From the National Catholic Reporter, May 11, 2007

Bush at St. Vincent

Lily Tomlin once quipped, “No matter how cynical I get, I can never keep up.”  St Vincent Archabbey’s decision to invite President Bush to speak at this years college commencement exercises must surely reflect a new low in the willingness of some male religious communities to sprinkle holy water on mediocrity and evil in exchange for 15 minutes of fame and a fast buck (NCR, April 27).

            President Bush has not only invaded a sovereign country for no good reason, thereby inspiring most of the world’s population to resent and even despise the United States, he has also shredded considerable portions of the Bill of Rights and has approved the adoption of torture as a routine practice to be inflicted on U.S. captives.  Which values in the Gospels or the Rule of St. Benedict do Archabbot Nowicki and his monks find reflected in the policies of this administration? 

            Has American monasticism abandoned its prophetic tradition for the sake of profits?

                                    (Fr.) Isaac McDaniel

                                     Fairdale, KY