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In formal observance of the annual Respect Life Sunday, Bishop Joseph Martino required his recent pastoral letter to be read by the celebrant "at the time of and instead of the homily" at all masses in the Diocese of Scranton. "At the discretion of the Most Reverend Bishop," mass - the very heart and center of our Catholic faith - was sacrilegiously transformed into a partisan political venue, Martino specifically referenced Pope Paul VI's Humanae Vitae and its supposedly fulfilled prophecies, and then he proceeded to counter a number of objections to official church teaching on the genesis and formation of human life. Indeed, most Catholics of diverse political persuasions can concur that "the life of a human being begins at conception" and even that abortion is an enduring social issue.
Unfortunately, Bishop Martino chose to impose upon all of the faithful a divisive interpretation of how Catholics ought to vote in the upcoming presidential election. Elevating abortion far above all of the pressing domestic and foreign issues facing the U.S., the bishop wrote: "Being 'right' on taxes, education, health care, immigration, and the economy fails to make up for the error of disregarding the value of human life." Given his myopic worldview, his one-dimensional argument is understandable and even reasonable in some instances, but has he seriously considered the fact that many of the aforementioned issues are interconnected? Is he even aware of the tragic reality that socio-economic hardships compel some unwilling pregnant women to seek abortions? Simply banning abortion nationwide and arresting vulnerable women are not effective solutions to such a complex issue.
A "good Catholic" would be unable to vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden on November 4th if they followed Bishop Martino's voting guidelines in the upcoming presidential election. Unless one is willing to vote for an obscure third party candidate with anti-abortion credentials, John McCain and Sarah Palin remain as the only alternative choice for a "true Catholic." Is anyone surprised? Since the controversial Roe v. Wade decision was handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court on January 22nd 1973, five Republican presidents - Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II - campaigned on empty promises to be "foes of abortion" and "defenders of life," yet they governed as foes of the many and defenders of the few. Does the bishop expect us committed Catholics to be duped once more? While he bandied about the National Right to Life statistic that 48.5 million abortions have been performed since Roe, he omitted the fact that abortion rates actually declined each year under pro-choice President Bill Clinton, from approximately 1.5 million in 1993 to 1.3 million in 2001 (Johnston's Archive).
Despite the implicit condemnation of Bishop Martino's pastoral letter, Barack Obama and Joe Biden are truly candidates who transcend politics as usual, including those practiced on Sunday mornings. Though Obama and Biden are pro-choice, they intend to reach across the ideological divide and cooperate with opponents of abortion in areas of common cause, such as actively promoting adoption as an alternative. Like Clinton before him, Obama's progressive domestic policies will favor the many over the few.
Bishop Martino and most Catholics for Obama certainly share a common goal of eliminating the need for abortion, but we respectfully disagree on the political means to achieve that end. Reasoned dissent on such a complex matter should not be utilized by this bishop or any other hierarch to denigrate those of good will as not authentically Catholic. Indeed, "Our Lord Jesus Christ, does not ask us to follow him to Calvary only for us to be afraid of contradicting a few bystanders along the way. He does not ask us to take up his Cross only to have us leave it at the voting booth door." Let us be mindful that this is the same Jesus Christ who preached regard for the poor and lowly, fairness in taxes and wages, peace and love toward our enemies, and acceptance of those deemed societal outcasts, among other attainable ideals in this world. As the bishop's formed conscience has compelled him to take a stand, so must we do likewise this November 4th. |
