Lefty Catholic news and opinion site Crux was recently dumped by the Boston Globe because it wasn’t making them any money. Now, riding to the rescue of Crux, is The Knights of Columbus?
The Knights of Columbus and Crux are pleased to announce that they plan to enter into a partnership in which Crux will remain an independent news outlet headed by John Allen and Inés San Martín.
Go here to read the rest. I have been a member of the Knights for over 20 years. Why they are doing this is anybody’s guess. If the editorial freedom of Crux is truly preserved, then I am appalled at my dues money going to support a site that has little use for the Four Principles of the Knights. Go here to read the comments on the Crux site about this union of opposites, as many of them are a hoot.
Because of the infiltration and infestation of liberalism within the KoC, I quit the organization a long time ago. When I went for my 3rd degree, I was one of the designated car drivers from the parish to the meeting place. My vehicle was full. They were one and all Democrats as I soon discovered during the trip. I wanted to stop the car and kick them all out. I did not. I went through the ceremony for appearances sake. I never returned and I never shall. I have zero use for the KoC as long as it fails to repudiate godless liberal progressive leftist ideology. Oh, I am sure there are many good Knights out there, and many good KoC chapters. That’s fine. I still won’t have anything to do with them.
Looks like the K of C has become another ‘hardly Catholic’ organization just like the Church it serves.
Well, it’s like Reagan said of the Democrat party: “I didn’t leave them, they left me.” So with the Knights, which has always, even in the days of the Cristeros, shown more interest in cozying up with the culture than in being what it could and ought to be, a strong instrument of vocal and public Catholic response to the culture. Carl Anderson is raking in millions with the Knight’s insurance side, while pushing for quantity over quality when it comes to KofC membership. He uses the Knights’ big bucks to finance all kinds of boondoggles, from the JPII Center in DC to this horrible merger. Glad I laid down my tenure as Financial Secy of our council. Do not intend to re-up my membership next time around.
Throwing good money after bad.
At one level, it makes perfect sense: united in ultramontanism.
The bottom line is that Crux isn’t going to make squawky noises about the Pope.
I know nothing of Ms. San Martin, but Allen has always struck me as fair and a straight-shooter.
I always respect your opinion Mike, but I have never had any use for Mr. Allen since his coinage of the term Taliban Catholic:
http://ncronline.org/blogs/all-things-catholic/dallas-experiment-orthodoxy-and-openness
In spite of his explanation for the term, anyone describing fellow Catholics as Taliban is not someone I trust to give me proper insight into the operations of the Church. I imagine at his old stomping grounds of the National Catholic Reporter using the term Taliban Catholics to describe certain Catholics might have been mild in comparison to some other insulting descriptions for those who differed with the NCR take on the Church.
I never joined. My grandfather was active. My father’s generation didn’t join. The local council sells nice Christmas trees in season. My kids used to drink at the KofC bar: one of theoir pals was the bartender.
Thanks, Donald — fair enough. Nonetheless, I think Allen’s body of work along with his measured explanation (thank you for your link) corroborates my impression. I appreciate that you see it differently.
“For decades, India has seen a growing wave of Hindu nationalism that today dominates not only the federal government, but also several states and regions. In August, 2008, hostility toward the Christian “other” exploded in Kandhamal, leaving roughly 100 people dead, thousands injured, 300 churches and 6,000 homes destroyed, and 50,000 people displaced, many of them forced to hide in nearby forests where more died of hunger and snakebites.
“The violence was carried out by mobs adorned with saffron headbands, a sign of right-wing Hindu militancy, and shouting slogans such as “Jai shri ram!” — victory to the Hindu god Ram — and “Jai bajrang bali!” — a tribute to another Hindu deity. Attackers wielded rods, tridents, swords, firearms, kerosene, and even acid.
“The level of barbarity almost defies belief.
“Parikhit Nayak, for instance, was an impoverished Dalit and a convert to Protestantism in a largely Hindu village. His fellow villagers killed him by burning his body with acid, slicing off his genitals, and then ripping out his intestines to wear them around their necks like a trophy. All the while, they forced his wife to watch.”
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This is a portion of John Allen’s March 6, 2016 essay on Crux. Whatever what one may think of the Knights of Columbus, it is a fact that they have decided to defend the Church against the current persecution, as seen in their March 10, 2016 press conference in Washington (the 280 page report they released at the conference can be read here: http://indefenseofchristians.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Genocide-report.pdf
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John Allen has written extensively on persecution. It stands to reason that, whatever other failing might exist, the KofC would want to ensure that he is able to continue his work.
I am not worried in the least. The only names of writers attached to it are two who are consistently reasonable and orthodox. Crux is is NOT going to have the same editor it had before! It is not going to have weird heterodox columnists! It will be run by John Allen who is a sound Catholic and perhaps the finest and most knowledgeable of English language Catholic journalists. Personally I think this is a great moment.
I am already supposing that one of the Knights’ hopes (though decidedly not the only goal) is that it will be a communications tool for bringing the story of persecuted Christians to the public.