In a December 5, 2007, interview on KUCI radio in Southern California, John Manly claimed that the Catholic Church is growing fastest in Africa only because "those are places and people that are in desperate need." He also agreed with the host of the show, Mari Frank, that people are "vulnerable" there.
MANLY: … In Europe the Catholic Church is basically dead. I mean, there's a bunch of empty cathedrals. But in terms of – certainly in Italy, there are churches, but it's really more cultural. In the United States it's dying. I'm not saying the Catholic Church is going to cease to exist, but in terms of – y'know – the type of influence it had in the 60's, 70's, and 80's, it's a different church. And, regrettably, what the Catholic hierarchy has concluded is that they're going to let that go, and it's going to be a church where they are – The only place you see the Church growing is immigrant populations, and the place it's growing fastest is Africa.
HOST: Why do you think that is?
MANLY: Umm. I think it's a – uh, y'know, – those are places and people that are in desperate need. They are the poorest of the poor, and they have no voice. And, uh, that is the perfect place for these people to do what they want to do. And also those are cultures that to some extent where women are not as empowered, as they are in the West. And that is a big problem for the church.
HOST: And people are more vulnerable there, too.
MANLY: And they are. Ummm, and there's no civil justice system or criminal justice system within those populations that's going to allow people to come forward.
If this isn't an outrageous example of an out-of-touch, super-wealthy, condescending attorney talking down to poor people, I don't know what is.
In John Manly's world, "poor" = "ignorant" and "unable to think for yourself."
Good … grief.
