I’ve just received an e-mail from someone lamenting the implicit acceptance of the contraceptive culture amongst Catholics. Here’s my response:

Although I agree with your general analysis, I feel that the tide has turned somewhat in the direction of orthodoxy and Church militancy. The fact that 70% of US bishops issued formal letters opposing Obama’s mandate, and the fact that the vast majority of priests dutifully read those letters to their congregations is a huge and significant step in the right direction. Ten years ago, such a mandate would probably have been met with a whimper. On the other hand, I’m not as optimistic as Peggy Noonan, who wrote in the Wall Street Journal a few days ago, that Catholics would not only unite on this issue but that it would lose Obama the election. I fear that this is overstating the unity of Catholics. Of course, I hope that Noonan is right and that I am wrong!