In the document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,”
published by the bishops of the United States, we are reminded that,
“In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and
participation in political life is a moral obligation. This obligation
is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus Christ and to bear
Christian witness in all we do.” And so, as I leave for Rome, I want to
share with you some of the concerns that I will bring with me to the
tombs of the apostles, SS. Peter and Paul, and to Assisi, the town of
St. Francis.
I am concerned about a culture that has become increasingly callous
about the radical abortion license, and a legal system that affords more
protection to endangered species of plants and animals than to unborn
babies; that considers pregnancy a disease; that interprets
“comprehensive health care” in such a way that it may be used to
threaten the life of the baby in the womb (and, it should be noted, to
exclude the undocumented immigrant as well). I am concerned as well for
the infirm and elderly who are nearing the end of life, that they will
not be treated with the respect, dignity and compassion that is their
due, but instead be encouraged to seek a hasty death before they can
become, according to some, “a burden to society.”
I am worried that we may be reducing religious freedom to a kind of
privacy right to recreational activities, reducing the practice of
religion to a Sabbath hobby, instead of a force that should guide our
public actions, as Michelle Obama recently noted, Monday through Friday.
I am bothered by the prospect of this generation leaving a mountain of
unpayable debt to its children and grandchildren, whose economic futures
will be blighted by the amounts of the federal budget absorbed by debt
service.
I am anxious that calls for a fiscally responsible society are met with
claims that those calls come from men and women who don’t care about the
poor; that we may be tempted to write off the underprivileged as
problems to be solved, or as budget woes, rather than treating them with
respect and dignity as people with potential and creativity; that we’re
at times more willing to cut programs to help the sick, our elders, the
hungry and homeless, than expenditures on Drone missiles.
I am concerned that our elections increasingly resemble reality TV shows
rather than exercises in serious democratic conversation.
I am bothered that we are losing sight of voting as an exercise in moral
judgment, in which certain priority issues—especially the life issues,
with the protection of unborn life being the premier civil rights issue
of the day—must weigh heavily on our consciences as we make our
political decisions.
I am worried by attempts to redefine marriage, and to label as “bigots”
those who uphold the traditional, God-given definition of marriage.
I am anxious that we cannot seem to have a rational debate over
immigration policy, and that we cannot find a way to combine America’s
splendid tradition of hospitality to the stranger with respect for the
rule of law, always treating the immigrant as a child of God, and never
purposefully dividing a family.
I am worried about the persecution of people of faith around the world,
especially with the hatred of Christians on a perilous incline; and the
preference for violent attacks upon innocents instead of dialogue as the
path to world peace.
I expect that many of you share these concerns. In the words of
“Faithful Citizenship,” how we should respond is clear. The document
says, “Our focus is not on party affiliation, ideology, economics, or
even competence and capacity to perform duties, as important as such
issues are. Rather, we focus on what protects or threatens human life
and dignity.” As you consider these concerns, I will be praying for you
in Rome that the humble, joyful Poverello of Assisi intercede for us,
and that Mary Immaculate, patroness of the United States and Star of the
New Evangelization, will inspire in us wisdom, prudence, and courage.
-from Whispers
10/06/2012
Cardinal Dolan's intentions
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment