Matthew Walther's Fantastic World

Perhaps this young fellow thinks that he speaks for 'all Catholics' in the US.  If so, he would be the very first person to do so in over 225 years.  Fantasy-world starts there.

But let's see what he has to say!

...my favorite president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, quoted papal encyclicals and entertained princes of the church at the White House....

Oh, really.  That makes Roosevelt......what, exactly?  Let me help you, Matthew!  He was a Protestant Statist who was well-read and who happened to be NOT Republican.  (Who besides the good guys can quote Scripture to his advantage, Matthew??)  And "NOT Republican" was just fine with Catholics--at that time.  What was that time.....again?.....about 75 years ago, no?

One more thing--and this is the important one:  FDR was the first President to ram Federal money into Catholic charities.  So, Matthew, 30 pieces of silver......

...the libertarian economics championed by the Republican Party are absolutely at odds with a plain reading of the documents that together comprise the church's social teaching....

"The Republican Party" "champions" "libertarian economics"??  Not judging by the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.  (Let's not quibble about whether he's a (R) or not.  Takes too much time.)  And not judging by the current Speaker of the House, either.  Nor the entirely (R) government of the State of Wisconsin.  And--Matthew--have you read Leo XIII's 'social doctrine' encyclicals??  No??  Better get busy.  Read up on the part about "intact families" and report back to us.

....single-payer, for example, is only one possible (though probably, I think, the most straightforward and workable) response to the question of how to ensure that people receive medical care...,.

Why sure!!  Ask Charlie Gard.  Or his parents.  Go ahead, Matthew.  We'll wait.

Just one more!!

... But to deny that these rights exist in keeping with libertarian principles about positive liberty is to pretend that the church has no right to inform the consciences of the faithful.....

1)  Straw man; and 2) Does not follow.

Matthew is probably a very pleasant young fellow.  His mom is probably proud of him.  It would be nice if he'd get a job and read the entirety of Catholic social doctrine.  It's probably too much to ask if we ask him to understand that Republicans are not Conservatives are not Libertarians.