Separation of Church Chimp & State Ah, the early 1960s when the right-wing bigots were up in arms about having a Roman Catholic, i.e. a "papist" in the White House. The reemergence of know-nothingism. Well, the know-nothings are still around, but their embodiment is now asking the Catholic Church to go out of its way to actually take part in his political campaign for reelection. From Sunday's New York Times:

In his recent trip to Rome, President Bush asked a top Vatican official to push American bishops to speak out more about political issues, including same-sex marriage, according to a report in the National Catholic Reporter, an independent newspaper. In a column posted Friday evening on the paper's Web site, John L. Allen Jr., its correspondent in Rome and the dean of Vatican journalists, wrote that Mr. Bush had made the request in a June 4 meeting with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican secretary of state. Citing an unnamed Vatican official, Mr. Allen wrote: "Bush said, 'Not all the American bishops are with me' on the cultural issues. The implication was that he hoped the Vatican would nudge them toward more explicit activism." Mr. Allen wrote that others in the meeting confirmed that the president had pledged aggressive efforts "on the cultural front, especially the battle against gay marriage, and asked for the Vatican's help in encouraging the U.S. bishops to be more outspoken." Cardinal Sodano did not respond, Mr. Allen reported, citing the same unnamed people.

Stupifying, just stupifying. Although I guess if you think you are the new Urban II, it makes sense to go to his old stomping grounds to ask for help.