|
Election Issues In 2008 will Catholics vote red or blue? No bishop, pastor or politician, can deliver “the Catholic vote,” but a common concern for moral values, for the family, the working class, the poor, those left behind, the elderly, immigrants, mothers-at-risk, for peace in the world, and for the well-being of the planet can unite informed Catholic voters in seeking the best candidate. The politics of abortion, however, has often trumped all other issues and been a wedge prying the faithful from party loyalty into a narrow “single issue” vote that has rejected some fine candidates while electing some poor ones. Prodded by Rome on the evil of abortion, the American Catholic response has been chiefly a political one: defeat Roe-Wade. Foregoing the moral persuasion of pulpit and classroom for the political pressure to make abortions illegal has become our albatross. Abortions are unabated and sound pastoral measures are secondary. In the wake of the 2004 and 2008 squeakers the tide now runs out on the president, the immoral war in Iraq drags on, the American republic has erupted into a global empire with an estimated 1,000 military facilities in other countries and even soon in space, [ed. see David Graham’s article in this newsletter], global warming is coming, and at home families are hurting. Penitential prayer and fasting is in order. The bishop who leads a charge against Roe-Wade under the banner of combating abortion will be a Pickett, rallying the Virginians on the third day at Gettysburg. Woe awaits the faithful flocking to such folly. On the other hand, peace-and-justice-seekers at the Catholic Worker, Network [the Sisters’ lobbying group], and Pax Christi have a vision focusing on justice at home and peace abroad. Can conservatives find common ground with liberals and centrists in catholic concern for a consistent, total ethic of life? Can anti-abortion and anti-war Catholics merge to call candidates to address our common, crucial concerns? Or will the “abortion alone” syndrome divide Catholics as so/a scriptura divided our fore-fathers? I don’t know any Catholics who approve the “sin” of abortion. I do know many who want Roe-Wade left alone. To my non-legal head, affirming a person’s right to do wrong is quite distinct from charging a person with a crime for making a sinful choice. (Jesus refused the apostles’ request to call down heaven’s fire on evil ones). If we can filter out the fury over Roe-Wade from the abortion debate, we can move towards a united front. Reversing Roe-Wade would not address a woman’s reasons for having one, and it would hardly provide compassionate, preventive pastoral care or heal a woman’s grief afterwards. We should be pro-active with other citizens combating the root causes of abortion and our society’s other pressing problems. Years ago Cardinal Berdardin advised: “the credibility of our advocacy of every unborn child’s right to life will be enhanced by a consistent concern for the plight of the homeless, the hungry, and the helpless in our nation, as well as the poor of the world.” So the good word is: “Catholics united in solidarity with others voting pro-peace, pro-justice, pro-life for all.” Frank McGinty |