Wednesday, November 11, 2009

A Letter to "Catholic" Politicians

So happens this went to one of the Kennedys. It could have been sent to Dave Obey, or Tom Barrett, or Jim Doyle.

Since our recent correspondence has been rather public, I hope you don’t mind if I share a few reflections about your practice of the faith in this public forum. I usually wouldn’t do that – that is speak about someone’s faith in a public setting – but in our well-documented exchange of letters about health care and abortion, it has emerged as an issue. I also share these words publicly with the thought that they might be instructive to other Catholics, including those in prominent positions of leadership.

For the moment I’d like to set aside the discussion of health care reform, as important and relevant as it is, and focus on one statement contained in your letter of October 29, 2009, in which you write, “The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic.” That sentence certainly caught my attention and deserves a public response, lest it go unchallenged and lead others to believe it’s true. And it raises an important question: What does it mean to be a Catholic?

“The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic.” Well, in fact, Congressman, in a way it does. Although I wouldn’t choose those particular words, when someone rejects the teachings of the Church, especially on a grave matter, a life-and-death issue like abortion, it certainly does diminish their ecclesial communion, their unity with the Church. This principle is based on the Sacred Scripture and Tradition of the Church and is made more explicit in recent documents.

For example, the “Code of Canon Law” says, “Lay persons are bound by an obligation and possess the right to acquire a knowledge of Christian doctrine adapted to their capacity and condition so that they can live in accord with that doctrine.” (Canon 229, #1)

The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” says this: “Mindful of Christ’s words to his apostles, ‘He who hears you, hears me,’ the faithful receive with docility the teaching and directives that their pastors give them in different forms.” (#87)

Or consider this statement of the Church: “It would be a mistake to confuse the proper autonomy exercised by Catholics in political life with the claim of a principle that prescinds from the moral and social teaching of the Church.” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 2002)
There’s lots of canonical and theological verbiage there, Congressman, but what it means is that if you don’t accept the teachings of the Church your communion with the Church is flawed, or in your own words, makes you “less of a Catholic.”


But let’s get down to a more practical question; let’s approach it this way: What does it mean, really, to be a Catholic? After all, being a Catholic has to mean something, right?

Well, in simple terms – and here I refer only to those more visible, structural elements of Church membership – being a Catholic means that you’re part of a faith community that possesses a clearly defined authority and doctrine, obligations and expectations. It means that you believe and accept the teachings of the Church, especially on essential matters of faith and morals; that you belong to a local Catholic community, a parish; that you attend Mass on Sundays and receive the sacraments regularly; that you support the Church, personally, publicly, spiritually and financially.


Congressman, I’m not sure whether or not you fulfill the basic requirements of being a Catholic, so let me ask: Do you accept the teachings of the Church on essential matters of faith and morals, including our stance on abortion? Do you belong to a local Catholic community, a parish? Do you attend Mass on Sundays and receive the sacraments regularly? Do you support the Church, personally, publicly, spiritually and financially?

In your letter you say that you “embrace your faith.” Terrific. But if you don’t fulfill the basic requirements of membership, what is it exactly that makes you a Catholic? Your baptism as an infant? Your family ties? Your cultural heritage?

Your letter also says that your faith “acknowledges the existence of an imperfect humanity.” Absolutely true. But in confronting your rejection of the Church’s teaching, we’re not dealing just with “an imperfect humanity” – as we do when we wrestle with sins such as anger, pride, greed, impurity or dishonesty. We all struggle with those things, and often fail.

Your rejection of the Church’s teaching on abortion falls into a different category – it’s a deliberate and obstinate act of the will; a conscious decision that you’ve re-affirmed on many occasions. Sorry, you can’t chalk it up to an “imperfect humanity.” Your position is unacceptable to the Church and scandalous to many of our members. It absolutely diminishes your communion with the Church.

Congressman Kennedy, I write these words not to embarrass you or to judge the state of your conscience or soul. That’s ultimately between you and God. But your description of your relationship with the Church is now a matter of public record, and it needs to be challenged. I invite you, as your bishop and brother in Christ, to enter into a sincere process of discernment, conversion and repentance. It’s not too late for you to repair your relationship with the Church, redeem your public image, and emerge as an authentic “profile in courage,” especially by defending the sanctity of human life for all people, including unborn children. And if I can ever be of assistance as you travel the road of faith, I would be honored and happy to do so.

Sincerely yours,

Thomas J. Tobin
Bishop of Providence


Precisely.

HT: ProEcclesia

7 comments:

Neo-Con Tastic said...

BOOMSHACKALAKA.

Disgruntled Car Salesman said...

This is EXACTLY what the Catholic Church needs. The Church leadership needs to call out politicians who are "cafeteris style" Catholics in the public eye. Tolerance of Catholic politicians not practicing their faith throught their votes is unacceptable and it is nice to see more Catholic leaderships challenging this in a public forum.

Anonymous said...

In a situation like this, we use the words of Walker Percy: Kennedy is Catholic, well, "at least nominally."

RS

Anonymous said...

If only the good Bishop had been as hard on the pederast Priests...

Anonymous said...

Many religions have adopted the general principle that abortion is a form of murder if it is performed at or after the time that a soul enters the body of an embryo or fetus. Beliefs varied about when this "animation" happened.

The Catholic Church has consistently taught that abortion
--at any stage of development--is evil. However, its stance has changed down through the years on whether a given abortion is murder.


Were those popes and saints who were "wrong" with their own interpretations, in light of current canon law, "bad" Christians? Should those same popes and saints now be excommunicated for their "false" views?

See www.religioustolerance.org/abo_hist_c.htm


Refer to St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Innocent III, Pope Sixtus V, Pope Pius IX.

Dad29 said...

No Pope has ever dogmatically taught that abortion, at ANY stage, is "not sinful."

What TA and Augie opined is irrelevant to the DOGMA. O'Connor's statement is correct (at your link.)

Yes, the spin of the link's quotes is confusing. That's deliberate, of course.

Pat Lappin (j.p.lappin01@talktalk.net) said...

Well spoken Bishop Tobin in context but equally well anonymous "If only the good Bishop had been as hard on the pederast Priests..."
The Catholic world is now further rocked with shame reflected in the Murphy Report on cover up of child abuse by religious in Ireland

“No words of apology will ever be sufficient”
WORDS - among others - of Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, that underpin the shame, revulsion, anger and pent up rebellion of many Catholics who feel utter betrayal by their Church’s apostolic succession leadership in the systemic global cover ups of endemic child abuse by its religious.

Is it any wonder that vocations to the priesthood are at an all time low in informed western society? In the wake of the Murphy and other further flung reports, what aspiration is there for any Catholic parent to foster vocations to the religious when so many self-seeking and corrupt church leaders at all levels have abused the trust and obedience of its ‘coal-face’ clergy and faithful at large.

Shame on Rome for cover up of the truth through the structuring of canon law and the Vatican’s stonewalling of requests for information and clarification by legitimate investigatory bodies.

Bravo, Archbishop Martin and other members of the Catholic clergy now speaking out bravely in criticism of the Church’s inadequate leadership on this issue

Shame on the Catholic press who allocate little media space to exposure of this matter in comparison with other articles of relative trivia.

Pat Lappin
Ayr
Scotland