McClellan takes aim at the Archbishop...

... and misses. And, in so doing, he displays a complete lack of knowledge of Church matters again.

. . .it's really a shame that Roman Catholic priests cannot marry, because if anybody needs a wife, it's Archbishop Raymond Burke. Shortly before Christmas, he announced that the six lay members of the board of directors of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church and a priest they had hired to be their pastor had been excommunicated. He made the announcement in a column he writes for the archdiocesan newspaper.

That column would never have appeared if the archbishop had a wife.

McClellan's ficticuous wife, "Martha", states at one point:

"No, Raymond. You have to understand. This fight was never about religion. It's not like they're worshipping Satan over there. This has been a fight about property rights. Property! Past archbishops let it slide. I know you well enough to know you're not doing this for the money, Raymond. You're just a little over the top about order and everything being in its rightful place. But the bottom line is, you took away their priest and now you're excommunicating them because they've hired a new one."

Both McClellan and "Martha" seem to have forgotten that Archbishop Burke assigned the priest to an interim parish before assigning him to St. Agatha's - so that, in fulfulling his pastoral commitment, the Polish faithful would have place to go to Mass and receive the Sacraments. At no time were the people left stranded without some place to seek refuge, nourishment and comfort in the Church.

"Suspended? So what? Haven't you ever read any Graham Greene novels? Think about the priest in "The Power and the Glory." He was a drunk, Raymond. He fathered a child. But he loved God, and he was willing to lose everything to bring the sacraments to the people. There is something heroic about a flawed priest who loves God, Raymond."

Again, McClellan and his "Martha" serve meaningless drivel to those who would listen. Would these two be as accomodating to a priest who abuses another's body by murder, assault, rape or some other method because he claims to "loves God"? It seem that Bill and his "Martha" think it is less of a crime if a priest commits acts which assault or kill the soul of another - all in the name of "loving God".

"If you do this, the focus of the entire holiday is going to be on St. Stanislaus. They'll probably draw 1,500 for the Christmas Eve Mass. Maybe 2,000. It's magical - a flawed priest bringing the sacraments to the people. Also, did you see what that priest did at his news conference when he arrived in town? He went around and introduced himself to every single reporter and photographer there. He shook their hands. He welcomed them. When was the last time you spoke with anybody from the press?"

What "Martha" reveals is that the Archbishop should be concerned, not with the matters of the Church, but with those things which the media chooses to place before the public. A simplistic, naive and distorted view is recommended - a path which is concerned more about human respect than that of fulfilling the mission of the Church.

Perhaps, "Martha" is an example of Mr. McClellan's feminine side?

McClellan's column is here.