Edit: Perhaps it's all about self-interest that the nuns are now campaigning more than ever on behalf of the Democratic Party. Catholic Charities receive substantial subsidies from the Federal and State governments, so understandably, they're concerned about it. But this government support comes at the price of Orthodoxy.
But never mind the Orthodoxy, these nuns are worried about their position. In a bid to ride the crest of the wave they feel they've surmounted with the current Rome investigation taking place where they are under the gun for their Feminism, Marxism and anti-Catholicism, these intrepid warriors are trying to stay in the limelight. These LCWR nuns took the fight to the people last month at the end of June to the 2nd of July, as they mixed their religion with politics and got aboard an enormous luxury bus tour to Washington D.C. over 2,700 miles (at 7 miles to the gallon) where they aired their support for the Democratic Party, which they felt was violated by Representative Ryan's budget proposals, as it was reported in the Washington Post.The nuns complained:
Ryan’s budget “rejects church teaching about solidarity, inequality, the choice for the poor, and the common good. That’s wrong,” said Campbell, executive director of Network, a Catholic social justice lobby.
This new found love for the authority of Church teachings is matched only by the exuberance of the group led by Sister Simone Campbell, and the price tag, as they climbed aboard their mega-bus which must have cost at least $100,000 for a used model of this vintage, but often go for much higher, as much as $1,000,000, complete with graphics on the side which run into the high end about $20,000. Sure, when you think of such a counter-cultural effort, you think of hippies, or Paul Wellstone's groovy bus, for example.
But what you're getting is something much more luxurious and spacious. The nuns deserve it after all, since they're campaigning for the poor. You know, they might not care about being Orthodox, but they go forth into the market with a luxury bus, laying in on the the horn when they give alms. This bus must have a large cooler where the nuns can store their falafel sandwiches, their organic cheese and tofu pronto pups. You can't be an activist on an empty stomach after all. But the bus actually looks like this.
While the bus doesn't get very good gas mileage, surely the poor appreciate all of the campaigning on their behalf by the dissident nuns, who it is claimed by the Post, are being "greeted as rock stars wherever they go." Surely, such a large carbon footprint will yield some good political points for the Democratic party, whose policies are openly antagonistic to Catholics. Surely the damage to the environment, and the luxurious bus with its high-end graphics could have been better spent on the poor?
The nuns traveled over 9 days and 2,700 miles, to speak out about their message of keeping taxes high to take care of poor families who they insist need their help, but did anyone ask these LCWR nuns if the price of the bus or what the cost to the Catholic Church's credibility would be?
