The Editor’s View: The Latest Sleight of Hand

On the last day of February, 55 Catholic House Democrats released a joint document titled, “Statement of Principles.” It’s the usual pitch from the usual suspects. There’s the bit about how proud they are to be part of the “living Catholic tradition,” as well as the lip service to the “undesirability of abortion.” And then they go on about their commitment to “protecting the most vulnerable among us”—not by outlawing their murder, mind you, but by offering greater education and healthcare to those who manage to escape the womb alive. How brave.

Considering that most of the signatories are vigorously pro-abortion, their claim to “advance respect for life and the dignity of every human being” manages to be both comical and infuriating. But that sums up the Catholic Democratic politician today. They surrendered their nerve, then their principles, and finally—in most meaningful ways—their faith.

Is it any wonder why Catholics have been leaving their traditional party? Clearly, the signatories had in mind the election of 2004 and the shift of Catholic support to the Republicans. But is this the way to turn back the tide? After all, it wasn’t the Republican position on health care and education that brought in the Catholics. Rather, they were largely driven by the social and moral issues of abortion, same-sex marriage, and stem-cell research—issues, incidentally, that the signatories show no signs of revisiting.

In truth, the Democrats have crafted a party that no longer has a place for the faithful Catholic voter. But the party apparently hasn’t figured that out yet. So they grind on, claiming the “Catholic” position on issues about which Catholics can actually disagree and taking the wrong side on those which they cannot.

This most recent sleight of hand has not gone unnoticed. It has its fans, of course. The predictable E. J. Dionne Jr. gushed at the “remarkable document” in his Washington Post column. But others have not been so easily impressed. A week later, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released its response in a “Statement on Responsibilities of Catholics in Public Life.” Issued by William Cardinal Keeler, Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, it moves quickly to the heart of the matter. After welcoming the Democrats’ stated support for the poor and vulnerable, it adds: “At the same time, we also need to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s constant teaching that abortion is a grave violation of the most fundamental human right—the right to life that is inherent in all human beings, and that grounds every other right we possess [emphasis added].” And again: “Catholic teaching calls all Catholics to work actively to restrain, restrict and bring to an end the destruction of unborn human life…. As the Church carries out its central responsibility to teach clearly and help form consciences, and as Catholic legislators seek to act in accord with their own consciences, it is essential to remember that conscience must be consistent with fundamental moral principles. As members of the Church, all Catholics are obliged to shape our consciences in accord with the moral teaching of the Church [emphasis added].”

It is not enough to say, as the Democratic signatories do, that while they seek the Church’s guidance and assistance, they believe in the “primacy of conscience.” As the bishops’ response notes, the conscience must be shaped in accord with the teachings of the Church, not independent of them.

If we truly believe that the Church is Christ’s Body on earth, then we must also acknowledge that it has the duty not only to assist the conscience, but to bind it on certain issues. And the right to life—the very foundation of every other “right,” from health care to education—is the foremost example.

Author

  • Brian Saint-Paul

    Brian Saint-Paul was the editor and publisher of Crisis Magazine. He has a BA in Philosophy and an MA in Religious Studies from the Catholic University of America, in Washington. D.C. In addition to various positions in journalism and publishing, he has served as the associate director of a health research institute, a missionary, and a private school teacher. He lives with his wife in a historic Baltimore neighborhood, where he obsesses over Late Antiquity.

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