The professional gossipers on Walt Disney Company’s “The View” joined
other liberals in a state of apoplexy this week over Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s recent pro-family, pro-mother, and pro-life comments.
One of the co-hosts most prickled by Butker’s expression of popular conservative Christian beliefs and criticism of President Joe Biden was Sara Haines,
a self-described “slightly left leaning moderate.”
‘This is a very extreme religion.’
Former comedian Whoopi Goldberg starting things off with an uncharacteristic defense of dissenting views, attempting a comparison between the three-time Super Bowl champ’s commencement speech at Benedictine College and former Super Bowl participant Colin Kaepernick’s protest on the field.
“Listen, I like when people say what they need to say. He’s at a Catholic college. He’s a staunch Catholic. These are his beliefs and he’s welcome to ’em,” said Goldberg. “I don’t have to believe ’em. I don’t have to accept them. … The same way we want respect when Colin Kaepernick takes a knee, we want to give respect to people whose ideas are different from ours.”
Haines responded, “In the spirit of freedom of speech, I don’t want people shut down or fired for things they are willing to say. I will break with you on the comparison to Colin Kaepernick for this reason: Colin Kaepernick was standing up for the rights of many and saying in a social justice moment, ‘This is a reminder that we’re not there yet.'”
Haines evidently discounted Butker’s apparent willingness to speak up for the rights of the
estimated 87,000-92,000 human beings executed every month in the United States.
“What this man is doing is not just a devout Catholic,” continued Haines. “This is someone who is practicing something called the
Traditional Latin Mass, which is divergent from the majority of Catholics. It’s compared to being cult-like and extremist like some religions in the Middle East and Asia.”
“This is a very extreme religion,” added Haines.
The Traditional Latin Mass, also known as the Tridentine Mass or the Traditional Rite, is a liturgical celebration using the Roman Missal of 1962 that Pope John Paul II signed off on and was again cleared for use by Pope Benedict XVI in his 2007 apostolic letter
Summorum Pontificum.
Pope Benedict XVI
noted the two expressions of the rule of prayer found in the Second Vatican Council-era Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI and in the Roman Missal previously promulgated by Pope Pius V then revised by Pope John XXIII “will in no way lead to a division in the Church’s lex credendi (rule of faith); for they are two usages of the one Roman rite.”
In other words, neither the rules of prayer nor the rules of faith in the TLM are “divergent” from the Ordinary Form of the Mass with which most practicing Catholics are familiar.
“It is therefore permitted to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass following the typical edition of the Roman Missal, which was promulgated by Blessed
John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated, as an extraordinary form of the Church’s Liturgy,” wrote the Roman pontiff.
In the TLM, the priest faces the altar during the celebration along with the rest of the faithful. The Catholic News Agency
noted that “[s]ome prayers are different, some prayers are expanded, and some prayers and responses are limited to the priest or those serving at the altar. Traditional Latin Mass communities follow a different liturgical calendar, too.”
Pope Francis has introduced stringent regulations for the TLM in the document “Traditionis custodes,” but it contnues to be practiced around the world in those dioceses where bishops have granted permission.
Haines’ suggestion that the TLM is “cult-like” effectively amounts to a smear against traditional adherents worldwide as well as the historical celebration Catholic Mass predating the 1960s.
Haines’ attack on Butker also hinges on the erroneous presumption that his comments are informed by his participation in the TLM as opposed to the church’s moral teaching, which has been codified in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and reiterated countless times by both the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
In fact, Butker’s comments about abortion and euthanasia align almost verbatim with the church’s April document ”
Dignitas Infinita,” which reiterates, that “all offenses against life itself, such as murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, and willful suicide’ must be recognized as contrary to human dignity.”
Haines still had more to say.
“And what bothers me about that as a Christian is that when people abuse Christianity, they often not only cherry pick from the Bible, they misinterpret and lie by omission, by taking out parts that would have explained something a little better,” said the co-host.
“So, what I can say to [Butker], as a Christian, is if you’re using this to oppress people or hold them down you’re not walking with Jesus. If you are using the religion, if you’re more obsessed with the religious rituals and practices than you are with the word of Jesus, you’re not walking with Jesus. And if you’re using it for the judgment of others and as a weapon to beat people down you’re also not walking with Jesus,” said Haines.
“So, I would really encourage him, really encourage him to find the best parts of faith and not diverge into extremist beliefs,” concluded the TV personality, clasping her hands as if in prayer.
While Haines’ comment resonated poorly with various Catholics, others seized on another critique baked into her rant.
Billy Gribbin, communications director for Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah),
said, “Hey @sarahaines, please expand on what’s wrong with ‘some religions in the Middle East.’ Fascinated to know what you mean by that.”
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