Chuck Darwin<p>Roberts was also involved in an Opus Dei-affiliated high school leadership program in Austin, Texas. </p><p>A website that tracks Opus Dei men’s activities called <br>"Where You Are" included a profile of the high school program in Austin <br>where Roberts appears to volunteer and <br>“contributes significantly “ to the school’s career and leadership program.</p><p>Roberts was featured as a guest at another Opus Dei-linked school, <br>the <a href="https://c.im/tags/Camino" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Camino</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Schools" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Schools</span></a>, in 2023. </p><p>In introductory remarks before Roberts spoke, the school’s chairman, Bob <a href="https://c.im/tags/Rose" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Rose</span></a>, praised schools that<br> 🔸teach boys and girls they are “different”, 🔸<br>they learn differently and are inspired by different things, <br>and where🔸 boys are taught by “manly men” 🔸who serve as role models.</p><p>Roberts’ critics said concerns about his ties to Opus Dei were not connected to his identity or beliefs as a Roman Catholic.</p><p>“Kevin Roberts, like all Americans, has a guaranteed freedom to worship or not under our constitution,” <br>said Lisa Graves, <br>co-founder of "Court Accountability", <br>a non-partisan group that seeks to combat judicial corruption.</p><p>”That is not at issue. What is of concern is how some powerful elites, <br>like Roberts, <br>who have failed to persuade the American people to embrace their agenda, <br>seem eager 🔸to use the power of the executive branch to impose their personal religious views🔸<br> as binding law on other Americans <br>– by barring abortion, <br>using the government to endorse the rhythm method of contraception, <br>even banning mention of ‘condoms’ in women’s preventative health, <br>as well as assailing the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans.”</p><p>Heritage did not respond to a request for comment. </p><p>The CIC did not respond to a request for comment.</p><p>During Roberts’ September 2023 speech, <br>which received little notice at the time <br>but is posted on the center’s YouTube page, <br>Roberts detailed how conservative Catholics and their allies could 🔸advance US policy <br>to end access to abortion, same-sex marriage and contraception.🔸</p><p>Knowing the 🔹unpopularity of banning birth control 🔹<br>– a harder political battle to wage than advancing anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage policies <br>– he encouraged an <a href="https://c.im/tags/incremental" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>incremental</span></a> approach to pursuing this long-term goal.</p><p>“Even in a politically conservative setting, <br>that can be a very difficult thing to advance,” <br>Roberts told attendees at the CIC event. </p><p>“A majority of Roman Catholics don’t believe in that teaching, <br>if public opinion surveys are the case. <br>And so it makes it very difficult to advocate for that.”</p><p>The faithful should practice the <br>🔹“gift of discernment” 🔹<br>to know when to bring it up: </p><p>“Sometimes the right thing at the right time to the right person <br>isn’t the full teaching of humanity, right? <br>It isn’t the full teaching of contraception. </p><p>And recognizing that that’s not the time is no way turning into Judas. <br>In fact, it’s being <a href="https://c.im/tags/apostolic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>apostolic</span></a>. </p><p>And the very definition of the word, which is in modern common parlance, meeting someone where they are.”</p><p>In espousing his theory of <br>“radical incrementalism”, <br>or what he called the <br>🔹“enchilada theory”, 🔹<br>he said it was critical for conservatives to work first <br>to achieve a small part of a larger policy goal <br>based on what’s politically possible at the moment. </p><p>Sometimes, he said, having even half an enchilada could be a victory.</p><p>On abortion, he noted that Roman Catholics believe <br>🔸“no abortion can be morally justified”, 🔸<br>but that even in conservative circles in the US, <br>this is 🔹not a majority opinion, 🔹<br>and it’s an <br>“even more difficult position to hold” <br>after the Dobbs decision. </p><p>Using the “same vocabulary of our faith” in the policy arena <br>has a negative effect on electoral outcomes, he said.</p><p> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Vance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Vance</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Heritage" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Heritage</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Foundation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Foundation</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Project2025" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Project2025</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Roberts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Roberts</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/CIC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CIC</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Gore" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Gore</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Escriv%C3%A1" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Escrivá</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Roberts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Roberts</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Leo" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Leo</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a></p>