Politically Homeless

In an era in which the pro-life and peace-and-justice wings of the church often seem to be on different planets, Carr has always been firmly in both camps. At a time when many Catholics seem determined to cram the square peg of partisan allegiance into the round hole of Catholic identity, insisting that a good Catholic must align either with the Republicans or the Democrats, Carr has always insisted that someone who takes the full range of Catholic social teaching seriously is destined to wind up "politically homeless."
Carr returned to that point in his retirement letter. Here's what he wrote:

"For years, I and others have said we sometimes feel 'politically homeless,' alienated* from polarized politics and false choices that ask us to choose between defense of the unborn and protection of the poor, between Catholic moral principles and the church's social teaching, between promotion of economic justice and protection of religious liberty. When we are 'politically homeless,' it is not enough to proclaim our purity or complain about others; we need to find a home, or at least build a shelter. We need places and strategies to advance a consistent vision of defending human life and dignity, to bridge differences through civil dialogue and pursuit of the common good, and to form and encourage more lay leaders to act as 'faithful citizens' in American public life."

from John Allen's Red, White, and Blue roundup

*Having been recently criticised by a friend for wanting to have it both ways (I am for nationalized health care, but opposed to the HHS mandate), I can relate to this sentiment.