So Is Your Priest Telling You How To Vote?
I Didn’t Think So
Odds are, he’s probably too cowed by is own Bishop, secular authorities, his own congregation, the press and the “intelligentsia” to say anything, even when the sermon cries out for a discussion on the topic.
After hearing one of my favorite passages in the Gospels, the “Render unto Caesar” confrontation between Jesus as the Pharisees, our priest broached the subject of what belongs to secular government and what belongs to God in the context of elections and choices made by voters. Unfortunately, he wound up wasting a good opportunity to clarify the Catechism to those who ignore it.The priest prefaced his remarks by noting that we have the freedom not to vote, as well as the freedom to vote.
That’s a dodge, of course. Perhaps it’s a symptom of moral cowardice (speaking in generalities), but I might be ungenerous to say that. More likely, it comes from the compromised position that the clergy finds itself in, mixed with decades of training and (now) tradition in sugar coating painful truths with soothing talk.
And there’s the crime and the pity. Just when we need moral leadership the most, it’s hardest to find.
October 21, 2008 at 10:38 am
My priest does not tell us how to vote, but he does tell us the 5 non-negotiable issues of this presidential election. The choice is clear. We are a people of life.
1. Abortion
2. Euthanasia
3. Stem cell research (embryonic)
4. Human cloning
5. Same sex marriage
October 21, 2008 at 12:20 pm
That sounds absolutely appropriate to me, MWare.
And I appreciate (read: like) the list, too.
Thanks for reading.
October 27, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Apparently George Soros gave a substantial sum of money over the past couple of years to a group of Catholics (Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good)who do NOT support the 5 non-negotiables. So these tenets of The Church have obviously become political footballs.
October 27, 2008 at 11:09 pm
I read that too, Jan. From Soros, I can’t say I’m surprised. I should be surprised that he’s found more than few takers for his 30 pieces of silver, but I’m not. Saddened, but not surprised.
It’s probably not exactly right to say that the tenants have become political footballs, Jan. The Church is not going to change its stance even a little on any of them, and they are immutable as rocks. The people, however are being used for political reasons, and might as well be footballs in Soros’s game. It’s a pity.
Thanks for reading (and contributing) Jan.