the rightward slide of Big Catholic media. From his early admiration of Thomas Merton—carefully stripped of his antiwar and anti-capitalist passion—to his praise for Jordan Peterson, Marco Rubio, and Charlie Kirk, Barron repackages Red Scare tropes in the language of beauty, civility, and “religious liberty.” And what about his virtual silence on ICE operations in Minnesota and the suffering of immigrants within his own diocese? What does “religious freedom” mean when it defends American exceptionalism more than human beings? Show Notes McGarry: Ireland and the Spanish Civil War Ireland | Virtual Spanish Civil War Diocese of Winona-Rochester settles with abuse survivors for $21.5 million | National Catholic Reporter Word On Fire Catholic Ministries - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica Evangelization, Movement, and the Word on Fire Institute Word on Fire Institute The Hundredth Anniversary of Thomas Merton’s Birth - Word on Fire The Jordan Peterson Phenomenon - Word on Fire He Died with a Microphone in His Hand - First Things Bishop Barron’s Latest MAGA Crusade Sparks Vatican Alarm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices