Last Tuesday, the U.S. bishops' conference gathered at the Marriott in Baltimore. There they were invited to a dinner hosted by U.S. military chaplains.This piqued my curiosity, so I called the U.S. bishops' conference in D.C. "Yes," I was told, "that was the annual dinner for the bishops; the military puts it on. If you want more information, call the Pentagon."
What? The Pentagon throws a dinner for the bishops? Turns out, this has been going on for decades.
I remember an occasion in D.C. in 1984. Fr. Richard McSorley and I put on our finest and walked into U.S. bishops' conference meeting, there to make a suggestion or two about their support for war. This was before the age of security guards and police prowling the halls, quick to toss out or arrest the likes of us.
But even then peace and justice groups had no admission to the bishops - no lobbying allowed, no displays in the halls ways, no soliciting their blessing or support. No group had access, except, that is, the Pentagon.
The Pentagon festooned the hallway, where the bishops couldn't miss it, with flashy posters and displays, glossy tri-folds, photos of chaplains in crisp military uniforms from all the branches - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines.
The not-so-subtle message: Bishops assign your priests to be chaplains; put them in service to U.S. warmaking. Be all you can be: Bless the war machine.
The Pentagon had bought the bishops off.
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Sotto Voce
(Source: CTHUS)