Thursday, March 26, 2009

Attention Catholics: Here Comes Newt!



By Patricia Murphy
Mar 25th 2009

When Newt Gingrich tweeted his disapproval yesterday of Notre Dame's choice of President Obama as commencement speaker, ("It is sad to see notre dame invite president obama to give the commencement address Since his policies are so anti catholic values."), he was, at least, speaking from experience.

A similar kerfuffle erupted over the former House Speaker in 2005 when he spoke at Catholic University. Students then said Gingrich's support for the death penalty and his well-publicized marital infidelities violated the school's prohibition against speakers with positions contrary to Vatican teachings.

But all seems to have been forgiven between Newt and the Catholics. He'll officially covert to Catholicism on Easter Sunday, according to his spokesman.

But what about those positions against Vatican teachings? Susan Gibbs, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Washington, said she cannot comment about the specifics of any one person's conversion, but Gingrich is "in proper standing with the Catholic Church," adding, "Any obstacles to joining the church have been resolved."