Pull the plug on 'Relevant Radio'???

Frank Reilly, the author of this opinion piece, who lives in St. Paul, is a Catholic theologian and a prolife Democrat.

After reading the article, one must legitimately question the sort of theology that was studied, for the opinions expressed do not seem to be consonant with Catholic moral teachings, such as this:

Another [caller to the radio station], raising the problem of Bush's enthusiastic commitment to capital punishment, heard that the Catholic catechism acknowledges the acceptability of the death sentence in certain situations.

This is the correct answer! Unless, one is referring to a different catechism.

Or this statement:

[W]hen one caller asked a host about Iraq, she was told simply that war can be justified, and that, as the catechism says, only community leaders -- nobody else, not even the pope! -- can make that decision. Not a word was said about conscience, or about conscientious objection.

Of course there can be legitimate disagreements about the war, but as the catechism states, the decision to go to war rests with legitimate State authority and no one else. One may agree or disagree but the fact remains that this is what the Church teaches.

But maybe this is the real reason for his "dislike" of Relevant Radio:

Program hosts and guest experts talk constantly about the "intrinsic moral evil" of abortion, gay marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, sex outside marriage, contraception and euthanasia. For them, only candidates who are against all these evils deserve Catholic votes.

The "dislike" for this much needed Catholic apostolate is demonstrated here:

A creation of right-wing Catholic money, and calling itself "listener-supported," Relevant Radio takes pride in being a national media outlet approved by the U.S. Catholic Bishops. . . The time has come for the bishops to pull the plug.

Locally, Covenant Network probably airs many of the same shows as Relevant Radio, such as Catholic Answers Live. Catholic Radio must be supported because it helps both Catholics who need catechetical instruction and non-Catholics who might have questions about Catholicism. This apostolate helps bring souls to Christ.

It's a shame when Catholics openly denounce those who share in proclaiming Catholic teaching as "right wing". Jesus told us the way would be difficult and we would have to suffer as He suffered.

Link is here.