National Catholic Reporter's top 10 most read opinion and commentary articles of 2020 | NCR Reporter

NCR's top 10 most read opinion and commentary articles of 2020 | National Catholic Reporter

# 1 Fordham's Fr. Bryan Massingale

"This is where things may get uncomfortable for most of you, who I assume (and hope) will be white," Massingale writes. "At some early age, you realized that no matter how bad things got for you, at least you would never be black. And it dawned on you, though you rarely consciously say it, that you would never want to be black. Because you realized, even without being explicitly told, that being white makes life easier. Even if you have to do some hard work along the way, at least you don't have to carry the burden of blackness as a hindrance."

5. AOC is the future of the Catholic Church

In July, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a speech on the House floor responding to an incident on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in which Rep. Ted Yoho of Florida verbally assaulted her.

As NCR executive editor Heidi Schlumpf listened to her 10-minute address, she was struck by how often it referenced Catholic values, as Ocasio-Cortez universalized the need to treat all people with dignity and respect, noting that Yoho's behavior gave "permission to other men to do that to his daughters."

"Perhaps such Catholic references are not surprising, since the rock-star millennial leader of the left grew up Catholic and even wrote about how her faith influences her views on public policies such as mass incarceration, for a Catholic magazine," Schlumpf writes. "As a young Latina, Ocasio-Cortez represents the demographic future of the Catholic Church."

6. On a call with President Trump, Cardinal Dolan reveals his true colors

President Donald Trump held a phone call in April with an estimated 600 Catholics, among whom were bishops and Catholic school superintendents. One participant was New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, "who seems to like to boast about his relationship with Trump almost as much as Trump likes to boast about himself," writes former longtime NCR columnist Jamie Manson.

In the call, Trump emphasized his support for the pro-life movement and hailed his support for school choice, specifically for Catholic schools. He also reiterated all his accomplishments meant to appease Catholic bishops.

Dolan, according to reports, responded saying the president was a "great gentleman" and a "great friend of mine."

"Yes, Dolan and other bishops are probably desperate for funding for Catholic schools, but prostituting the church to Trump is the worst possible solution to save an institution that is supposed to teach morality and hope to our children," Manson writes.