Rev. Jerry J. Pokorsky: The Catholic Bogeyman

The ribald – and often insightful – 1960s comedian Lenny Bruce once quipped: “Everybody knows which church you’re talking about when you talk about The Church.” The Catholic Church reveals God, and God alone is our Judge. But the Church, as the Mystical Body of Christ, is The Bogeyman for many people.

Anti-Catholicism has deep American roots going back to colonial days. In early America, Catholics could not fully practice their faith. Catholic commissioners enacted the Maryland Toleration Act in 1649, granting religious freedom to all. But Protestants rather quickly repealed it in 1655. …