By Bob Sullivan
Part III of my discussion with Deacon Omar F. A. Gutiérrez, in which we continue speaking about Catholic participation in public life:
Editor's note: See part one here.
Editor's note: See part two here.
In Layman’s Terms: There are many different ways to impact society. We are each called to different vocations as married persons, parents, religious, or clergy, and within those vocations there are many different trades, professions, disciplines, etc... However, for purposes of this series, I’d like to focus on the public sphere, as a Christian member of society, worker, voter and even as an elected or appointed official. Where can we find guidance on being a faithful Catholic citizen of the United States in these roles?
Deacon Gutiérrez: Well, there are a few reliable resources. The USCCB has a very fine document titled Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship which has been updated and adjusted only slightly since it first came out in 2007. The bishops recently attached a new introductory letter to the text. That’s the first place I would go about guidance on voting.
Cardinal Ratzinger, when he was the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope St. John Paul II, produced “Doctrinal note on some questions regarding The Participation of Catholics in Political Life.” With a clarity and depth that is so typical of the Cardinal, he lays out helpful guidelines for Catholic involvement in the public square.
More generally, the Catechism of the Catholic Church has some helpful advice in its section on the social teaching of the Church. See paragraphs 2419-2448 in the full Catechism or paragraphs 438-451 in the YouCat, the shorter catechism for youth.
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church is a great resource for specific questions one might have, but it is not exactly the sort of book one sits and reads cover to cover. It is available on the Vatican website though, and so one can do a word search quickly and easily to find what they might need. The Vatican came out with the DoCat recently. It is a shorter more accessible version of the Compendium.
If one wants to dive deeper, one can look at specific encyclicals. For instance, many people know about Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum but he also wrote an encyclical on Christian societies and the role of the Christian in them: Immortale Dei. And Pope St. John Paul II wrote an encyclical on the laity which mentions the obligation of the laity to participate in society: Christifidelis Laici.
ILT: As for me, I have found various sources to be very helpful when looking at political and cultural issues in the U.S. and beyond. For instance, the Catholic News Agency does an excellent job of reporting on developments inside and outside the Church, as does EWTN News. Catholic Vote also does a pretty reliable job and also has a daily email which keeps up with headlines and developments relevant to Christians called The Loop.
In addition to these resources, I also read numerous other resources such as The Heritage Foundation, contributors to The Wall Street Journal, The Ruth Institute, Catholic Answers, and individuals who have their own organizations, videos, and/or websites, but always with my mind and heart open to the fact that there may be inaccuracies, information which has been overlooked, or a different perspective which would be helpful.
That being said, let’s start at the top of the secular food chain. There are politicians at all levels of politics, who identify as Catholic, yet many seem to be following the culture more than they are trying to shape it. I’m specifically thinking about the politicians who support legal protections for (and access to) abortion, even though they may say that they are personally against abortion. Is there a way where a Catholic government official can consistently help expand access to and funding for abortion, and honestly claim to be a faithful Catholic?
DG: Several distinctions need to be made here because the question you ask is quite broad. For instance, making a judgment about whether a specific Catholic is a “faithful Catholic” is difficult if I do not know what they know about what they’re doing. Sinful culpability is different from objective wrongdoing.
I can say that their votes are objectively wrong, but if that Catholic politician has been raised by heterodox parents, professors, and clerics to believe that vote is actually moral, then it is more difficult to conclude absolutely that they are being unfaithful. We know, after all, that clergymen have counseled Catholics towards, not away, from the “I’m personally opposed” equivocation we see too often with abortion.
Now that those distinctions are made, though, regarding abortion and the Catholic politician, I do like the way you phrased it. That is, you say, “consistently.” Presumably, a Catholic politician who has helped to advance or who has themselves championed pro-abortion legislation has been taught by their local bishop and/or pastor at least privately that their vote or their advocacy violates the objective moral order. So, if that Catholic politician continues “consistently,” as you say, then they are indeed being unfaithful to the teaching of the Church.
ILT: Next time, we’ll consider the possible rejection of the Catholic faith by a politician.
