For much of its long history in the U.S., the Catholic Church was known as the champion of the working class, a community of immigrants whose leaders were steadfast in support of organized labor and economic justice – a faith-based agenda that helped provide a path to success for its largely working-class flock.
In recent decades, as those ethnic European Catholics assimilated and grew wealthier, and as the concerns of the American hierarchy shifted to battles over moral issues such as abortion and gay marriage, traditional pocketbook issues took a back seat.
Now, however, with the surprise election of Donald Trump and the Republican sweep of Congress signaling a new era of free market and anti-immigration policies, the U.S. church and its bishops may be set to recalibrate their priorities.
Read Full Article »