(Community Matters) First last week’s crackdown against equality at St. Edward’s University, this week’s rescinding of Temple Beth’s Shalom’s invitation to hold Yom Kippur services at St. Louis Catholic Church . . . it appears the insidious enforcement of conservative Catholic doctrine within the Austin Diocese is on the rise. Sad for Austin where under Bishop McCarthy the value of inclusion and diversity reached a high.
The revocation of Beth Shalom’s invitation wasn’t only because of Rabbi Friedman’s involvement on the board of Planned Parenthood, the diocese’s own website notes “questions about the suitability of the use of a Catholic sanctuary by a non-Christian community.” I am happy to read that Bishop Vasquez and the Rabbi are to “join in dialogue after the Jewish high holidays.”
As to why it is appropriate to opine on a church’s philosophical governance – because it has become its politics. This isn’t simply personally held values contained within 125 parishes in 25 Central Texas counties (18,892 parishes, 573 hospitals and 7,865 schools in the US*). Nor is it even offensive, its a defensive reaction since the Catholic Church has increasingly stepped up its political activism – mobilizing voters, denying legislators the sacrament – in order to promote the most conservative interpretations of its teachings – whether denying Americans equality, women their rights & choices (even in public hospitals), chronic & terminal patients the best options for cure & research (stem cell research & transfers).
while I consider myself now Episcopalian, I was raised, born & baptized Catholic. And, I have great respect & appreciation for the Catholic Church, for Catholic charity and its reformed faith – especially the principle of God’s redemptive love and its evolution into caritas
*2006 data US Conference of Catholic Bishops
Community Matters 
