I am Catholic. I was nominated to be a federal judge by President Clinton. I was blocked by Republicans.

I was opposed by Republicans because my adherence to Catholic principles of social justice put me at odds with them and their values of social injustice.

That's from a righteously angry op-ed piece in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram by Michael Schattman, in response to scurrilous and inflammatory remarks by Senator Orrin Hatch and the demagogy of a so-called Committee for Justice. Republicans blocked Schattman, but now accuse opponents of the conservative Catholic appointee William Pryor of religious bigotry. Schattman writes:

Hatch, joined by other non-Catholic Republicans, even had the temerity to announce what made a "good Catholic" and therefore define other Catholics as bad.

The truth, which became painfully obvious as we prepared to attack Iraq, is that most Catholic Americans are "cafeteria Catholics," who choose from among the practices and principles offered by the church to the faithful.

There was no mass exodus from the military of Catholic chaplains and service personnel after the pope condemned the war. They made their peace between God and Caesar.

There is still no mass uprising of the Catholic right against the death penalty.

The only dish that most of these Catholics choose from the doctrinal cafeteria is opposition to abortion. This is the only Catholic position respected by fundamentalist Protestants -- not because it is Catholic doctrine but because it mirrors their own.

Amen.

(Thanks to Tapped for spotting this op-ed.)