The man who coined the phrase “moral majority” died last week — but most Americans may not have known that he was a Catholic and a deacon.

The fine blog Get Religion has more:

The most important thing to remember about the late Paul M. Weyrich is that he was a moral and cultural conservative, first, and a Republican, way, way second. In fact, there were plenty of people who decided that he wasn’t — when push came to shove — a Republican loyalist at all.

You can see hints of this throughout the mainstream media coverage in the wake of his death at age 66, following years of painful decline that began with a shattering fall on black ice.

Let me start with a picky question that, so far, applies to most of the obituaries. It is interesting, to me, that most of the stories do not even mention the fact that Weyrich was an ordained, permanent Catholic deacon. It would have been accurate, on first reference, to have referred to him as “the Rev. Paul M. Weyrich” or “Deacon Paul M. Weyrich.” Since he was ordained in an Eastern Rite, it might have even been appropriate to call him Father Deacon Paul M. Weyrich (weigh in on this issue, Catholic insiders).

The Washington Post obit mentions the ordination, but frames it in an interesting way:

He was raised Roman Catholic, but after the changes of Vatican II, he converted to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and served as a deacon.

Yes, his journey to the East was an interesting commentary on worship in the post-Vatican II world. Still, the story needed to mention that the church he joined — “converted to” may be too strong — is loyal to Rome and the papacy and part of the Eastern churches in Communion with Catholicism. He was raised Catholic and remained Catholic.

Here’s the point: If you edited out his Catholic ordination, many readers would probably assume that this co-founder of the Moral Majority was an evangelical Protestant. It’s impossible to understand what made this profoundly conservative man tick without knowing the fine details of his faith. Has the National Review mentioned his faith at all, or in any meaningful way, in its coverage? How about the Washington Times?

I also think it is crucial to realize that Weyrich was a journalist in his Wisconsin and Colorado days, before moving inside the Beltway. This was one blunt, fierce, man — a fact that made it into the stories, but often in ways that failed to connect to the larger moral and religious issues that drove him.

There is much more about him at the link.

And over at Catholic Online, there’s a remembrance by Deacon Keith Fournier:

He was Father Deacon Paul Weyrich to me; a Proto- Deacon of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church who served the Holy Altar, for as long as he could stand, with deep piety. A man who bore the dignity of his clerical office, Father Deacon Paul loved the Lord and he loved Christ’s Church. He is now serving the eternal Liturgy in heaven.

Deacon Paul gave this very precious gift to me when I was learning to serve the Divine Liturgy. It had been his first service book, complete with notations. Along with our mutual commitment to building a new culture of life, we shared our clerical vocation. He was ordained as a deacon of the Eastern Catholic Church and I was ordained a deacon of the West, with an eastern heart. In the nineties, with the approval of my Diocesan Bishop and the recommendation of dear Bishop John Elya, then Eparch of all Melkites in the U.S., I was given permission to serve both East and West, as a Roman Catholic deacon and in the Melkite Church. The differences between the Holy Mass of the West and the Divine Liturgy of the East are vast. The role of the Deacon is significantly different.

As a part of my learning process, Father Deacon Paul gave me his personal Deacons’ service book. By the way, it is a custom in much of the east to refer to deacons as “Fr. Deacon”. Today, with his passing to the Father, I knew that I had to find this book. It is even more of a treasure now and will keep his memory alive for me for years to come. It has his instructions inside, including when and where to give a profound bow, to incense, to approach the doors, to honor the priest, to don or remove the “hat” and so many other gestures and rubrics which he wanted to make sure that I did properly. He knew the importance of good liturgy. He taught me that it was an honor to serve the Divine Liturgy and insisted that I render my service with the dignity and beauty which it deserved.

You will be remembered in many prayers, brother.

May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.