Significantly, Chad Pecknold is on leave of absence from teaching theology at Catholic University to become a public spokesman for the Trump administrations ICE policies. This is, to say the least, controversial.
The US bishops have spoken with unusual unanimity, along with Pope Leo, against the current policies as inhumane. About 50 % of American agree. One study has it that 75% of those currently held in custody are innocent of any crime (other then being here illegally.)
Pecknold is a respected theologian, expert in St. Augustine, who speaks firmly on politics from a right of center position. He is closely aligned with the "post-liberal, new Catholic right" of Patrick Dineen, Adrian Vermule, Sohab Ahmari, and J.D. Vance who propose a new blended conservatism of resistance to Cultural Liberalism (anti-abortion, pro-family, anti-trans, etc.), patriotism, and working class appreciation for unions and a robust federal government to countervail big money and business. They are, on the whole, appreciative of the more Catholic-friendly aspects of Trump.
By working in this high profile position for Trump he clearly opposes the broad Catholic hatred for the current policies. As a layman, a citizen, and even an ordinary theologian this would not ordinarily be troubling. The Catholic Church has no authoritative, official teaching on political policy. Such is open to a variety of opinions. Such is also the expertise, not of the hierarchy or priesthood, but of the laity in their roles as citizens, politicians, leaders, policy experts, governors and such. So, for a lay theologian to take a leave of absence to serve the government, even in such a sensitive area, is not problematic as such.
What sets this case apart is that Pecknold teaches in Catholic University which has "ecclesiastical faculties" to teach officially for the Church and grant canonical degrees (STD, STL) as distinct from secular academic degrees (MA, PHD). So, he has a "canonical mission" to teach on behalf of the Church. He is not ordained; is lay, not clerical; but has official, legal status to teach authoritatively in a "quasi-clerical" manner. So, his status as an ecclesial official is similar to that of the clergy. So, it becomes a problem for him to retain that status and yet participate as a political partisan, even if the moral issue was not so inflamed.
(Sidebar: The Canonical Mission is distinct from the Canonical Mandate. Canon Law (#802) requires that all who teach theology in a Catholic college receive the mandate, indicating that they teach according to Church doctrine, from their bishop. This requires a lower level of scrutiny than does the more demanding "mission." Of over 200 Catholic colleges and universities in the USA, less than 20 require it. They are the usual suspects: Franciscan, Benedictine, Ave Maria, Catholic U, Belmont, Aquinas, Wyoming, Belmont and (to my happy surprise) Mt. St. Mary's in Emmitsburg Md.
Full disclosure: Fleckinstein, under his real-life name, proudly obtained and retains this mandate from when he taught as adjunct at local NJ Dominican Caldwell College.)
Working for the Trump agenda he is clearly not "teaching on behalf of the Church." He is not exercising his canonical mission, but his ordinary prudential judgment as a layman and a citizen. But for clarity he would do well to at least suspend his canonical status, if that is possible. Ed Conlin (in Pillar seems to suggest such in a more detailed, instructive treatment of the issue.) However, in the long run, he needs to clarify his mission and vocation: to teach theology on behalf of the Church or to advocate for a political agenda. These are both callings; but they cannot be combined; just as a priest cannot be a politician. Probably he will return to his teaching within a few years. (Few stay long with Trump!)
But I fear his authority as "teacher on behalf of the Church" may be compromised, certainly for the 40% or so of Catholics that despise MAGA. A helpful analogy. Some 25 years ago when I directed our parish confirmation program, four of the 8th graders had fathers who were running against each other for local councilman. Needless to say, I did not hang a sign for any one of them in my front yard as that would have been offensive to the other three and compromised my mission.
I have personally appreciated the judgment of Pecknold and his group as they balance the views of the American bishops and our current and recent popes. I agree with the common sense view of a majority of Americans: we need to control our borders, get rid of criminals, and leave decent-hard-working people alone. The Biden policy was as insane and dysfunctional as that of Trump is cruel.
Social and political policy when delivered by the bishops and Vatican is always, systemically, one-sided and unbalanced. They apply the personal Catholic ethic of compassion to policy in an unrealistic fashion. I do not recall Biden being corrected by bishops or pope about his catastrophic open border policy. Clerics are overwhelmingly well-motivated, altruistic people with little capacity for dealing competently with bad actors: totalitarians, Allatollahs, border gangs, psychopaths, or pedophiles. And so they resist firm borders, capital punishment, warfare...not prudentially, but sentimentally, ideologically. They (John Paul excepting) generally fail to appreciate wholesome patriotism.
Recall again: their competency is faith and morals, not social policy. They rightly address the moral dimensions of policy. Respectfully, but critically we listen. But we know their limitations. Political decision is not their lane.
And so, we benefit from lay participants who often appreciate the very Catholic values ignored by our prelates: patriotism, subsidiarity, freedom markets, and the just use of lethal force. We do well to pick up First Things or something by the "post-liberal Catholic right" after listening to Pope Leo or the bishops!
I admire what I know of Chad Pecknold. But we do well to pray for him.
Trump has been the authentic champion of many of our Catholic values: unborn life, borders, family concerns, sexual values and other. But his personal depravity has spread, with a preternatural energy and efficacy, across his administration, the country and the entire globe. Tucker Carson said that he is such a strong personality that he literally casts a spell over those close to him. I think this is right...and frightening.
I personally intend to pray fore Pecknold, along with Rubio and Vance, all talented leaders, devout Catholics, and decent family men...that God's grace deliver them from evil and help them to preserve the good of MAGA and defeat the evil of it.
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