Why is Steve Bannon on World Over?

The Betrayal Of Christ, C.1621 by Guercino

Thinking out loud here.

I really do not watch World Over on a regular basis - I tuned in last night to see if there was any commentary on Archbishop Gregory - but Arroyo had Bannon on.

Why is Bannon on EWTN with Arroyo? Why is is advising on Vatican diplomacy? Why is he advising on anything? The Institute for the Judeo Christian West? He is going to reinforce Catholic teaching? Urging US FBI RICO investigations into Catholic archdioceses?

These crazy lay movements of disgruntled Catholics and Institutes to save Christendom are more political than Christian - with Bannon and the like at the helm, the entire approach is secular and ideological, and totally prey to corruption.

Bannon said he was embarrassed to be Catholic last week because of the Vatican policy with China - and yes, he criticized the pope and somehow praised Trump. It is fascinating to see this on a major Catholic network, dedicated to spreading the Word of God, propagating far right politics instead. Criticizing and judging the Holy See in exactly the same way political commentators do on network television.  Is EWTN a Fox affiliate?

The readings for Passiontide will certainly carry great relevance to how Catholics are dividing into camps. Christ is indeed hidden, while the disciples, steeped in politics, are looking for him to be declared king.


Same old, same old.

That's what I said about the appointment of Wilton Gregory to Washington.  It is the same old, same old.  However closely they vet the bishops they promote, it's always consistent - they all fall out of the same mold as their predecessors.  In this case, it speaks for itself.  That said, all the popes have chosen good and bad men to be bishops.  What can I say?  I do not understand why anyone would even want to be a bishop.

Bishops do not care about what I think, and that's fine with me.

Bonus Round

Bannon on the Bishops and immigration:

“The Catholic Church has been terrible about this,” he said. “The bishops have been terrible about this. By the way, you know why? You know why? Because unable to really—to—to—to come to grips with the problems in the church, they need illegal aliens, they need illegal aliens to fill the churches. That's—it's obvious on the face of it. That's what – the entire Catholic bishops condemn him... They have—they have an economic interest. They have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration.” - DB

Former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon is helping to craft the curriculum for a leadership course at a right-wing Roman Catholic institute in Italy, stepping up his efforts to influence conservative thinking in the church. 

Benjamin Harnwell, director of the Dignitatis Humanae Institute based in a mountaintop monastery not far from Rome, told Reuters Bannon had been helping to build up the institute for about half of its eight-year life. 

Cardinal Raymond Burke, a leading Vatican conservative who is president of the Institute’s board of advisers, said Bannon would be playing a leading role there. 

Burke told Reuters he looked forward to working with Harnwell and Bannon “to promote a number of projects that should make a decisive contribution to the defense of what used to be called Christendom”. - Reuters