One final tidbit to tie up the story of the Catholic right's captivity to the political right and the big money funding the political right (here): I wrote two days ago about the links between Tom Monaghan and his Ave Maria University, and publishers of the Catholic right such as Ignatius Press.I'd like to note here another link, a direct link that joins Bishop Martino in a public, easily tracked financial way to Monaghan and Ave Maria. As the AveWatch website notes, Monaghan's financial records show him contributing directly and largely ($10,000--the year is not clear; 2005 is implied) to the Cardinal Newman Society (here).
Who, in return, greased Monaghan's palm in 2007 by naming Ave Maria University "one of the best Catholic schools in America for undergraduate students," with a promise to high-profile Ave Maria students in its upcoming guide to "true" Catholic colleges . . . .
This shows one direct tie, a financial one, at that, between Martino and Monaghan, via the Cardinal Newman Society. But of course it's just a big old conspiracy theory to imagine that the thick, intertwining, incestuous ties between the big funders of the Catholic and Republican right really signify any connection or collusion . . . .
For those interested in knowing more about Monaghan and Ave Maria, I highly recommend the Ave Watch website (here). As its header notes, it engages in ongoing investigative journalism regarding Monaghan and Ave Maria.
