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[If God used Balaam’s donkey to get that prophet’s attention, I guess he can use me to get yours. May these periodic postings on the second and fourth Mondays of each month (God willing) generate fruitful discussion and faithful change.]
Far too many Catholics are not well-formed in the teachings of Christ's Church. Given this tragic reality, one would expect Catholic media to only publish the work of individuals and columnists who accurately set forth the tenets of the Catholic Church.
Over the years, too many publications claiming to be "Catholic" have consistently demonstrated a preference for doing just the opposite.
Over the years, too many publications claiming to be "Catholic" have consistently demonstrated a preference for doing just the opposite.
A most recent example of this proclivity is a column that a local Diocesean newspaper published wherein its author wrote the following: “Putting an end to the killing of unborn babies is a priority for me, and it is a priority for the Catholic Church. But it is not the only priority. The concern of Christ and the Catholic Church for the suffering of the world is not limited to any one group of people – born or unborn…So we are not to rank, pro-life, social justice and peaces issues, we are to link them (my emphasis). It’s what the Catholic Church calls the “consistent ethic of life.”
Sounds nice but the problem with the columnist’s assertion is that he is simply flat out wrong.
It was the late Cardinal Bernardin, not the Catholic Church, who preached “the seamless garment” doctrine to which this author and so many “social justice and peace Catholics” subscribe.
An accurate description of the Church’s position on these issues can be found in the writings of late Blessed John Paul II. Let this one example suffice: “The promotion of the culture of life should be the highest priority in our societies… (my emphasis again). If the right to life is not defended decisively as a condition for all other rights of the person, all other references to human rights remain deceitful and illusory.”
This prompts me to ask two questions:
Why do Catholic publications choose to print columns such as this?
How many Catholics who read this piece knew their Faith well enough to realize they were being misinformed about an essential truth?
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I'm afraid I don't see your point.
ReplyDeleteThe Consistent Ethic of Life explained - Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life
Thank you Moonshadow. I appreciate your comments and your taking the time to include a link to Father Pavone..
ReplyDeleteThe point I was trying to make, and I know it is one with which Father Pavone agrees and it is the very point made by JPII in the quote I included in my post, is that there is no right more important than the right to life. We must, of course, be concerned about all issues impacting the dignity of human life, but none of them, absolutely none of them, must be given equal priority with the right to life - the right to be born. To suggest otherwise, as did the columnist I quoted, is to be in opposition to Church teaching.