May
7, 2008
Column #1,393
Conversion to Catholicism
by Mike McManus
In a recent column I reported that 20 million Americans who grew up
Catholic have become Protestant. However, there is a significant
counter-trend of conversion to Catholicism.
Most famously, after Tony Blair stepped down as British Prime Minister,
he was "received into full communion with the Catholic Church," said
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor in London. All Prime Ministers have been
Anglicans, Britain's state church. However, Blair attended Mass weekly
with his Catholic wife and children.
In 1996, the year before he became Prime Minister, Cardinal Basil Hume,
head of the Catholic Church in Britain, wrote a letter to Blair asking
him to stop taking Communion. He agreed to do so. In 2007 he underwent
a period of "spiritual preparation," meeting regularly with a Catholic
priest who is an assistant to the Cardinal.
His conversion was controversial within the Catholic Church that opposed
many of his policies as Prime Minister to support stem cell research,
legalizing gay civil unions, and he resisted toughening the nation's
abortion laws. His conversion was also bitterly attacked by many
British: "Hopefully he will now go and live in a Catholic country," said
a letter to the London Times.
In the United States, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback converted from the
United Methodist Church. He was prepared by Father C. John McCloskey, an
Opus Dei priest who also led other prominent people to Catholicism, such
as abortion Dr. Bernard Nathanson and columnist Robert Novak, published
by 125 newspapers.
In his new book, "The Prince of Darkness," Novak writes that he grew up
"in a Jewish household that was only nominally observant." After nearly
dying of an illness in 1982, a Catholic friend brought him Catholic
literature and introduced him to McCloskey. Novak's wife, Geraldine,
started attending Mass in 1992 at St. Patrick's, Washington's oldest
Catholic Church.
Asked to attend with her, Novak did so and found himself "moved by the
ritual." One reason he felt comfortable was the presence of Father Peter
Vaghi, who had been an advisor to Sen. Pete Domenici, before his
conversion to Catholicism. Novak also had attended a series of
breakfasts, lunches and dinners for two decades with Father McCloskey, a
"world-class proselytizer," who also helped convert New York
gubernatorial candidate Lewis Lehrman and Wall Street economist Lawrence
Kudlow.
"I was a tough nut to crack, but McCloskey never faltered," Novak
wrote. In time he grew to see Geraldine, Fathers Vaghi and McCloskey as
"the hand of the Holy Spirit." Still, he hesitated until he spoke at a
university. A student asked him if he were Catholic, and he replied,
"No," but my wife and I have been going to Mass every Sunday for about
four years."
The young woman replied, "Mr. Novak, life is short, but eternity is
forever." He and Geraldine were baptized shortly afterwards in 1998,
witnessed by such Catholic friends as Sen. Pat Moynihan.and Kate
O'Beirne.
Three Episcopal Bishops have recently resigned and become Catholics:
Daniel Herzog of Albany, John Lipscomb of Sarasota and Jeffrey Steenson
of Albuquerque. Each has concluded that the Catholic Church is the
church founded by Jesus Christ who told Peter, "You are Peter, and upon
this rock I will build my church."
Steenson, who is studying to become a Catholic priest, says, "I felt the
Episcopal Church had lost something. They did not think it was possible
to find the truth. They have replaced the idea of revelation with
human-based authority, rather than discerning what God is saying."
Santa Fe's Catholic Archbishop Michael Sheehan told him, "Look, you have
to lead from conscience." That is how Steenson "found freedom in my
soul to become Catholic."
Most Catholic conversions are not of famous people. Katherine Spaht, an
LSU Professor of Law, an active member of First Presbyterian Church in
Baton Rouge, says "I was drawn to the crucifix and not the empty cross."
"I loved Lent, which my Presbyterian church does not emphasize. I fast,
beginning on Ash Wednesday. I like to remember that even God suffered
and died. We cannot get to the joy of Easter Sunday without going
through Good Friday.
"I found myself drawn to the awe in worship. The quiet Catholic approach
is entirely different from Protestant churches with people chatting and
visiting. I love kneeling, which is humbling. I like to be humbled in
the presence of our Lord and Savior," Spaht said.
Finally, she liked the fact Communion is the focus of the Catholic Mass,
while Presbyterians have it only once a month. "I want it every time. It
is holy to me."
The Catholic Church is attracting people for many different reasons.
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