On June 18, the funeral Mass for NBC correspondent Tim Russert was held at Trinity Church in Georgetown. Attending the funeral was Sally Quinn. She is a Washington Post journalist and founder and co-moderator of “On Faith”, a Washington Post andNewsweek blog.
Quinn, who was an atheist most of her life, posted on June 23 why she decided to go to Communion at the Mass: “Last Wednesday I was determined to take it [the Eucharist] for Tim, transubstantiation notwithstanding. I’m so glad I did. It made me feel closer to him. And it was worth it just to imagine how he would have loved it.”
Quinn also admitted the following: “I had only taken communion once in my life, at an evangelical church. It was soon after I had started ‘On Faith’ and I wanted to see what it was like. Oddly I had a slightly nauseated sensation after I took it, knowing that in some way it represented the body and blood of Jesus Christ.”
Just reading what Sally Quinn said is enough to give any Christian, especially Catholics, more than a “slightly nauseating sensation.” In her privileged world, life is all about experiences and feelings.
Moreover, Quinn’s statement not only reeks of narcissism, it shows profound disrespect for Catholics and the beliefs they hold dear. If she really wanted to get close to Tim Russert, she could have found a way to do so without trampling on Catholic sensibilities. Like praying for him—that’s what Catholics do.
