Bob McDonnell's Kind of Catholicism Isn't Mine

"the belief systems part ways on many issues, including capital punishment and tax policy"

This statement is very false. Many popes have openly stated the validity of the use of the death penalty, and the catechism *to this day* defends the idea that it may still have legitimate use. As did the current pope in a letter to US bishops. Popes have even gone so far as to defend *particular* laws in countries such as death penalties for those who molest children. That particular pope, Pope St. Pius V was advocating for that laws implementation against molester priests! Would that we had that law today, perhaps we could have avoided the scandals we have suffered through in the last 40 years.

Secondly, progressive taxation is *NOT* a tenet of the catholic faith. It is a non magesterial proposition of the USCCB. If one were to honestly conclude that progressive taxation were socialistic, then one would have to oppose it, as socialism is intrinsically against the moral order (that's actual catholic teaching).

American catholics have largely decided to make up what "Catholic teaching is". You have the right to believe what you want in this country (not the moral right, but the legal right, oddly enough, according to Catholic teaching). But you can not just *make up* what official Catholic teaching, which has a definition (a bishop or group of bishops in union with the pope, making a dogmatic or doctrinal teaching, binding on all the faithful, on faith and morals) says. The catechism exists, and you can not just make up the faith you want.

You can disagree with Bob McDonnells implementation or even his interpretation in some instances. But fabricating the faith is something else entirely.