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PDF versionCatholic Democrats ask bishops to address poverty
by Tom Roberts on Nov. 16, 2011
The following letter to Archbishop Timothy Dolan from Catholic Democrats was delivered to Baltimore Waterfront Marriott, where the Bishops' Fall General Assembly gathered from Monday to Wednesday.
November 14, 2011
Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan
Archbishop of New York
c/o Baltimore Waterfront Marriott
700 Aliceanna Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Dear Archbishop Dolan:
"The poor are getting poorer. The rich are getting richer. And the nation continues to pile up debt. But in the decade since American Catholic bishops issued their groundbreaking critique of the U.S. economy, what may be the most troubling new challenge facing the nation is the polarization that has put politics ahead of needy families and children, leaders of the nations largest church said Tuesday," the Associated Press reported in 1995 during the bishops' annual November conference. The headline was "Bishops condemn budget politics, widening gap between rich, poor." Another headline for the same AP article read, "Bishops urge government to do more for the poor: Catholic leaders say polarization puts politics ahead of aiding the needy."
We are writing to you on behalf of the thousands of members across the country in Catholic Democrats, an advocacy organization whose mission is to advance the rich Catholic Social Justice Tradition in the public square and within the Democratic Party. Today we are writing you first and foremost as Catholics who are seeking to help address the daunting moral economic challenges of our time. We are concerned that in a time of critical and contentious national debate on the economy -- the outcome of which will impact the lives of millions of Americans and poor people around the world well into the future -- our Church has lost its voice as an unambiguous advocate for the poor.
Today, as in 1995, our nation faces political partisanship when solidarity is needed. The bishops, who were so united then in solidarity with the downtrodden, appear now to be tentative at best. At a time when the institutional Church is seeking to regain its moral voice and the nation is looking for moral economic leadership, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has chosen not to include the issue of poverty on its Fall General Assembly meeting agenda this week and instead is holding an open session on "religious liberty." This is at least the third meeting in a row where the institutional Church has failed to address issues connected to poverty and income inequality. In doing so, we believe that the Church is losing its moral voice at a time when our nation sorely needs the kind of moral leadership that the Catholic Church is uniquely qualified to provide. Rather than being an advocate for others who are urgently in need, it appears as if the USCCB leadership has chosen to conflate a number of unrelated issues under the rubric of "religious liberty," which may well prove to be self defeating for the interests of the Church. The result has been that the de facto moral voices that have emerged in the public square on these issues have come from the secular sphere, including Warren Buffet and the Occupy Wall Street Movement.
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The application of the Catholic Social Justice Tradition prudentially unites faith and reason to help build a more just world. It has inspired the intellectual underpinnings and the imperative for social action, helped guide our national conscience, and strengthened our nation's secular appreciation of social justice in the fruition of the American Experiment. The Catholic Social Justice Tradition has guided Americans' understanding of and service to "the general welfare" -- indeed the common good.
For more than a century, Catholic ideals of social justice have inspired -- and been a true compass for -- our long progress as a nation toward a more just civil society, including:
- Pope Leo XIII, whose 1891 encyclical On the Condition of Labor eloquently defended the rights and the dignity of workers and helped nascent labor movements in many countries;
- The "labor priests" of the mid 20th century, including Msgr. John Ryan, who advised President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and helped win the support of Catholics for FDR's New Deal programs that helped millions of Americans;
- Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, whose tireless efforts helped bring an understanding of the plight of migrant workers to Americans of all faiths;
- Msgr. Geno Baroni, the "Godfather" of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, who robustly advanced community organizing for social action in the 1960's and 1970's;
- The National Conference of Catholic Bishops who brought longstanding principles of the Catholic Social Justice Tradition to the U.S. national economic debate in the Reagan Era with the issuance of the pastoral letter Economic Justice for All. The bishops updated these principles during the welfare reform debate that took place in the Clinton administration with A Decade After Economic Justice for All and developed a 668 word letter that was used as handout for Catholics called A Catholic Framework for Economic Life;
- Pope Benedict XVI, whose 2009 encyclical Charity in Truth summoned our economic and political systems to serve the needs of all people, and most recently;
- The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace who recently called on the nations of the world to forgo some national economic autonomy in establishing a global economic authority to mitigate the hazards of international finance and to help alleviate wealth disparity.
Last Thursday, a prominent Catholic archbishop spoke at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts on the topic of religious liberty. At the end of his presentation, he was asked why the U.S. bishops were not discussing the issue of poverty at the annual meeting this week. Beyond conveying that it was not on the agenda, his response included the candid statement that the bishops are not experts on the economy and that the bishops probably shouldn't have adopted a statement such as Economic Justice for All. It should be noted that the committee that drafted Economic Justice for All spent four years in consultation with more than 100 economic and social experts before issuing its final draft. Furthermore, our political leaders are also not experts on the economy and yet make decisions on the moral document called the U.S. Budget. Given the well grounded theological principles that Economic Justice for All is based on, his response raises many questions, including:
- Why is the issue of poverty not on the agenda for the meeting?
- Should lay Catholics expect the U.S. bishops collectively, as teachers of our faith, to adhere to the same obligation that we are reminded of so often - to not pick and choose what we believe?
- If the U.S. bishops cannot speak out on economic issues, then how do the U.S. bishops view Vatican statements on the economy?
- How should lay Catholics view Vatican statements on the economy if the U.S. bishops cannot support Economic Justice for All today -- a document that bases its principles on Biblical citations, theological principles in the documents of the Second Vatican Council, and the papal encyclicals of Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, and Pope John Paul II, among others?
As Catholics, we know that nothing animates the imagination of Catholic identity as much as helping the poor. Catholics are proud of the good work of Catholic Charities, the Catholic healthcare system, Catholic education, Catholic Relief Services, and the Migration and Refugee Services. A recent survey of American Catholics published by the National Catholic Reporter -- the fifth in a longitudinal series of surveys by William D'Antonio of the Catholic University of America and others -- shows that one of the most important aspects of a Catholic's identity is helping the poor. It has ranked along with, or just below, the divinity of Christ and above every other aspect of our faith, including our devotion to Mary and the Sacraments. Helping the poor is in the Catholic DNA and guides Catholics in "What Would Jesus Do" moments.
Between the issuance of Economic Justice for All in 1986 and A Decade After Economic Justice for All in 1995, the economy improved significantly. Still, the bishops' conference found it important to address the economic issues in their 1986 pastoral letter again in 1995 and 1996. Today, the economy is dramatically worse than it was in 1986 or 1995 and 1996, and many expect that a recovery to 2007 economic levels will take years, prolonging years of hardship for the poor and working families. The attachment to this letter includes a section comparing current economic conditions to those in 1996, the last time the bishops reasserted the economic principles of Economic Justice for All and at a time they were opposing national welfare reform. It shows, as the AP reported in 1996, that "the poor are getting poorer ... the rich are getting richer." Most important is the fact that children are being hurt the most: almost 1 in 4 children live in poverty today and all children and adolescents comprise about 35% of those living in poverty, while comprising only 25% of the population.
In 2010, Republicans won a major victory, took over leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives and cut the Democratic majority in the Senate. The major campaign issues were jobs and the economy. Virtually all Catholic Republicans signed the Grover Norquist-led Americans for Tax Reform pledge of no new taxes, including not eliminating tax expenditures (loopholes) that benefit our nation's largest corporations. Tea Party members took effective control of Congress and sought to advance their agenda of downsizing government. In 2011, U.S. Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) introduced a budget that would make deep cuts in federal programs that help the poor, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps) and the Women and Infant Children nutrition (WIC) programs. It is estimated that almost 2/3 of the budget cuts in the Ryan Budget come from programs helping low-income families.
In April, Representative Ryan wrote a letter to you arguing how his budget conforms to Catholic Social Teaching, asserting that:
- his budget is "consistent with the preferential option for the poor, providing more support for low income groups and the sick;"
- the principle of subsidiarity is "the same purpose" as federalism in political terms;
- the "Social Assistance State" that Pope John Paul II warned against is now being realized in the United States and is a threat to human dignity.
Your response to Representative Ryan's letter left lay readers -- as well as informed Catholic observers -- to reach varying conclusions of the meaning of your response. We are concerned that your charitable response has been open to contradictory interpretations. We believe that the Ryan Budget is one that represents -- as described by the Pontifical Council on Justice and Peace -- "an economic liberalism [economic conservatism in U.S. political language] that spurns rules and controls" and "that purports to derive [economic] laws for how [capitalistic] markets function from theory ... while exaggerating certain aspects of markets" and "without measuring them against reality." Such an economic theology was repudiated by the Pontifical Council in its most recent statement on the global economy. Representative Ryan has posted your letter on the U.S. House Committee on the Budget Web site as a sign of support from you -- and by extension from the U.S. bishops -- and as an indication that the "Ryan Budget" is in conformance with Catholic Social Teaching.
We would like to address several points he made from the practical application of Catholic Social Teaching in that letter and ask you to clarify your response to Representative Ryan in light of the Catholic Social Justice Tradition and the 1986 pastoral letter, Economic Justice for All, which reminds us that, "The poor have the single most urgent economic claim on the conscience of the nation".
First, a group of Catholic theologians and scholars criticized Speaker of the U.S. House John Boehner (R-OH) for his support of the Ryan Budget in a letter sent to him on May 11, 2011, saying that it "guts long established protections for the most vulnerable members of society." Similarly, Bishop Stephen Blaire (Diocese of Stockton) and Bishop Howard Hubbard (Diocese of Albany) -- who have addressed effectively federal budget matters for the USCCB in their roles as Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and Chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace respectively -- took exception to the Ryan Budget. In a letter to the U. S. Senate dated May 5, 2011, Bishops Blaire and Hubbard wrote, "We also are deeply concerned about the human and social costs of substantial cuts to programs that serve families working to escape poverty, especially food and nutrition, child development and education, and affordable housing programs." They also express concern for the 33% cut in foreign aid, saying, "We ask the Senate to support poverty-focused assistance and to continue reform of foreign assistance so it is even more effective for the poorest people in the poorest places on earth."
Second, Representative Ryan uses his "federalism" assertion to justify converting Medicaid funding into block grants from the federal government to the states. Such a proposal would very likely result in a loss of health care coverage to the poor. Thus, we believe it contradicts a requirement for invoking the principle of subsidiarity because the needs of the poor would not be met and likely be made worse. Again, in their May 5th letter, Bishops Blaire and Hubbard seem to agree, saying, "Cost cutting proposals should not simply shift health care costs from the federal government to the states or directly to beneficiaries. Such measures could leave more elderly, working families and poor people without the assurance of adequate and affordable health care."
Third, Representative Ryan's assertion that the "Social Assistance State," which Pope John Paul II cautioned against in The Hundredth Year, is being realized in the United States and is a threat to human dignity raises this question: if the U.S is a social assistance state, then what Western industrialized countries are not? An examination of data provided by the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development refutes this assessment of the U.S. in relation to the global community. The U.S. ranked 33rd out of 34 on total federal tax revenues as a percentage of GDP (50% less than the OECD average) and 32nd out of 39 on welfare payments (46% less than the OECD average). Also, the U.S. ranked 1st out of 39 on the percentage of public spending on family benefits through the tax system, which presumably includes the Earned Income Tax Credit (which economists believe provides an incentive for individuals to work), a program that has long been supported by the U.S. bishops and was implemented by a Republican president.
In his 1963 papal encyclical Peace on Earth, Pope John XXIII said, "The attainment of the common good is the sole reason for the existence of civil authorities." In Economic Justice for All, the U.S. bishops described the application of this to our economic system as follows, "Every perspective on economic life that is human, moral and Christian must be shaped by three questions: What does the economy do for people? What does it do to people? And how do people participate in it?" Pope John Paul II warned of a risk of the "idolatry of the market" that was echoed most recently by the Vatican in the statement of the Pontifical Council for Justice Peace on the global economy.
A robust examination of moral economic issues -- and the effect of the decisions we make today as a nation -- has been lacking in our public debate on our national budget. As you have reminded us, the budget is as much of a moral document as an economic one -- particularly for children today and generations to come. With the economic challenges we face as a nation and in the global community, we believe that the guiding light of justice provides the best path in our pursuit of the common good. But to do so, we also believe that people of good will want -- and need -- to better know how the common good serves all of us and how we are connected as a human family. The U.S. bishops can help provide that understanding.
In this letter, we have asked you several questions and asked you to clarify your response to Representative Ryan in light of Economic Justice for All. As Catholics, on the 25th anniversary of Economic Justice for All, we are urging you and all of your brother bishops:
- To contact your Federal and State Senators and Representatives to urge them to protect funding for programs that serve the poor and to include reasonable tax increases for the wealthiest Americans as a means to balance federal and state budgets before cutting expenditures that will hurt those most in need.
- To use the weight of your office as spiritual leaders to speak out in support of the poor and for the right of every person to fully participate in society, including the right to work.
- To urge priests in every Catholic parish in the country during this Advent to give a homily on the role of the Church in being an unambiguous advocate for the poor, including funding for programs that serve those most in need. Remind them that in 1986, the Maryland bishops did this in the hope of providing a national model to engage Catholics in the social justice teachings of the Church.
We hope that the questions and requests that we have brought to you will help advance a more informed debate on the moral document of the national budget, in serving those most in need and particularly the poor and children living in poverty, and in advancing the common good. While we think it is unfortunate that the bishops have yet to speak collectively on poverty and income inequality, we believe there is still time for you to use your voices to address this most pressing issue of our time. We are grateful for the rich Catholic Social Justice Tradition, to which our baptism commits us. We thank you and your brother bishops for your service to the Church, and look forward to your reply.
In the peace of Christ,
Nicholas P. Cafardi, J.D., J.C.D
Board Member, Catholic Democrats
Lisa Schare
Board Member, Catholic Democrats
Steven A. Krueger
National Director, Catholic Democrats
Patrick Whelan, M.D., Ph.D.
President, Catholic Democrats
CATHOLIC 1% COMES FIRST
CATHOLIC 1% COMES FIRST ....... Thanks for posting that excellent summary of the current position on social welfare legislation of a prominent Democratic Catholic advocacy group, CatholicDemocrats.
Interestingly, the letter does not really address the related pressing subject of Federal legislation to protect children from sexual abuse being pushed currently by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), apparently in light of the Penn State and Philly Archdiocese child abuse scandals.
The US bishops have also failed to address this critical subject at their current Baltimore meeting.
Since one of the signatories on the CatholicDemocrats' letter here is a stong defender of the US bishops' current child protection approach, Nicolas Carardi, it may become an election year impossibility for CatholicDemocrats to thread the needle on challenging the US bishops on their abysmal failure to date to protect children from priest rape and other sexual abuse.
For more information on the current economic and other policies of the US bishops, please note the NCR comment and related cross links under the comment heading, "CATHOLIC 1% COME 1ST !" , accessible by clicking on at:
http://ncronline.org/news/politics/bishops-remain-mum-economic-turmoil
An exceedingly massive effort
An exceedingly massive effort in education and compliance with state and local laws has ensued in multiple dioceses. In the Archdiocese of Philadelphia alone, over 30,000 clergy and employees have been instructed by state employees on mandatory reporting of abuse of all kinds.
And this is all to the good.
And this is all to the good. However, as long as bishops and administrators can select which incidents should be given to review boards, the system remains flawed. The Church needs to be supervised by outside authorities. There is an inherent conflict of interest in trying to police yourself.
FAIR COMMENTS ..............
FAIR COMMENTS .............. Thank you, Julius and anonymous.
The US Catholic Church has done much in tightening up child protection at the lower levels, which is certainly commendable. But little seems to have changed at the top.
The suspension of over 20 priests related to child sexual abuse allegations earlier this year by Philly's Justin Rigali immediately after a grand jury indicted his former Secretary is indicative of the problem at the top.
The head of Philly's Review Board then said she had not been informed about most of these suspended priest's alleged abuses. She added, in effect, she thought she had been conned by Rigali and his predecessor, Anthony Bevilaqua.
When it comes to protecting defenseless children from priest sexual predators, half measures are not sufficient.
Why would they ask the
Why would they ask the bishops about poverty? What do they know about poverty?
Actually, the bishops know a
Actually, the bishops know a great deal about poverty, and as our bishops, they must individually and as a Conference, keep this issue in the public eye, especially the eye called Congress. Go, Bishops, Go.
What do they know about
What do they know about poverty and how do they know it? They certainly don't live it!! They have the best of homes, the best of food (and plenty of it), nice clothing (much of it very flamboyant), not a worry in the world about paying any personal bills, cars, insurance, medical, etc., etc., etc. They can travel, stay in nice motels/hotels, be wined and dined, and they are waited on hand and foot. And I'll bet they are enjoying all of these pleasures while they are attending this current conference.
The bishops should know what
The bishops should know what the Catholic tradition is on poverty and social justice, and instruct their dioceses to spread those teachings.
They are employing the method
They are employing the method of Socrates, questioning, to stir them from their agenda, as you just did, in the asking of your two questions. Good job. :-)
Am I even more quaint than I
Am I even more quaint than I thought I was?
Is it really possible to write a story about poverty that includes "Bishops" and "Marriott" in the opening sentence?
Surely there's a retreat center, religious house or similar somewhere they could go and - er - not talk about the poor?
Sad but true - bishops are
Sad but true - bishops are wealthy men, and their wealth has distanced them from their flocks and the poor in general. What's more, their considerable wealth masks their even more considerable addiction to acquiring more and more wealth, with the power and status that are part of the quest.
And for this, our bishops have sold off their moral authority and their very souls. They simply cannot serve both God and money (mammon).
consider Dolan. Consider the
consider Dolan. Consider the guy sleeping in the cardboard box outside, not Occupying anywhere but with nowhere else to go, while Dolan keeps himself warm and well fed, with a nice microbrew ever at elbow, ringing the Wall Street gong and serving the Republican Party.
This is one of the best
This is one of the best critical analyses I have read. It asks the hard questions of the hierarchy of our Church's leadership. I was appalled that poverty was not included on the Bishop's Agenda and am grateful that this letter was sent by Bishop Dolan. Rome sees poverty as a major issue. Where is our local leadership? I think the anwer is that they are preoccupied with self-focused desires because of their princely lifestyles. They prefer to lead, not by example, but rather by fiat. As a group they are a genuine disappointment. After the sex abuse scandal they should be taking on issues that concretely demonstrate their concern for the actualization of the "preferential option for the poor". Victims continue to be targeted as being responsible for their condition by the Republican party in the US. (think Herman Cain's "if you're poor, it's your fault" position.) I fear the Bishops have lost their collective ear for the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit and no longer want to cooperate with God's abundant graces. I am truly disillusioned and disheartened by their failure to perform. We should go back to the laity electing out Bishops.
Does Dolan read?
Does Dolan read?
The moral cowardice of the
The moral cowardice of the current bunch of Catholic prelates is stunning but not surprising. Their ardent support of Republican Social Darwinists and Randists who claim they are "pro-life" suggests the bishops themselves have no idea what being "pro-life" entails.
This letter is inspirational
This letter is inspirational and prophetic. I hope and pray the bishops respond. But also - all of us who are "the Church" speak out and take action. I hope this letter is circulated in every diocese and newspaper. It is urgent!
The fight against poverty is
The fight against poverty is important but is always secondary to the fight against abortion. All true Catholics should vote for a republican president
WHY???? We had a Republican
WHY???? We had a Republican President for 8 years..........nothing was done about abortion then, and will not be in the future, no matter WHO is president!
Focusing on poverty may just help to reduce unplanned/unwanted pregnancies and decrease the demand for abortion.
Firstly that is a very
Firstly that is a very defeatist attitude on abortion.
Secondly what has the democratic president done about poverty, unemployment stands at over 9 that is higher than under Bush.
Luke, "firstly, what has a
Luke, "firstly, what has a democratic president done about poverty.." Obama has been defeated by the GOP by every measure he introduced to turn the tide of poverty, which previous GOP adminstrations created, and the last Bush brought to full fruition with deregulations tax credit for the wealthiest and criminal corporations.
Reagan started and supported the exportation of jobs to countries where the big corporations could make more exorbitant profit on the back of empoverished labor in third wordls countries. While he was president, he had workshops organized in luxery resorts for the leaders of business, on how to do just that, and for good measure he pushed thourgh tax breaks for those criminal corporations.
Obama inherited the present mess, and now is defeated by the GOP at every solid remedial measure. so that they can take over the executive as well. Your kind of crooks have alreadey the supreme court in their pocket.
Evil is as evil does.
Anonymous, we had Clinton (a
Anonymous, we had Clinton (a Democrat) for eight years and we have had Obama since 2009 and we still have poverty. In fact, it has gotten worse under the Democrat Obama.
thanks to the empty coffers
thanks to the empty coffers and zero revenues his predecessor, Republican, left.
thank Republican presidents
thank Republican presidents from Nixon on for legalizing and expanding abortion. Yet they claim the pro-life banner when they are all about any form of profitable death.
Hey Luke, I guess Jesus
Hey Luke,
I guess Jesus wouldn't be considered a good Catholici since he never spoke about abortion ( nor does the NT). But iin you book abortion comes before the Gospel.
Just make sure that when all these babies are born you support the social safety net to support them and thier mothers! And no republican will do that. They just give the prolife line to you and you buy it without thinking.
Firstly, Jesus could be
Firstly, Jesus could be considered to have spoke about abortion indirectly. He said thou shall not murder and when he said "my God, my God, why have you foresaken me"' he was alluding to psalm 22 which contains and anti-abortion message.
Secondly in the Gospel of St Luke, St Elizabeth talks about the baby inside her, not the embryo. The epistles also talk about pre-birth existence.
To conclude you might be wrong about Jesus and your definately wrong about the new testament.
Any student of the history of
Any student of the history of medicine knows that in antiquity many sought medical help to end an unwanted pregnancy, to the point that the Hippocratic Oath contains language directly cautioning against physicians offering such assistance. I am struck by the fact that abortion was attempted in the time of Jesus and He failed (neglected, or chose not) to address it directly, save through indirect language! But, when it came to addressing the needs of the poor, Our Lord was direct, unambiguous and forceful! Maybe Catholics and especially Catholic bishops should look to Jesus as they assess the moral climate and seek to strike a balance. It is time for the bishops to place the POOR at the top of the list of concerns facing the Church and contemporary society. As as far as looking to Republicans to end abortion, I would suggest that you look to history. All the Republicans want is an ISSUE. They choose to do NOTHING for years when they have political control... they can't afford to loose this divisive issue. They are playing Catholics for fools. (They don't deserve our support, they have failed to deliver, year after year after year when they had the votes to do it). Establishing abortion as the defining issue of this era, constitutes a gross misreading of the signs of the time and an an abandonment of the Gospel message that addresses so much more and challenges us to do so much more for the "least" among us! But, then again, those of us who study history, look back on a Church hierarchy who more often than not, fails to connect the dots. After the Reformation, they could condemn Protestants, but not slavery! Our bishops have been far too consumed by institutional matters than preaching the Gospel.
Why is that, Luke? Do we
Why is that, Luke? Do we really gain by winning one fight without the other? Do you consider children suffering and dying from poverty to be less of an evil than fetuses dying by abortion? On what grounds?
Secondary???? Is it not
Secondary???? Is it not impossible for us to get our hearts around "both-and". Is there no relationship between the two? Cannot "Common Good" encompass both directions?
I also take umbrage at being told how vote. This is conscience we're talking about.
there is no such thing as a
there is no such thing as a Catholic democrat.
Is that similar to "Catholic
Is that similar to "Catholic Christian"?
By implication since you've
By implication since you've clearly reduced all of Catholic concern to abortion and gay marriage wouldn't it surprise you to read the papal encyclicals beginning with Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum and continuing through Benedict's encyclicals? Sorry to make you think outside your comfort zone - but it precisely Republican free marketeering which has destroyed the country, the environment and now laying waste to the Middle East. Truth be told I don't know how someone can reduce the rich heritage of Catholic social teaching to two issues alone.
And by the way - to muddy your waters even more many of us who are Catholic Democrats support "Democrats for Life".
My Daddy often says "Not all
My Daddy often says "Not all Christians are Catholic and not all Catholics are Christian". Let's all of us Catholics here act like Christians and be respectful of each other in our comments.
Your Dadd is a very wise
Your Dadd is a very wise person! And, for sure, one of the Catolics that are truly Christian. Unfortunately, I don't know many.
Abby, a bold soundbite, yes.
Abby, a bold soundbite, yes. Yet, you don't give your reasoning for making such a statement, so it is difficult to considerate it as anything more. Unfortunately, that seems to be what so much of our political discourse is; soundbites, insults and sneers. I keep hoping that those of us who are Christian would be willing to rise above such tempting tendencies, as all they really seem to me to do is to embolden the one who is stating them, while doing nothing to inform and educate. This saddens me greatly.
There is no such thing as a
There is no such thing as a Republican Roman Catholic.
Read Menendez's recounting of the address by President Kennedy to the CYO with several (Republican) bishops present in a ritzy Manhattan ballroom shortly before his murder at the hands of the Republican militarists, in which he makes the same point, as retold in "John F. Kennedy: Catholic and Humanist"
There is no Republican Catholic.
I'm one.
I'm one.
In their directive on voting,
In their directive on voting, the US Bishops would not agree with you.
Voting one's conscience is respected, and there are many moral issues, not the least of which is refusing to support life after birth, if that birth takes place in the context of poverty and unemployment, for example.
You sin if you vote for a
You sin if you vote for a Democrat, because you support abortion. It's no sin if you vote for a Democrat, because the Republican is denying you a living wage, denying you the means to support a family, because they want big business to only pay servitude wages, and no health benefits. Also you may vote Demoocrat because the Republican wants to cut your job, your benefits, and your retirement, as they are doing to all state workers and educators across the country.
what a waste of time and
what a waste of time and paper. While I commend the "Catholic Democrats" for their very insightful, detailed, and remindful letter, it is falling on the dead. Our Bishops are not interested in any other matter except helping the Republicans defeat Obama in 2012. Even if the result is the economic destruction of our country, the overreaching premise is: Defeat Obama...then, and only then, will the Republicans have the power and control over the "other 99%". Poverty? The poor? No concern to the Republicans (or their mouthpieces; the bishops). What happens in our bedrooms is the most important focus with the bishops...overthrowing Roe v Wade is the battle cry, but the R's and the B's quietly do not want that to happen (it could happen tomorrow with the obvious 5-4 Supreme Court "theology") as it would take away the R's and the B's "abortion" battle cry. They would then have to address the real issues confronting our country: The wide margin between the poor and the rich in the disparity of health services, wages, benefits. They would then have to address the concerns of the popes, from Leo XIII to Benedict XVI.
The B's are too busy protecting the morally, socially, spiritually and psychologically weak hierarchy; getting into our bedrooms; deciding what is important and what is not (i.e.death penalty, is certainly NOT one of them).
The morally bankrupt B's are just fine - leave them alone. They are happy looking at themselves in the mirror and saying: "Aren't I wonderful"?
"...[the archbishop's]
"...[the archbishop's] response included the candid statement that the bishops are not experts on the economy and that the bishops probably shouldn't have adopted a statement such as Economic Justice for All."
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This response is a shameful non-response which leads to an unintended segue — neither are bishops experts in the practice of medicine, but that hasn't impeded their culture wars, intrusion into medical decisions related to reproduction and contraception (even for non-Catholics), and their stated intention to "gear up" for an even bigger fight in the future. They are now endeavoring to pursue their culture wars under the banner of "religious freedom" (for themselves) and bizarrely claiming to be victims of "anti-Catholic bias" when they don't get everything they want.
.
Previous articles on the bishops' meeting quoted various insiders within the USCCB as admitting this particular bench of bishops does not have a consensus opinion on economic justice. This is attributed to the fact that a large number of them (the ultra-conservative controlling faction) also subscribe to the economic and political beliefs of Ryan, Cantor, Boehner, Norquist, and the extreme positions of Randian capitalism (some have gone so far as to individually write about it). The USCCB ad hoc committee on religious freedom is a disingenuous red herring diversion away from a topic that doesn't interest the USCCB heavy-hitters: poverty and economic injustice. They avoid that topic because they have deliberately chosen to avoid it.
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As a group these are men who live privileged lives of affluence and power, and who have no interest in, or empathy for, those they view as mere ignorant peasants — their actions 'speak' loudly for their priorities. It is part and parcel of their retro-trend to the royal exceptionalism of the Middle Ages. Today's bench of bishops has little in common with the conference of three decades ago.
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An interesting commentary by Francis X. Doyle, former associate general secretary to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops can be found here:
.
"For U.S. bishops, economic justice isn't on the agenda"
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-bishops-20111111,0,5...
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I really do not like
I really do not like religious "authorities" pushing public policies, liberal or conservative. I favor secular arguments for good policies and legislation. This would be more intellectually and morally challenging.
We know what politically conservative Catholics (now dominating the Catholic Church in the US) will have to say about poverty: It's a terrible thing but private charity should address it, not government. That's their version of Catholic teaching on poverty.
In other words, it is pointless for bishops to think that their words would in any way affect their conservative flocks. The many words the bishops have pronounced on abortion, homosexuality, etc. certainly have little or no effect on liberal politicians.
It is pointless for politicians to think that the words from bishops will have any effect on political thinking.
This letter was very long and
This letter was very long and I wonder how many bishops will wade through it. But it is well thought out and expressed so kudos to your group. I hope you included a summary page as well.
For a bishop to say they do not understand economics is very telling. How could they, they have been taken care of from the day they entered the seminary. But surely they know some catholic economist that could spell it out for them. It seems to me they have joined the extreme right wing where the modern day Pharisees reside. Paul Ryan is a bright young man, however misguided, but for him to say the Catholic Bishops agree with his draconian plan should be refuted by someone among the group. There is an well planned agenda by the right wing at both the Federal and State level to remove the social safety nets which aid the elderly, and the poor. The Bishops have the ability to watch the news, or go online to get the basics of what is going on.
I am so sick of their misogynistic obsession with abortion, and other reproductive issues.
I feel that it is time that
I feel that it is time that the bishops speak to this issue and wonder what those of us affected can do. Thanks for your concern regarding this important and relevant issue
As my 80+ year old irish
As my 80+ year old irish Catholic mother once said about a Repulican anti abortion president who was anti any help for the poor - "He will let them be born but he won't don't anything for them after that!" The "pro life" teaching of the Church extends to all people not just those waiting to be born!
It's a nice try I suppose, to
It's a nice try I suppose, to speak on social justice is always worth the bother; however, I don't believe anyone connected to the Church of Rome will be taken seriously until we get our own house in order.
We don't have strong ground to stand on, when we protect pedophiles and the Vatican is a symbol of lavish living in a world suffering such need.
A full copy of the letter by
A full copy of the letter by Catholic Democrats can be found at http://www.catholicdemocrats.org/BishopsandPoverty.pdf
It includes a timeline, as well.
The Catholic Church of course
The Catholic Church of course stands for helping the poor and needy. But it does not require that the government provide the support. As Catholics we are called to share our resources to the poor through our charitable giving and/or support with our volunteer efforts. If government programs aleviated poverty, then programs such as the Great Society plan of the 1960's and the amount of government aid since then should have at least made a substantial dent in needs of those who require it. Why not? Because there is no accountabiity for the funds. It truly is a sin that money earmarked for the poor goes to bureaucrats and to programs which have proven unsuccessful. Why not hold the government truly responsible for spending on the poor? How about a pilot program involving one program which would be overseen by committees already assigned this responsibility with a deadline of 6 months to show how spending was utilized with strict accountability for funds? If proven successful, this program could be implemented one area at a time. Wouldn't it be amazing if existing funds were properly allocated with strict accountability? Neither political party is innocent in this continued budget deficit and no report of how funds are used. The party that can implement programs under budget (not a reduction based on a reduction in proposed or existing budgets but a true reduction in spending) would indeed make a true impact on poverty and other needed areas. May God help us individually to reevaluate our own spending to provide help for those who need it in our own communities and beyond.
If the Church shouldn't call
If the Church shouldn't call on the government to take action to alleviate poverty, should we also not call on the government to alleviate abortion? By your logic, fighting abortion should be something Catholics do in their own private lives, not in the public sphere.
Giving money and aid (charity) is only half of the work that is needed in fighting poverty. Structural issues must also be addressed in fighting poverty, and this requires more than isolated individual acts.
Louise, at least some of us
Louise, at least some of us have real experience in working with programs of assistance within the Church aas well as with programs that are government oriented. Head Start is one very successful Great Society creation (thanks to a very devout, daily Mass attendant, Sargent Shriver, who designed and built this fine progrqm under the LBJ Administration). Head Start has helped millions of early childhood age children from poor homes prepare for school by giving them the opportunity to develop early childhood learning skills that they would otherwise not have had the opportunity to learn. Their families would never have been able to afford the privately funded Kindergartens their middle and wealthy class peers easily had. Head Start also provided good healthy meals, dental care, and appropriate shots for these children--other needs required private funds for up until then. And because poor children went into first grades healtier, better fed, with better brain development, and better prepared, they did not drop out and end up at food banks, or Church Food Pantries. Head Start programs also helped the parents of these children learn to form parents' organizations, run meetings, carry out fund-raising activities to purchase supplies for the Program, and even learn English as a second language, to stabilize their presence in their civic communities and be able to communicate with teachers and administrations later on in their child's educational career. Parents learned to participate in society,develop leadership skills and be responsible citizens. Very few churches would have the funds to support such a program, just as very few parishes or dioceses could support a Catholic hospital. It is all they can do to provide a few bags of food each month to the poor, and that is a road that leads nowhere but to more of the same for the next generation. Head Start, a Great Sociey Program, helps give them a step or two out of poverty down the road to education for the entire family,and to independence, and yes, to becoming a tax payer instead of a
of someone standing in line waiting for an assistance program that will give them food for themselves and their baby. I thinbk, Louise, you needa lot more information before you are ready for a well-informed opinion on this subject. "Let charity take care of them," is, I fear, a song being sung by the rich who want their tax breaks and that new SUV or vacation home.
A comment on the
A comment on the Comments
Might I suggest that some commentators would reflect on the NCR Comment Code before commenting: 1. Be respectful... Take on the idea..
2. Use appropriate language. Avoid ....slurs.
Anonymous.
It has long appeared that
It has long appeared that the support for life of the bishops and most of the Republican leadership ends at birth.
The Catholic conservative
The Catholic conservative view on poverty is either naive or deliberately deceptive. They believe that all attempts to alleviate poverty should be done by private individuals, groups and charities, the government staying out of it and dismantling or greatly reducing the current safety net. If they had their way the Catholic Church, and other groups providing poverty relief, would be so severely strained that they would abandon helping the poor.
Their view is the same as the privileged who refused to let the British government provide famine relief in Ireland in the 1840;s until the situation became so dire (mass starvation) that intervention was no longer possible. And the British government had the advantage of being able to drive millions of the poor out of the country. The US does not have the option of shipping its poor abroad.
What is missing from the
What is missing from the discussion of poverty by American conservatives is the social context of the issue. Catholics provide a very unique and fruitful perspective because of our view of corporate salvation in relation to sin, which enables us to recognize the structural sin our midst requiring justice through the Church and State, not just individual charity (though this is important in reforming as well).
While it would be terrific to have poverty so limited that just individual charity would suffice, the income inequality present domestically and globally, the way the economic system is structured on a macro level (unhindered free market/economic liberalism/however you call it), and the corruption inherit in the way governments are functioning, mean that we need to address poverty on a much higher level.
Dorothy Day -- that
Dorothy Day -- that informally canonized saint of support for the poor -- retained her anarchist view of government power, even as a devout Catholic. She thought government aid for the poor let Christians off the hook too easily. She was also concerned about the power of government intruding into the lives of the poor -- forcing them to use birth control, for example.
Day thought that each Catholic parish should assume responsibility for the poor within its boundaries. She was not talking merely about financial support for Catholic Charities. She was serious about parishioners being personally involved in knowing who didn't have enough money to buy groceries, pay utility bills, get needed health care. Or which pregnant woman needed help with an unwanted pregnancy, or which kids are being abused and neglected at home.
My personal political beliefs are more like those of the Democrat Catholics; and, indeed, Catholic political theory does charge the government with the responsibility for social order and the common good, while it also professes the principle of subsidiarity, that decisions and actions should be made at the level of the smallest unit possible. I admire Dorothy Day's works and respect her thinking on the matter. She truly lived what she was advocating.
So if one is going to seriously profess that private individuals should assume all the responsibilities for assisting the poor, I would gladly go along with that view; if only I were persuaded that those professing that view did at least as much work on behalf of the poor, as they do campaigning against government assistance for the poor.
My understanding is that on
My understanding is that on September 15th Archbishop Dolan, President of the USCCB and acting in conjunction with its Administrative Committee, sent a letter to all Bishops of the United States asking them to advocate and educate on the subject of poverty and unemployment and the Church's social justice teaching in these regards. Actions were not only to be taken but reported to him. He included his e-mail and fax number for that purpose. I am not a Bishop, priest, or permanent deacon, but I did take the opportunity to report to him that the letter has yet to receive any mention in my Archdiocesan newspaper and I haven't heard any sermons on any of these issues. The fax number is 202-541-3339 and his e-mail is jphdmail@usccb.org if you would like to share your experience with him.
I think it is time for NCR to do a follow-up story outlining the actions taken, those reported to Archbishop Dolan, as well as those confirmed by parishioners. Any parishioners out there who have heard any sermons on this subject? And the topic did not make it to the agenda of the General Assembly? Actually there are hundreds of General Assemblies going on all across the country where those issues are the main topic of discussion. Perhaps we should tune into those?
Unfortunately, in many
Unfortunately, in many parishes and pulpits, caring for the poor means only bringing canned goods to Church for the local food pantry once a month. If they are lucky, once a week. Then there are the Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets, complete with tree and turkey with all the trimmings and an age-appropriate toy for each child. These no doubt bring moments of happness for receiver and giver. But no thought or analysis is ever given to why families are forced to beg for food, or rely on "charity" at Christmas for their families. Do we remember their names the next week? Do we ask the father or the mother about job opportunties, their health needs, or even try to create work for them? Do we count them and look around our communities for closed factories and "jobs gone South or East or West", for victims of scam mortgage deals and lost homes? More important, the "Why" these things happened? If we never ask these questions, then perhaps these "baskets delivered" are in realty, a band-aid applied to our conscience, convincing ourselves that we have "cared for the poor". Economic Justice is real charity, because it is a sign that we have truly listened, truly paid attention to the conditions and the system that have created poverty and injustice for these families,truly cared for more than one season or one day a week. True charity then rises up, as Jesus did, to do something about it so that they will be freed from the slavery of poverty and never have to beg at our doors again. Jesus gave us an example of a life that challenged those who oppressed the poor in His time, and called the poor to claim their dignity as sons and daughters of the Father in Heaven, as truly as were the men who sat in judgment over them in the temple (the place of worship) and the Sanhedrin (the equivalent of the legislatures and the Congress today). As Church, we should rise up to free our fellow Americans from the conditions and systems that bind them in poverty and powerlessness on the margins of society.
Though it is somewhat
Though it is somewhat unfortunate that this letter comes from the Catholic Democrats, due to the partisan criticisms it easily lends itself to, I'm glad there are at least a few voices calling the bishops to accountability. It shocks me that the USCCB believes it can effectively speak out on moral issues such as religious liberty, when the most fundamental issues of poverty, oppression, and a lack of voice for the most vulnerable to fix these problems go unaddressed.
It would appear to me that the bishops choose to pander to the path of least resistance, except on gay marriage (why is an entirely different issue...), and fail to live out their gospel call to be shepherds for those most in need of their help and protection. Where are the prophetic, visionary bishops of Vatican II, of the 70s and 80s, who, though they were imperfect too, at least spoke out STRONGLY in the need to defend human life at a very fundamental level!!!!
The letter and the posting
The letter and the posting are breathtaking.
Where do I send my check to join the Catholic Democrats?
meanwhile Dolan rings the
meanwhile Dolan rings the Wall Street gong opening another day of felony against us
Recently while in Iowa
Recently while in Iowa (caring for an aging parent), the priest at the nursing home gave a rather incisive sermon on the "church, the economy (e.g. the right to collective bargaining), and the common good." He cited the pastoral letter from the four Iowa bishops of November 3, 2011 - it documented the church's traditional stance on issues of poverty, adequate working conditions, the value of work as it relates to human dignity - from Pope
Leo XIII through John Paul II. You will find the entire text of this letter in THE CATHOLIC MESSENGER (Davenport Diocese). It appears that there are some bishops who are concerned about this pressing issue.
How about addressing so much
How about addressing so much of the Republican agenda they support in order to make bedfellows against abortion, birth control, gay marriage, and all those other "sins" that should be left up to individuals of different persuasions to resolve for themselves? What about addressing all the sex crimes that the bishops themselves have been sweeping under their oriental carpets for generations and generations? That needs lots of work, lots of cooperation. We know all about joblessness and the resulting poverty, but what about speaking out against the lack of ethics, the immorality, of the top 1% of our citizenry who possess 99% of the wealth? Unfortunately, extremely sadly, the bishops don't have a single leg to stand on after all they have done in ignoring the immorality, the crimes, of their own men. And they are continuing to this day in their cover-up and avoidance tactics regarding facing that sex abuse openly and honestly. The bishops are in cahoots with the Republicans, and the Republicans are the cause of the worst economic crimes of our society. You can't have it both ways because those ways are contradictions.
In my view we need to define
In my view we need to define who are the poor? Do you mean all the people on entitlements?
My greatest problem with the Catholic Democrats letter is that it makes no distinction about who they are addressing as "the poor".I can no longer continue to think of the poor as those women who are having children to increase their income. Then do nothing to raise their children but expect us to provide the best for a child, who the parent sees as a commodity. In our community 8 of 10 children born to African-American women are to a single parent. 70% of these children live in poverty. The children get free breakfast and lunch at our expense, plus our churches and private organization put donations for these same children. Meanwhile, too many moms have spent their entitlement money on nails, tattoos,and cell phones.
These children do not come to school ready for an educational experience. They lack key concepts that end up keeping them from their education potential. They find school difficult and their behavior goes down. Our schools can't manage the numbers of children from poverty backgrounds whose parent does not cooperate which the school staff. It is destroying the children and the system.
The entitlement incentives are in the wrong direction! People should not be paid money to add more children into our communities, for whom no one takes responsibility to their development and growth. Payment should come as a result of doing something to get off the public dole.
Wanting Jobs and Jobs Bills
Wanting Jobs and Jobs Bills are our obstacle and the cause of our many problems. Our lifelong employment is not liberty or freedom as President Obama and the world believe; it is glorified slavery that the President Obama, unions and even Communism and Socialism would not want or promote if they realized that true freedom is available by creating a garden paradise lifestyle. It quickly ends wars, immigration, pollution to air, land, water and food that has made young and old diseased, inequality and big government payrolls to pay for services and insurance that were supposed to be taken care of by the local community.
President Obama needs an adviser, and we need to find a leader who can turn our hearts to cooperation and helpfulness of a garden paradise lifestyle instead of the competition with each other and the world that generates conflicts for resources and trading partners. We cannot be ashamed that this was God’s plan and not our own. We must speak up.
This argument reminds me of a
This argument reminds me of a wonderful book that I read many years ago, "The Shoes of the Fisherman" by Morris West. A Russian is elected Pope at the time of a great crisis of famine affecting both Russia and China. The Pope's first official address states that the whole Catholic Church throughout the world will divest itself of all the trappings of wealth including valuable works of art, money, etc. to relieve the effects of poverty in this world. Oh yeah - that was fiction!
This has been a great
This has been a great exposure of the awful weakness in our people, the People of God. Like little children, they run to their bishops--those bishops, by the way, who are still leading the attempted cover-up of the sex abuse scandal--to get after the government about poverty. Why aren't these Catholic Democrats doing that themselves. They have a vote, and they have a voice that can be used for other things. They are the ones who are suffering from this rotten, unethical economy. It is their very unwillingness to perform the actions themselves that has brought us to these conditions, just as it is the lack of clearly and loudly expressed outrage from them that has allowed the bishops to continue in the cover-up of the sex scandal. Do it yourselves, Catholics! That would be the way of Jesus! Do it yourselves, Democrats! That would be the way of people who wanted to see genuine democracy prevailing in this country. Why do they run to the bishops instead of taking action themselves? Each bishop has one vote, just like the rest of us. The bishops do not run our government, we do. The bishops have done a very poor job of running the church in their dioceses, and Catholic Democrats are asking them to step in and do the work that they should be doing themselves? Is it any wonder that both the church and the country are in such a mess. Too many people, like Catholic Democrats, just sit back and whine instead of getting out in the streets, you know, Occupy! Too many don't write. Too many don't talk. It's up to us, not the bishops. The bishops are supposed to shepherd us in the ways of Jesus, then we are supposed to leave our churches, go out into the "highways and the byways" and practice good morals and ethics that have been inspired by what we have learned in church, the meditations of our religion, and the grace of the Holy Communion. We have just as much background and authority as any bishop. Use it!
I pretty much agree with the
I pretty much agree with the Catholic Democrats position paper. Allow me to suggest, however, that our church (small "c") does, in fact, address the issue of poverty head on through the St Vincent de Paul Society, through its National Council, and more particularly, through its parish-based conferences. The Society also collaborates with a network of Vincentian inspired groups throughout the world, as well as Catholic Charities. It is the best well kept secret in the field of Charity. One sometimes gets the impression from what we read in the media, that it is only the Salvation Army, Red Cross and Good Will that do anything for the less fortunate.
The second thing I'd like to comment on is this. Don't hold your breath in the expectation of any kind of substantive response from Archbishop Dolan. He is #1 a politician, and a very good one at that. He is looking for a "red hat" and even, maybe, to be elected as the first American Pope. Our experience with him as the Archbishop of Milwaukee has led us to this conclusion. He, along with the majority of our present day hierarchy, unfortunately, has lost sight of the purpose for which the example of Jesus tells us we are to aspire, namely to become servants to the least of our brethern.
Thirdly, Catholic Democrats must raise a voice of opposition to taxpayer financial support of life threating measures of any sort, abortion being only one of them.
in this country of wealth
in this country of wealth that is used in all kinds of materailistic ways, I wounder why we cannot see the face of Christ in the poor and hungry and use those resources to improve the life of our fellow human beings.
The problems in our poor
The problems in our poor wounded church go much deeper than this discussion indicates because most of these issues are symptoms rather than the root cause.
I do not know very much about Archbishop Dolan other than what I have seen of him on TV. However, the impression he gives is much more that of a politician than a spiritual leader. There are of course some “good bishops” – after all, there are always exceptions to the rule. But what do we expect when we allow our church to set up a hierarchy that in essence creates a career path for our priests.
A career path immediately introduces ambition into the equation. How can we see ambition and spiritual growth as compatible motivators? By the time most priests attain a hierarchal position, ambition has taken the lead and spirituality is running a poor second. Otherwise, how would it be possible for a “spiritual leader” to put protecting the wealth of the church before protecting the innocence of children? How could a spiritual, not religious but truly spiritual, person look at the poor, the disabled, the disadvantaged, the sick, and the elderly with anything but empathy. How could a spiritually transformed person not be moved to action to help such people?
The priests who truly follow God’s call and are spiritually nurturing, rarely become bishops. They are instead relegated to small assignments where they nonetheless have a dramatic effect on the people they touch with their words and example. These are the true leaders of the church, not the robed, ringed, and anointed of the hierarchy.
The problems in our poor
The problems in our poor wounded church go much deeper than this discussion indicates because most of these issues are symptoms rather than the root cause.
I do not know very much about Archbishop Dolan other than what I have seen of him on TV. However, the impression he gives is much more that of a politician than a spiritual leader. There are of course some “good bishops” – after all, there are always exceptions to the rule. But what do we expect when we allow our church to set up a hierarchy that in essence creates a career path for our priests.
A career path immediately introduces ambition into the equation. How can we see ambition and spiritual growth as compatible motivators? By the time most priests attain a hierarchal position, ambition has taken the lead and spirituality is running a poor second. Otherwise, how would it be possible for a “spiritual leader” to put protecting the wealth of the church before protecting the innocence of children? How could a spiritual, not religious but truly spiritual, person look at the poor, the disabled, the disadvantaged, the sick, and the elderly with anything but empathy. How could a spiritually transformed person not be moved to action to help such people?
The priests who truly follow God’s call and are spiritually nurturing, rarely become bishops. They are instead relegated to small assignments where they nonetheless have a dramatic effect on the people they touch with their words and example. These are the true leaders of the church, not the robed, ringed, and anointed of the hierarchy.
The problems in our poor
The problems in our poor wounded church go much deeper than this discussion indicates because most of these issues are symptoms rather than the root cause.
I do not know very much about Archbishop Dolan other than what I have seen of him on TV. However, the impression he gives is much more that of a politician than a spiritual leader. There are of course some “good bishops” – after all, there are always exceptions to the rule. But what do we expect when we allow our church to set up a hierarchy that in essence creates a career path for our priests.
A career path immediately introduces ambition into the equation. How can we see ambition and spiritual growth as compatible motivators? By the time most priests attain a hierarchal position, ambition has taken the lead and spirituality is running a poor second. Otherwise, how would it be possible for a “spiritual leader” to put protecting the wealth of the church before protecting the innocence of children? How could a spiritual, not religious but truly spiritual, person look at the poor, the disabled, the disadvantaged, the sick, and the elderly with anything but empathy. How could a spiritually transformed person not be moved to action to help such people?
The priests who truly follow God’s call and are spiritually nurturing, rarely become bishops. They are instead relegated to small assignments where they nonetheless have a dramatic effect on the people they touch with their words and example. These are the true leaders of the church, not the robed, ringed, and anointed of the hierarchy.
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