George Weigel effortlessly destroys so-called “Catholic” opposition to the Ryan budget, specifically from quarters that can’t get it right on the culture of life, much less on basic economic principles:
Now, to make matters worse, here is Paul Ryan, a congressman of uncommon intelligence who can ably argue the public-policy implications of Catholic social doctrine and who understands that what the Church asks of a just society is the empowerment of the poor: breaking the cycle of welfare dependency and unleashing the creativity the Church believes God builds into every human soul.
Ryan is the dissenting Catholic’s worst nightmare, and his demonization from that quarter has just begun. Ryan is a big boy, though, and he’ll fight his corner well. That argument might even lead to some consensus about empowerment-based anti-poverty strategies and fiscally responsible social-welfare policies among serious Catholics of both political parties.
The number of leading lights within the faithful remnant of Catholicism are running intellectual circles around the half-hearted socialists who put their political religions in front of their Catholic faith. Ryan’s key points this morning at Georgetown University drove it home — you can’t steal from the future and call that prosperity.