Three weeks ago, while sitting in my church pew in Manhattan, and skimming through the weekly bulletin, I came across a short notice promoting a church-hosted workshop that would demonstrate the moral and Constitutional shortcomings of the Obama administration's health care reform legislation.
The notice was entitled, "A Threat to Your Religious Liberty" and referred parishioners to the activist website (backed by Catholic radio personality Al Kresta), www.StopHHS.com. Below is the email I sent to my church in response to the advertisement. I've lightly edited it, mostly to keep the parish anonymous. Three weeks later, I'm still awaiting a response. My fingers are crossed that one might arrive in the comment section here.
================================
To Whom it May Concern:
As a progressive lifelong Catholic, I was disappointed that, in our weekly bulletin, our parish has singled out the health care reform act as the main offense to our religious liberty. After all, isn't my religious liberty imperiled every time I'm compelled to pay taxes to fund unprovoked or preemptive military adventures (including the Iraq war, which Pope John Paul II publicly opposed) or to underwrite enormous and usurious financial institutions whose reckless lending practices endanger the financial security of the most vulnerable among us?
I try to separate my religious and political beliefs as much as possible, knowing that the Catholic Church is, well, catholic (in the small "c" sense -- i.e., that it's inclusive) and that my fellow parishioners have diverse political opinions. As someone who's served both as an alter boy and as a staff member for two Democratic presidential campaigns, and whose Democratic and Christian values have been instilled in me from an early age, this is no easy feat.
Diversity of political opinion seems to be a challenge that the Church is grappling with institutionally, as well. With the new health care reform law, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is emphasizing the sanctity of life implications of the insurance mandate in their opposition to it, and many in the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (i.e., the nuns) have emphasized the compassion inherent in universal care in their support for it.
The doctrinal ambiguity over this debate (and my personal support for the law) aside, I'm concerned that the church is applying Cardinal Dolan's "new evangelism" not just to religious and moral issues, but to political issues, and it is advertising "legal" education in the workshop it's hosting. Just as I'd be uncomfortable with my political leaders interpreting the Bible for me, I'm dubious about the prospect of learning about American Constitutional law from Church leaders, with due respect. I suppose my more ultimate concern is that, as the Church continues to emulate the evangelical Christian movement in its political activism, it may risk losing salience with those of us whose reading of scripture (and our understanding of the homilies we hear each Sunday) inspires a Christian worldview that underpins a progressive political philosophy.
My question is this: Should the Catholic faith not remain larger than -- and transcend -- the vicissitudes of national politics? Or does the church expect its followers to regularly look to it for their beliefs on matters of public policy and legislation that have religious or moral implications (but, then again, don't they all)? To invoke St. Francis, please know that I seek not so much to be understood as to understand.
Respectfully,
Mark Hannah
Follow Mark Hannah on Twitter: www.twitter.com/marksterritory
Henry G. Brinton: Pulpit Politics: Religious Leaders Should Persuade, Not Pronounce
Not saying, you per say. The Catholic Church here in the US has an issue with the "contraception" mandate. Also, there is concern about rising costs for universities, charities, etc. In fact, if people did their homework, there are many studies cautioning the rising costs of healthcare over the first year or so under the proposed law.
Quote from the USCCB - "The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has long advocated
health care for all. In their pastoral letter, Health and Health Care, the
bishops called for a “comprehensive health care system that will ensure a
basic level of health care for all Americans.”".
This is a very rough "if", but to me and many Catholics, including parish leaders, the issues of forced contraception and so-called "abortion-lite" drugs and unknowing cost structure were more ironed out and a good, objective dialogue were exchanged, I'd be willing to bet you'd see more Catholic parishes, dioceses, etc. support healthcare for all in this country. The Catholic Church has always helped a plethora of people, regardless of race, religion, etc.
Get your pope to force your repressive reproductive policies on every catholic woman in the world, but leave us non-catholics alone. While you're at it, tell the pope that no catholic man can use viagra. No pill for the women, then no pill for the men. That's fair, right?
It's unfortunate that in your spiritual journey with the Catholic Church that you've not been taught how a person's faith must be something he lives. We must make all decisions: social; personal; business and political based on a well formed conscience. It is important for us to understand the teaching of the Church contained in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition as taught by the Magisterium.
These instructions are best found in the Bible, Catechism and Catholic Social Teaching documents since Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum. The bottom line is that we must treat each other, every person, with the dignity deserved of creatures made in the image and likeness of the Triune God. That is every life from conception to natural death.
Yes, people on all sides of the political world violate these instructions in a variety of ways. It is up to us to work to elect officials who best support Christian views. There are certainly single issues that must move us to support or oppose specific candidates. Protecting the life of innocent, unborn children is one such issue.
By the way, I just left a Parish meeting attended by over 100 people who are developing plans to take part in our Bishops' call for a "Fortnight for Freedom" which will occur during the 2 weeks prior to the 4th of July. I suggest you find out what your Parish is doing for this historic event and get involved.
Hope this helps. Veritas.
I have never heard of "Papal worship." You totally misunderstand the doctrine of Papal Infallibility. Not everything that comes from the Pope is infallible. In fact very few of the Popes teachings have been stated infallibly and none by Blessed John Paul II (the Great) or Pope Benedict XVI. We have the Magisterium to teach us the Truth based on 2,000 years of prayer and study of the Gospel and Sacred Tradition as handed down to us by Jesus, then his Apostles.
The Reformation was a response to some terrible abuses by the hierarchy of the Church, and yes the rennaiscance Popes were some of the worst. It bubbled for several centuries and errupted all over Europe. There was good reason for reform, but not to split.
It is funny you believe that the Catholic Church is gnostic, since we believe the whole Truth is open to everyone and have fought to correct gnostics since St. Irenaeus in the 2d century.
If any Catholic worships the Pope, they would be committing mortal sin. The only persons who rate worship are the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To claim that "old pedophiles" are running the vatican is a weak attempt to wrap the entire Church into the blanket of sin that a few terribly criminal, mortally sinful men committed that caused tremendous harm to the victims. Pope Benedict is a truly holy, wise man. I suggest you read his work before you sell him out. Veritas.
As a catholic from birth, I am proud to reject its hypocrisy while continuing to embrace the values and ethics that it once championed. I will never darken the doors of this church again, nor will my sons. We will live by the words of Christ, not by the lies of the church.