In certain Catholic circles, a myth has long circulated to the effect that Bill Buckley denied the Church’s teaching authority in matters of faith and morals in an editorial for National Review. Supposedly he wrote, “Mater si, Magistra no.” Anthony Stevens-Arroyo, a religion blogger for the Washington Post, embellishes the myth a little bit more:

Catholic Conservatives like to act like gatekeepers for who is a “real Catholic” (themselves) and who is a “cafeteria Catholic” (everyone else). They seem not to know that the classic case of cafeteria Catholicism came from the conservative National Review, edited by the late William F. Buckley. Reacting to Blessed John XXIII’s encyclical that supported the internationalism of the United Nations, the magazine ran with a cover that proclaimed: “Mater, Sí; Magistra, No.” A clearer case of doctrinal relativism is hard to find. Unfortunately, the Catholic Conservatives have continued to “game’ our faith today, and it’s sad.

Oh please. Next time, let’s pretend that NR carries this motto on the cover of every issue. (See here and here for more.)