Is canonization a popularity contest?

Last updated on: March 21, 2015 at 8:00 am by Dave Griffey

Is canonization a popularity contest? 2015-03-21T08:00:00-04:00 Dave Griffey

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The Atlantic writes about the possibility of a Saint Chesterton. It should be no surprise to those who frequent the Catholic Blogosphere that in some circles, Chesterton did everything short of dying on the cross for humanity. I thought Beatles fans were a fanatic group. Compared to that quarter set on venerating Chesterton, they pale in comparison. And it all seems based on nothing other than a drive no different than the celebrity worship one sees at a rock concert or red carpet event in Hollywood.

Much talk is given toward Chesterton’s attitudes toward Jews and race in general. An attitude that, based upon our modern sensitivities, was clearly racist and bigoted. As were almost all who lived before the modern era and were cursed with light pigmentation.

For me, I certainly would have no problem with that, since I tend not to judge previous generations as mercilessly and brutally as modern progressive sensitivities demand. The strange this is how many Catholics who give no quarter to others, especially Protestants or just about any American (including, especially, our Founding Fathers), in this case suddenly say race is just one of those things. No big deal,. Bigger issues. Let’s move on.

That, children, is what the charge ‘Superior by Catholic’ means. That is, when Catholics are at their worst, it’s no big deal. Forgive. We’re all just sinners. Move on. But when non-Catholics, especially those rascally Protestants, are only 99% holy, then a pox upon their houses! That is deplorable! Shame and merciless judgement on them all!

Sometimes I think I’m too consistent to be a good Catholic. Fortunately, much of the worst stereotypes are only affirmed in that parallel universe of the Blogosphere. Unfortunately, as the Atlantic article suggests, that quarter is the one with increasingly disproportionate influence.

FWIW, it wouldn’t be his timely attitudes toward race that would bother me. It’s just that it’s 1. all seems to be a popularity contest, and 2. he was so often so wrong about so many things. Especially entertaining is reading his musings that suggest he believes all was right with the world until Protestants came by and ruined it all. Apparently he didn’t have access to books written about history of Catholicism before the 1500s.

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