Rome and the Church in the United States

In a conversation with the great historian John Tracy Ellis, Baltimore’s Archbishop Michael J. Curley, who had had his share of tussles with the Vatican, once blurted out, “Rome will use you, abuse you, and then throw you away!” It was an exaggeration, but one that contained a nugget of truth: Roman authorities have often had difficulties grasping the distinctive character and achievements of the Church in the United States. But it’s a canard to suggest, as many liberal Catholics have, that the American Church is disloyal to Rome.