Today on Kresta - June 8, 2011

Talking about the "things that matter most" on June 8

4:00 – Shepherding Moral Economic Policy: Paul Ryan and Archbishop Dolan’s Dialogue on Catholic Social Teaching and the Federal Budget
Catholic university professors a few weeks ago engaged in a tired broadside against Speaker of the House John Boehner as he was set to deliver the commencement speech at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Last week, something much more constructive: The public presentation of an ongoing dialogue between Paul Ryan, a Catholic from Wisconsin, who is the House Budget committee chairman, and Archbishop Timothy Dolan, the president of the Catholic bishop’s conference, about Catholic social teaching and its application to the current budget debate. Kathryn Jean Lopez is here to discuss this example of how Catholics SHOULD engage in debate over prudential judgments.

4:20 – Social Justice Isn’t Left of Right: It’s Catholic
Social justice is based on the rights that flow from and safeguard human dignity, and inclines us to work with others to help make social institutions better serve the common good. When it comes to Catholic Social Teaching, we frequently encounter “peace and justice” Catholics who dissent from certain Church teachings. Unfortunately this can lead us to not pay sufficient attention to the social demands of the Gospel. It’s a matter of both / and NOT either / or. The big picture transcends the artificial separation of the “pro-life” and “peace and justice” camps that we often find in the Church. Leon Suprenant is here to discuss Social Justice – Not Left of Right, But Catholic.

5:00 – Religion, Reason, and Same-Sex Marriage
In the contemporary debate on the future of marriage, there appears to be, amid many uncertainties, one sure thing. Those who publicly defend traditional marriage can count on being denounced as haters, bigots, or irrational theocrats—and perhaps all of these at once. Matthew Franck is here to discuss the faulty reasoning behind the claim that opposition to gay marriage is an irrational prejudice.

5:20 – The Divorce Survival Kit
Catholic author Rose Sweet has written and produced a powerful series featuring divorced Catholic men and women who share their inspiring stories. Unlike any other program, the CDSG includes the counsel of some of the brightest and best in Catholic media. Too many people stay stuck in their pain and don’t know how to find their way “home”. The CDSG was created to move the divorce or separated Catholic past the pain of divorce so they can find the Love that truly satisfies in the Sacraments. Rose joins us.

5:40 – The John Jay Report: An Analysis
A $2 million study commissioned by the U.S. bishops is not likely to put to rest questions about the causes of the sexual abuse crisis in the priesthood. The study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York cites the sexual permissiveness of the 1960s and poor seminary training as the root causes of the crisis. Despite the report showing that nearly 80 percent of victims were post-pubescent and adolescent males, the study concludes that clinical data “do not support the hypothesis that priests with a homosexual identity ... are significantly more likely to sexually abuse.” Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons, a top psychiatrist and authority on treating sexually abusive priests said that he is “very critical” of the findings because they avoid discussing important causal factors in clerical sex abuse cases, namely homosexuality. Dr. Fitzgibbons is here to make his case.