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Stormy
Administrator
USA
736 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 19 2007 : 09:35:41 AM
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San Francisco Bishop speaks on Political Participation
By Dan Morris-Young
12/19/2007
http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=26233&cb300=vocations
Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com)
"In this country we can all name newspapers that applaud bishops who oppose the death penalty as courageous moral leaders, and condemn as intrusive dogmatists those same spokesmen when they oppose physician-assisted suicide..." Archbishop George H. Niederauer>
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SAN FRANCISCO (CNS) - Using the "high level of political consciousness and energy" in the Archdiocese of San Francisco as a kind of backdrop, Archbishop George H. Niederauer issued a pastoral letter on the role of the church in the political arena.
Titled "Religion and Politics 2008," the document addresses a series of issues including the role and meaning of conscience, the place of abortion and euthanasia in church political involvement and the process of discerning how to vote in situations where candidates clearly hold positions directly opposed to church teaching.
The archbishop said he wanted to released the commentary now "before candidates have been nominated and party platforms completed so that we can look at these questions for their own value, and not misinterpret them as veiled endorsements or condemnations."
The text quotes frequently from "Faithful Citizenship," a document revised and issued by the U.S. bishops' conference during U.S. presidential election cycles.
The statement for the 2008 elections is titled "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility From the Catholic Bishops of the United States." The bishops approved it Nov. 14. They also endorsed a shorter document, designed as a parish-bulletin insert.
Archbishop Niederauer urged Catholics to read the bishops' statement and stressed that "it is not a voter's guide, nor does it endorse particular candidates or parties."
Using a question-and-answer format for his pastoral, Archbishop Niederauer addressed whether or not churches should even be involved in politics. While church and state "should be independent of each other," he wrote, "both politicians and religious leaders rightly -- and unavoidably -- concern themselves with many of the same issues."
Ethicists and moral teachers address the principles of right and wrong in human behavior, and those principles guide both believers and citizens."
He cited civil rights and care for the poor and the homeless as common concerns for both church and state.
"A recent Vatican document makes the point that the political sphere has a 'rightful autonomy ... from that of religion and the church -- but not from that of morality,'" he stated.
Regarding the individual Catholic's role in the political arena, the archbishop underscored that the church "teaches that all citizens should take an active part in public life."
"Shrugging cynically and strolling away from any involvement is not a proper response for a follower of Jesus Christ," he wrote. "Ideally, of course, individual members of a party or movement should transform it by a thoughtful application of moral principles, rather than being transformed by it."
The archbishop, who heads the U.S. bishops' communications committee, said, "Education, public safety and law enforcement, health care, and so many essential matters depend for their quality on the direct participation of citizens in the political process."
On the question of whether a Catholic can in good conscience vote for a candidate "who takes a position directly opposed to Catholic moral teaching," Archbishop Niederauer turned to "Faithful Citizenship."
He quoted from a section that states: "There may be times when a Catholic who rejects a candidate's unacceptable position may decide to vote for that candidate for other morally grave reasons. Voting in this way would be permissible only for truly grave moral reasons, not to advance narrow interests, or partisan preferences or to ignore a fundamental moral evil.
"When all candidates hold a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, the conscientious voter faces a dilemma," the document said. "The voter may decide to take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate, or after careful deliberation, may decide to vote for the candidate deemed less likely to advance such a morally flawed position and more likely to pursue other authentic human goods."
Catholics should take with a grain of salt criticism from those who claim the church is bent on "trying to impose its doctrine on the entire community," the archbishop wrote.
"In this country we can all name newspapers that applaud bishops who oppose the death penalty as courageous moral leaders, and condemn as intrusive dogmatists those same spokesmen when they oppose physician-assisted suicide," he said.
"Actually, Catholic social teaching does not fit easily into ideologies of 'right' and 'left,' or the platform of any one political party," he added. "We do not trim our teaching of fundamental moral principles to fit the demands of our critics, so they in turn blow hot and cold toward us."
The archbishop stressed that abortion and euthanasia must take a higher priority in decision-making than many other issues.
"For example," he said, "a politician might say in effect to Catholic voters, 'Well, I'm with you on raising the minimum wage, so can't you cut me some slack on abortion and physician-assisted suicide?'"
At the same time, he said, it is incorrect to reduce "Catholic moral and social teaching to one or two issues, and refusing to be concerned about a wide range of issues."
As examples, he mentioned topics also addressed in "Faithful Citizenship" -- racism, torture, unjust immigration policies, hunger, the death penalty and health care.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Going to Communion every day for so many years! Anybody else would be a saint by now, you told me, and I ... I'm always the same! Son, I replied, keep up your daily Communion, and think: what would I be if I had not gone?
-- St. Josemaria Escriva: The Way
Come Holy Spirit ...Come by the means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved Spouse.
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Antonio A
Maryhead
825 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2008 : 03:09:09 AM
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Hi Stormy,
Oh, I can't wait to follow the advice of the only Archbishop in the United states whose eye sight is so mess up he could not see he was giving Holy Communion to men in nun drag habits, please! I'll follow Archbishop George H. Niederauer's advice when I'm desperate!
Antonio A. Obregón  |
Edited by - Antonio A on Jan 02 2008 03:10:04 AM |
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DeniseLawson
Moderator
USA
808 Posts |
Posted - Jan 03 2008 : 11:11:38 AM
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quote:
"In this country we can all name newspapers that applaud bishops who oppose the death penalty as courageous moral leaders, and condemn as intrusive dogmatists those same spokesmen when they oppose physician-assisted suicide..." Archbishop George H. Niederauer
Well, I have to admit, he has a very valid point. It's basically that they oppose anyone they see as standing in the way of "free choice." I wonder, though, how really different these views are from the Archbishop's, ours, or anybody's really, when somebody stands in the way of what we want - either because we feel it is right or even because of more sinister reasons? Sounds to me, in many ways, like human nature.
Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours. |
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Antonio A
Maryhead
825 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2008 : 10:46:32 PM
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Denise Lawson,
"Well, I have to admit, he has a very valid point."
You might change your mind once you found out the latest outrage he has allowed in San Francisco.
Antonio A. Obregón |
Edited by - Antonio A on Jan 08 2008 10:47:03 PM |
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DeniseLawson
Moderator
USA
808 Posts |
Posted - Jan 09 2008 : 10:13:18 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Antonio A
Denise Lawson,
"Well, I have to admit, he has a very valid point."
You might change your mind once you found out the latest outrage he has allowed in San Francisco.
Antonio A. Obregón
I doubt it, for the simple reason that his latest outrage does not invalidate that point. I'm not going to claim I like the man - from what I've seen, I suspect he is a borderline heretic (I'm trying to give him at least some benefit of a doubt here!), but a valid point is still a valid point, regardless of the rest of his behavior. Charles Manson could make a valid point, and although I might consider that point to be valid, I still wouldn't necessarily suddenly find myself liking the man or excusing his bad behavior.
Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours. |
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Antonio A
Maryhead
825 Posts |
Posted - Jan 13 2008 : 4:24:40 PM
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Hi Denise Lawson,
"I doubt it, for the simple reason that his latest outrage does not invalidate that point. I'm not going to claim I like the man - from what I've seen, I suspect he is a borderline heretic (I'm trying to give him at least some benefit of a doubt here!), but a valid point is still a valid point, regardless of the rest of his behavior. Charles Manson could make a valid point, and although I might consider that point to be valid, I still wouldn't necessarily suddenly find myself liking the man or excusing his bad behavior."
O.K. let me explain my words better. The Archbishop has a long history of being a wishy-washy liberal, "progressive" bishop who has uttered all sorts of pronouncements at variance from Catholic official teaching. Since that is the case, why should I or anyone believe, for a fraction of a second, his sincerity regarding how we should vote?
In any case, you know how I feel about the man because I sent you a private message expressing my feelings for the man.
Antonio A. Obregón |
Edited by - Antonio A on Jan 13 2008 4:26:09 PM |
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DeniseLawson
Moderator
USA
808 Posts |
Posted - Jan 13 2008 : 11:43:57 PM
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Antonio,
I understand how you feel, believe me. And it's a shame he has the track record he has. I also believe, though, that forgiveness and prayer is sometimes necessary, or our hatred for his actions can consume us, and end up making us hate the man as well. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours. |
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Antonio A
Maryhead
825 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2008 : 12:18:34 AM
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Hi Denise Lawson,
"Antonio,
I understand how you feel, believe me. And it's a shame he has the track record he has. I also believe, though, that forgiveness and prayer is sometimes necessary, or our hatred for his actions can consume us, and end up making us hate the man as well. Even a broken clock is right twice a day."
I'm afraid this one is broken 99% of the time.
I guess I have very strong feelings. Let me tell you something that just happened tonight.
A family member called me to tell me her ex husband just died today of a heart attack. Now, for me to say "I'm sorry" would have been hypocritical. He made her life miserable, He used to beat her up daily in front of her children who all grew up in a family that gives the word "dysfunctional" a new meaning. Finally, many years ago she told me what was going on, and I was so irritated I got her a lawyer and the marriage ended. That man hated me with a passion and never liked me because he thought I had ended his marriage. Well, his sons, whom he treated like dirt are now crying as if the man who left this world had been the "father of the year." When they told me over the phone their feelings I reminded them that the commandment states clearly "Honor your father and your mother" and therefore they were right in burying him, but that I could not possibly tell them I was sorry the man departed this earth. Furthermore, I told him to pray for his salvation as I feel he must be rendering before God quite a long list of the horrors he committed against his family. Now, Denise, am I being a vindictive SOB or are my passions justifiable, given that I profess the Catholic faith?
Antonio A. Obregón |
Edited by - Antonio A on Jan 19 2008 12:22:30 AM |
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DeniseLawson
Moderator
USA
808 Posts |
Posted - Jan 23 2008 : 1:59:29 PM
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I think if you are allowing his hatefulness to cause you anger that eats you up inside - and only you and God can answer that question - then it is not doing anyone any good, including him, and especially not you. It is one thing to remember, especially to prevent that same abuse from happening again. It is another, however, to let that remembrance fuel an anger that hardens your heart. While it's not wrong to protect oneself from being hurt by those who would hurt us, it is also not wrong to forgive if that means killing the hatred their hurt can cause us. It is hardly hypocritical to take the power they have over you away from them, and if they are able to hurt you - either directly through their actions or indirectly through your hatred and hardened heart because of your actions, then they are still hurting you. Is it so hypocritical to forgive if that is what it takes to wrest that power from them? Is it, do you think, hypocritical to mourn the loss of a human life, and with it the possible loss of his salvation? I think if they were able to truly forgive the man - and I have no idea if that is the case - then they are probably the best example of how to be. If, however, they are just "talking the talk" because that is the polite thing to do, then I feel very sorry for them.
Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours. |
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