A Real Catholic Message
Co-authored by Thomas P. O'Neill III and James Roosevelt, Jr.
This morning Pope Benedict XVI addresses the United Nations. At the same time, more than a thousand Catholics will gather in a downtown Washington hotel for the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, an event that has grown in political significance since its inception five years ago. President Bush will again be joined by, Supreme Court justices, members of Congress and other leading figures from the worlds of faith and politics. Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, is also expected to share the spotlight. Two big Catholic events, but unfortunately they have little in common -- one will present a message of hope, the other a message of division.
The Vatican regards this as a pastoral visit, prudently planning to avoid politicizing it. Today, it is anticipated the Pope will urge the world to support the dignity of human life amid war and our moral responsibility to the environment while also addressing widespread human suffering and advancing the theme of hope. In remarks last week he bridged the divide between hope and the challenges that divide us by evoking the 'golden rule', "It is the law written on the human heart, on this we can all agree, so that when we come together to address other matters we can do so in a positive and constructive manner for the entire human community."
In calling on us to act on messages covering the ideological spectrum, the Pope's words may well take most people out of their comfort zones. The reason being, Church teachings do not perfectly align themselves with any political ideology. It is sadly ironic then, the breakfast organizers -- stalwart Republican operatives -- will advance the divisive partisanship of the right and seek to hijack Catholic teaching for the Republican agenda as the Pope delivers his message.
Their mission, we are told, is to gather for "worship and fellowship" and to "renew our dedication to this great Republic." All Catholics could support invocations like these. But these words mask their true intent. As in the past, this year speakers are drawn from far right sectors of the Church and society. With a Website that celebrates President Bush, dubbed "the second Catholic president" here two years ago, their message consistently emphasizes the favored issues of the political and religious right. Once again, they have excluded speakers from Catholic social service and relief agencies who represent the good works of our bishops and our Church.
As faithful Catholics who have spent our lives articulating principles of Catholic social teaching through public service, we are proud that our faith tradition, not long ago viewed as a threat to the American experiment, has reached such acceptance in our society. So it is particularly disturbing that the organizers of today's gathering have sought to exploit our faith in this manner and not followed the Pontiff's careful lead this year. Instead they are continuing to use this meal, Catholic and prayerful in name only, as a partisan Republican pep rally, rather than an authentic reflection of Catholic values in the public square.
In this presidential campaign, we find voters rejecting the style of politics where adversaries are demonized and the price of victory by one vote is never too high. Catholicism and the Pope's message provide Catholics -- from both sides of the aisle -- an avenue to common ground from which to lead.
However, the organizers bring Rovian style tactics to our faith, perpetuating the sharpening of religious differences on a narrow selection of social issues. In doing so, they contribute to painful and fruitless divisions around faith and politics, at a time when we face the most daunting set of issues in a generation. A gathering that should reflect the political and ideological diversity of Catholicism in public life and the best our faith has to offer instead seeks to perpetuate the myth that in order to be a good Catholic one must be a good Republican. Tragically, they serve neither the best interests of the Church or the country.
One of the major contributions to our country by Catholicism has been the rich tradition of Catholic teaching about war, social justice and human life, and social action on behalf these. While the Church has suffered recently, the Catholic passion for justice still informs the life of the Church's people. For Catholics, the papal visit should be a reminder of what unites us as Catholic Christians and what inspires our work for the common good and our care for the common life we share with all.
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This is what you get when you allow religion to mix in politics at all.
The Catholic Church is doing what it does best. Subjecting poor people to politics of division to push the tenets of a dying religion.
Republicans are not hijacking the Catholic faith no more than the Catholic faith is prostituting itself to those in power and that includes the Pope.
The Catholic Church is a dying religion That's why they support the illegal immigrants here in the US. They need them to fill the pews and donate, donate, donate. As one born into the catholic religion and attended all girl catholic school for 12 years, i just don't get all the publicity when the Pope comes here and pretends he's sorry about the priests' abuse of children. This was covered up for years. The one good thing is the education I received to which I commend my parents. Keep religion out of politics. It's divisive. The Papal visit does nothing to unite us, nothing at all.
that really isn't our history--most social agencies here and in Europe have their roots in the church--if you are interested check out Mother Cabrini, Mother Katherine Drexel and the Lapersarium at Carville, LA--there's more muth that should give you an idea.
Sorry, I type faster than spell--Lepersarium at Carville, LA there's more but that should give you an idea!
Bush is no Catholic. Protestants like him do not even believe Catholics will share the same heaven as he. It's all about getting votes. Way too many Americans and far too many Catholics have swallowed the bait, believing religion is under attack, that abortion or what defines a marriage are the only substantive issues of the day.
I don't trust evangelical Protestants. Most are like Hagee and the ones who aren't....
The 2nd Catholic President? That comes as no surprise. In 2005, President Bush granted Cardinal Ratzinger immunity from prosecution for his role in covering up the sex abuse scandal before he became Pope . This is an undeniable, verifiable fact and should be front page news. Let me repeat that since it sounds unbelievable: The President of the United States granted immunity to a Cardinal cum Pope that covered-up the sex abuse of thousands of children at the hands of clergy over many decades.
Benedict (a worthy appellation if ever there was one) paying lip service to the crimes against hundreds of thousands of abuse victims is nothing more than window-dressing in an attempt to have Catholics and an unaware public forgive and forget. Forgiving is one thing, forgetting is entirely something else.
I guarantee you that none of the perpetrators will be prosecuted or go to jail for raping children. NONE. Neither will his co-conspirators in the current administration who condone torture, lied us into war, illegally wiretap us and hold innocent people in jail indefinitely without charges, habeas corpus or legal representation. This would be a comical farce if Shakespeare had written it. Unfortunately it is now reality in these United States, however grim. And Congress does nothing about it, and the press does nothing but ape their press releases.
Welcome to the 4th Reich
Since this is verifiable please give me your sources. Thank You.
David Duke called - you left your spare hood under his right front passenger seat
There is a perfect correlation between the republican party and the catholic church. Both are under the impression that they are omnipotent, infallible and both are incapable of taking responsibility for anything that has gone awry! The republican party has been a disaster! The fallout from the Bush presidency is monumental, and possibly irreparable! I find it amazing that nearly every single member of the House and Senate march in lockstep with Bush! They are in complete denial that they are responsible for all Bush's actions. They have given him carte blanche to commit every atrocity he's committed. The catholic church is equally as responsible for their antiquated laws and restrictions. I know they were aware of the abuse going on, because it occurred in my family. We didn't get involved in a lawsuit, because our family member chose to commit suicide due to the enormous shame and embarrassment. We do know where the monastery is that is hiding our murderer, and pray everyday that his guilt is equal to the pain of our loss. He knows the outcome of his abuse! It was doubly painful to find out that dear ole Ratzie did everything in his power to keep all this shoved under the rug for so long. On MSNBC yesterday, I listened to Attorney Bennet relate meeting with the pope, and how impressed he was with the sincerity of his of his regret! I'm guessing Attorney Bennet is also highly impressed with the present president!
If you remember, in 2004 the Knights of Columbus invited Pres. Bush to their national meeting and dinner but not John Kerry. The reason they gave was that they only invited heads of states. So, being a KC member at the time, I did a little research and found that going back to Calvin Coolidge, no Democratic president was ever invited to the meeting/dinner except your uncle JFK, and the only reason they probably invited him was that he was a fourth degree knight himself, and they could hardly refuse him. That was an excellent post, BTW.
When the "Knights" invite an ex-alter boy to speak on betrayal of faith, THEN we can evaluate the "Knights" in light of the real teachings of Jesus in promoting the well being of those without hope.
I totally agree Ma'am: I am a “cradle” Catholic and I love my faith, but I am sad to say it has been hijacked by republican operatives with the issues of gay marriage and abortion. I am against gay marriage and abortion but I do not believe I should dictate my views to everyone in America. That is why this country was founded, people escaping religious intolerance from Europe and that is why are constitution specifically talks about the separation of church and state. I am also concerned about the poor, the environment and good stewardship of this earth and above all, helping others. The corporate republican's only care about corporate interests and money, and they have sold their "bill of goods" to people that trusted them to be honest. I would not want to be in their place at the end of my life.
RFK is one of my idols. I admire the family and the author of this thread. With this in mind, I respectfully suggest there are those on the left who have been selective in what aspects of the Bible and Christiani
Specifically, I refer to the debate on choice which Ms. Townsend addresses in her book on Faith. I fail to understand how a baby in the womb at 6-9 months (viable) does not have a right to life, but is subjected to the propriety of the mother. I would like to know how a Christian/Catholic mother can reconcile WWJD with choosing an abortion or supporting such a choice.
I walked past Bush's motorcade on the way to work today. Just across the street there was a vocal group of Catholics on the sidewalk quoting Dorothy Day and a member of Code Pink asking for prayers for "Insane McCain." It was good to see them out there.
This is an insightful piece, well considered. I do disagree with one of your statements regarding "prudently planning to avoid politicizing" his visit. It may have been prudent to do so, however I don't view it as either wise or compassionate. The Pope, if he actually does view himself as a spiritual/moral authority, should have addressed two major issues publicly.
1. The first is obviously the invasion and continued occupation of Iraq which constitutes a major humanitarian tragedy. The US began actively creating a walled ghetto in Sadr City during the Pope's s sojourn, further deepening and solidifying divisions within the Iraqi community. This is only making the problem worse under the guise of a band-aid solution.
2. The second is the mortgage crisis which was the result of rampant deceit on the part of the American banking industry and Wall Street speculators as well as greedy Real Estate brokers. This will have enormous debilitating effects upon the poor.
Having failed to address these overwhelmingly consequential questions only weakens his claim to moral authority and leaves two great evils to fester further.
Christ taught about justice and peace. The Pope is propping up the worst dictatorship in recent history. It is past time for the Pope to speak out against child molestation where just in recent history over 10,000 children were raped by his minions. He assisted in covering up these felonies. The abortion issue keeps the GOP in power and makes more people poor every day. The Pope also is indirectly supporting a U.S. foreign policy based on genocide and the theft of resources. The Pope and America have lost their way and are becoming active forces of wrong doing and environmental disaster. Past history also shows the hand of the church is wars and witch hunts and Inquisitions. The world cannot move on with this hypocrisy.
Some people you just can't please.
Thanks for your comments. No doubt the breakfast will include repeated railings against abortion while completely overlooking the death penalty or giving it much less than equal time. The precise blend of hypocrisy characteristic of CINO's: Catholics In Name Only.
It appears as if we have to not only take our country back from these antiChristian yahoos but also our faith.
Good post, but I believe the exact defination of CINO is Christians in Name Only. I know many evangelical's who do things that make me wonder whick version of the bible are they reading. Thou shalt not kill (pre-empetive Iraq War based on lies is a perfect example). I could go on and on but why bother, so many of these people are simply hypocrites.
Good post, but I believe the exact definition of CINO is Christians in Name Only. I know many evangelical's who do things that make me wonder which version of the bible they are reading. Thou shalt not kill (pre-emptive Iraq War based on lies is a perfect example). I could go on and on but why bother, so many of these people are simply hypocrites.
Our Pontiff is a politician through and through who attained the Papacy with political trading for votes from the Cardinals. The Holy Spirit had little say so in the choice, but then unintended consequences happen. Let us hope the Political atmosphere of a Washington State visit is consecrated by the Holy Spirit.
To me, his theatrical performance with the three abused Bostonians is diabolical as his insistence of separating Homosexuality and Pedophilia. Our hierarchy is rife with the former who hide in the closet enabling the latter.
Two billion dollars in payments to the alter boys who were sodomized. That's a whole lot of sodomy. Has any priest served his time in prison for these misdeeds? has this been going on since Paul took his oath of a monastic way of life. So if we multiple the eons of time there must be hundreds of millions of victims. So if the church would pay up for its crimes and pay it fair share of taxes, it would be out of existence.
We could also examine the church's role in overpopulation or the spread of the aids virus or preventing stem cell research. How many people must die for this blatant hypocrisy? How many wars will the Pope bless. How much ignorance and poverty will the church underwrite?
"Has any priest served his time in prison for these misdeeds?"
http://en.
He'd still be in prison too if he hadn't died a brutal death. Although technically he wasn't a priest by the time he was incarcerated having been defrocked a few years earlier.
You've got passion. Now you need facts.
Thank you for a thoughtful and insightful article. It is about time the religious of all ideologies stop allowing Lee Atwater type politics to invade our deliberately separate churches and states. If it were intended to mix religion and politics, our Constitution would not have been founded with the principles of separation as such. To unofficially "endorse" any particular party is a violation of both Church and State.
BTW, isn't John Mc Cain the candidate with the Anti-Catholic supporter who railed against Catholicism recently in a speech? Just a thought...
you and the rest of those who try to liberalize Catholicism have no credibilit
Jesus Christ was the first liberal Catholic.
He broke tradition with the Rabbis and sought to change Roman rule and laws.
He established a new faith, when to do so meant death.
His concern was for the poor and his life was an example of taking care of other people, both physically AND spiritually.
He cared about the sick, elderly and children and I'm sure He's wondering why we continue not to have health care and why people in this country and elsewhere are hungry, cold and sick.
The Republican religious right have used Catholics to get their agenda in the mainstream.
Why Catholics align themselves with them is beyond me. The religious right has made their disgust of Catholic practices well known.
Jesus is Jewish, He never sought political aspirations (such as changing Roman rule, give toCeasar what is Ceasar's ).....His step Father , Joseph, ws a Right To Work carpenter in Nazareth.H
If I change some words in your post--try to make Catholicism conservative has no credibilit
Thank you for this psot. And thank you for switching your support from Hillary to Obama.
"In calling on us to act on messages covering the ideological spectrum, the Pope's words may well take most people out of their comfort zones. "
"...the Catholic passion for justice...
If there's one thing I would fervently wish, it is for Catholic Speaker Nancy Pelosi to find the moral conscience to move "out of [her] comfort zone" on behalf of "justice."
I find it so appalling how religious 'cred' in D.C. is flaunted as some sort of accessory or badge of honor or shield. While the distance people like Pelosi, KNOWING better from their Catholic education, are able to maintain between the death and destruction SHE continues to fund in Iraq IN OUR NAMES and her opinion of her own "goodness" because she gets to mingle with the Pope and assorted Catholic luminaries - at the invitation of a inviolate war criminal occupying our White House.... I mean, the word 'hypocrisy' is simply insufficient.
Now reports are out that the Democrats - FAR, FAR from fulfilling, at long last, their own oaths of office by declaring an end to our BRUTAL occupation of Iraq - are instead preparing to 'double-down' on funding for that horror show FOR POLITICAL REASONS - to avoid another vote on funding this fall.
"Justice"?!? The "Golden Rule"?!?
What a travesty, what a sham, what a BETRAYAL of our founding, humanitarian principles this Congress - its Members' apolitical religious obligations long since expediently tossed overboard - represents.
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Posted April 17, 2008 | 08:50 PM (EST)