|
Cardinal Frances Arinze, a Vatican official, called
upon US bishops to ban pro-choice politicians from Holy
Communion because of their endorsement toward anti-Catholic
laws — most notably, their support of legalized
abortion. With its eye on Kerry, the Church’s
presence on the vanguard of the campaign is threatening
to women’s rights, our sanctity in secularism,
and punishing lawmakers simply for respecting the boundaries
of church and state.
The declaration was announced earlier this month in
the Holy City, and bishops are following suit; writing
official letters to lawmakers and politicians not to
implement or support laws that go against Catholic teachings
or they will be turned away from the altar — in
Colorado Springs, a congregation is now being denied
communion if they support or vote for pro-choice politicians.
Although only five dioceses have implemented this ban,
the outrage of Catholics is palpable.
So why choose Communion when this Sacrament is supposed
to be a right for every Catholic? The clergy’s
job is to guide and counsel the faithful, perform religious
ceremonies; they are using the wrong tactics that will
only drive followers away. In order to properly counsel,
leaders must endeavor to persuade rather than issue
letters which unfairly label pro-choice Catholics as
sinners. The last thing we need is another group of
“experts” telling us what politics to follow,
and in the meantime, using us as the ball in ping-pong
politics.
What the Vatican fails to realize is that supporting
Catholic doctrine is not a black and white issue; politicians
must already deal with creating laws that may diverge
from personal beliefs.
Strip all the semantics from the political banter between
theocracy and democracy and the core issue presents
itself: who has the ultimate leverage in progressing
morals in society? Do we allow religion to rule over
politics, or must we reiterate over and over the importance
of secular government in order to avoid chaos?
We do not live in the time of Crusades, when the Church
had infallible influence over government and population.
Our nation is secular for a reason, and when the church
tries to come between a lawmaker’s duties to his
or her job then the institution has crossed the line.
Flip through the history books and you will find numerous
accounts of what happens as a result of theocracy: revolution,
chaos and the ultimate abandonment of the church to
create a free democracy. The creation of our own government
is a perfect example of avoiding religious influence
in politics, as are myriad wars fought in the name of
God that only succeeded in killing masses of people.
Even today, Bush's “war on terror” is a
euphemism for a battle between secularism and theocracy.
Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free
Choice, called on the Vatican not to "politicize
sacraments." She also makes a clear point in the
clergy’s role, stating: “Canon law urges
authorities not to rush to judgment and to use every
other means of instructing or admonishing a member of
the church before resorting to outright punishment.”
This statement from a devout Catholic, who also is vehemently
pro-choice, speaks for all those who feel their faith
is being ridiculed by their leaders.
Speaking on behalf of fellow Catholics, we are constantly
immersed in the doctrine of the faith. Rigorous laws,
traditions, and sacraments are taken very seriously
and sometimes to extreme. Fifty years ago the world
witnessed Vatican II, which enabled the church to adapt
to a modern society. Although the Church is revered
for sticking to their guns about their beliefs, eventually
it will become outdated — what will they do next?
We nervously anticipate the Vatican’s next move…
Will they deny women who use contraception? Or someone
who socializes with a homosexual?
Our secular nation provides lawmakers with the ability
to make sure that citizen and immigrant alike are protected
and guaranteed constitutional rights. It is not up to
our leaders, however, to apply their personal religious
beliefs in the law-making process. Religion has proved
time and again that it cannot control the government
in order to create moral standards for society because
not everyone will be willing to conform to one doctrine
of faith, one set of rules.
Democracy works because it allows individuals to choose
what they believe is right, keeping the church out of
the government’s law books. Eventually, objective
morality works itself into secular laws because it is
these morals that are agreed upon worldwide —
if you will, the moral code of the human race.
|
