Letters to the editor on culture warriors at the Eucharistic Congress

by NCR Staff

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August 4, 2023

Instead of engaging the breadth of the U.S. Catholic experience, the speakers list for the Eucharistic Congress looks like the bishops outsourced the programming to Steubenville, said NCR columnist Michael Sean Winters. Following are NCR reader responses to his opinion with letters that have been edited for length and clarity.

My question for the author of this article is who would you propose to be the keynote speakers at the Eucharistic Conference?

CHRIS PARK
College Station, Texas

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Bishop Barron can be considered a theologian based on his extensive bibliography. In the Word on Fire ministry, he also emphasizes the intellectual richness of Catholic writers from the Fathers through today. In regards to any "liberal" vs. "conservative" leanings, he continually defends the Vatican II documents. Finally, I ask Winters to read Bishop Barron's latest short book on the Eucharist and highlight anything in that book that is not catechetical teaching.

PAUL PARK
Fort Worth, Texas

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Come on. I do enjoy Michael Sean Winters's opinion and perspective, but this lineup is not a bunch of "culture warriors." That headline is clickbait and we don't need any of that in the social media era of "media" that is dominated by partisan voices who rely on sensational headlines that are not supported by facts.

(DEACON) JOSHUA KLICKMAN
Raleigh, North Carolina

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I found Michael Sean Winter's opinion piece on July 28 lacking in self-awareness. There wasn't even an attempt to hide bias against and disdain towards his brothers and sisters in the faith. Straw-man name-calling is not professional journalism. I would expect that on other platforms, but not on one which — at least in name — is purporting to give forum to all things Catholic of national relevance.

While I mostly do not agree with the editorial line of NCR, I do believe it offers an important alternate view about the Catholic Church in the U.S. This piece, however, was a disservice to the much needed dialogue that an alternate view can cause.

(FR.) DANIEL RAY
Rye, New York