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G.K. Chesterton said, “Right is Right even if nobody does it. Wrong is wrong even if everybody is wrong about it.”
You’re listening to All Things Catholic. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal, and together we are going to explore what it means to be Catholic. We’ve talked about authority and obedience, and now with the election season in full swing in the United States, I think we need to talk a little about the public square.
What is the public square? The public square is where all the facets of community life come together – where we exchange news, information and ideas. This is the heart of the community where we engage the full spectrum of community life from art to religion to politics and public policy. I hope that broad description helps explain what I mean by the public square.
Does the Church have a place in the pubic square? Yes, absolutely – both the institution represented by our bishops, and by each and every one of us, both clergy and lay. As Bishop Olmstead wrote, “…it is our duty to engage the culture, not run from it,” (Olmstead, #30). As disciples who are supposed to go out into the world, we have to engage culture in order to evangelize it, as Bishop Robert Barron so often talks about, (Barron, 1).
By engaging in public dialogue, we are not trying to impose our morality on anyone. Practicing what we believe in our everyday life – at home, at work, among our friends and in politics – is an example of living with integrity. It’s an example that we walk the walk.
And it’s healthy for democracy for a wide variety of ideas to be exchanged. It’s good for society when we are all, Catholics included, involved in the democratic process, (Olmstead, #12). But here’s the distinction, I think, about Catholic involvement in public policy debates or politics. Being Catholic is not a private affair. You don’t just wake up one day as an unbaptized person and announce that you are now Catholic. Your sense of church cannot be limited to enjoying a cup of coffee on your back porch and watching the sun rise. No, this isn’t about a privatized faith. Being Catholic means that we are part of a community of believers in Christ Jesus. Situated in the community of believers, we engage society.
What should the Church’s role be in this public dialogue?
Well, as the Second Vatican Council suggests, we begin with our fundamental belief that we are all created by God’s love in His image and likeness, and that we are constantly preserved by God’s love, (Gaudium et Spes, 19). Human dignity then is intrinsic to all human beings.
As Bishop Olmstead points out, “the Church intervenes by making a moral judgment about economic and social matters when the fundamental rights of the person, the common good, or the salvation of souls requires it,” (Olmstead, #11; CCC #2420; GS 76 §5). It’s really outside the Church’s per view to comment on every single thing that governments at all levels – local, regional, national, global – do. Rather, the Church will focus on key issues that infringe on or undermine human dignity or the common good.
Is the goal of the Church to change public policy? No, that is not necessarily the case. Pope Benedict wrote, “It is not the Church’s responsibility to make this teaching prevail in political life. Rather, the Church wishes to help form consciences…and to stimulate greater insight into the authentic requirements of justice as well as greater readiness to act…” (Deus Caritas Est, 28). So, while there are undoubtedly things the Church would like to change in our society, one of its primary roles as expressed through our bishops is to teach from our understanding of our shared human dignity and common morality, and thus to evangelize the general public.
While it’s not necessary for the Church to weigh-in on all the issues that confront government, we should. For those of us citizens and taxpayers living in democracies, we have a duty and a responsibility to be educated and informed about what’s going on at all levels of government. Being a good citizen doesn’t mean simply relishing in our rights. Being a citizen means understanding that our rights have corresponding responsibilities.
Can Catholics disagree with the Church and are all issues equal?
God does not see “left” and “right”, “liberal” or “conservative”, (Gomez, Foreward). He just sees us and the world he created. God loves diversity and perhaps inherent in his design is a plethora of ideas and perspectives. This means that all issues are not equal. Catholics do not need to agree with each other (or their bishops or priests) on every point nor do we need to move in lockstep with each other.
Catholics do not need to agree on a host of issues, like education, taxation, welfare reform, or illegal immigration, etc. While we are called to strive to understand the spirit of any Church law or teaching or disciplinary action which does not lead to sin, not all Church teachings are equal, (Gaillardetz, 126). We may, for example, agree on the Church’s teaching about the preferential option for the poor, but we may all come to different understandings about the best public policy application, (Olmstead, #16).
There is one caveat – actually it’s a showstopper. The Church teaches that Catholics (really, all Christians), should never support an issue, initiative or law that is intrinsically evil, (Olmstead, #14). What does that mean? A moral act that can never result in good, no matter the circumstances is intrinsically evil. In other words, the ends cannot justify the means.
Look, if the ends justify the means, then we’d all see Thanos as the hero in the Marvel movies Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. In the movies, Thanos believes that a balanced world order is a good thing – a moral imperative. Murdering 50% of the population to accomplish that goal doesn’t matter to him.
As Catholics – as Christians – we are called to resist the temptation to believe that the ends justify the means. That means that we can never support or promote any government policy or law that attacks human life. So, abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment are non-negotiables for Catholics.
Whew, all of this can be a bit overwhelming, right? I know that life is hectic and when we’re done for the day, we just want to relax. But being a good citizen requires some effort on our part. Emotionally, we need to participate in the love God has for the world. Intellectually, we should constantly form and inform our consciences as we strive to understand what the Church teaches about life in Christ in the light of Scripture and Tradition. Practically, as Christians and as citizens, we need to resist the hedonistic and mediocre culture in which we find ourselves and do our part to make this world a better place. John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country,” (Kennedy, Inaugural Speech).
Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!
I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal and next time on All Things Catholic we’re going to talk about the Lord’s name – what does it mean to take the Lord’s name in vain, what’s really going on and what you can do about it.
You’re listening to All Things Catholic.
This episode was produced by deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join us again on our next episode and until then, peace!
References:
- Barron, Robert. “Welcome Letter.” Evangelization & Culture, Autumn 2019.
- Benedict, Deus Caritas Est. 25 December 2005. Libreria Editrice Vaticana, http://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est.html.
- Gaillardetz, Richard R. By What Authority? A Primer on Scripture, the Magisterium, and the Sense of the Faithful. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2003.
- Gomez, José H. Foreword to Catholics in the Public Square, rev. 4th Edition, by Thomas J. Olmstead. Charlotte, NC: Saint Benedict Press, 2016.
- Kenney, John F. “Inaugural Address.” 20 January 1961. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/historic-speeches/inaugural-address.
- Olmstead, Thomas J. Catholics in the Public Square. Revised, 4th Edition. Charlotte, NC: Saint Benedict Press, 2016.
- Second Vatican Council. Gaudium et Spes. 7 December 1965. Vatican Archive, http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html.
Catechism Links: Easily search the Catechism at http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
- Social doctrine of the Church, 2419-2425
