"Reader support built NCR’s independence"

What exactly do you mean by "independence"? 

In fact, you and your publication are completely and utterly dependent.

You are dependent on the Catholic Church. Without 2000 years of Catholic Christian tradition, you would be NOWHERE as a Catholic publication. 

You might want to think that since you dislike and agitate against certain aspects, parts and members of this Church and tradition, you are "independent."  But you are sadly mistaking "independence" for being divisive and partisan, and for dismissing and undermining your brothers and sisters you disagree with for partisan-political reasons. 

But even there, you fail to see your utter dependence. If you did not have these people (lay or clergy), functions, structures in the Church, you could not claim "independence" from anything or anyone from! 

Your claim of "independence" as a self-proclaimed Catholic publication is at best a contradiction in terms.