Catholicism and Politics

August 2004
Tension grows between leaders in the Catholic Church and the politics of abortion. Archbishop John F. Donoghue (Atlanta), Bishop Robert J. Baker (Charleston, SC), and Bishop Peter J. Jugis (Charlotte, NC) wrote that "Catholics in political life have the responsibility to exemplify in their public service this teaching of the Church, (sic) and to work for the protection of all innocent life" and that politicians who support abortion rights are "cooperating with evil."

The issue was ignited in January when Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis said he would deny communion to John Kerry, Democratic nominee for president.

Although the U.S. Bishops delegated policy decisions to local bishops at a June conference, only a handful of the 195 Roman Catholic diocese in the U.S. have announced that they will deny Communion based on a political stance on abortion.

Demonstrating how divided the Church is on this issue (denying communion), in response to an article on the Cathoic World News web site, a writer asked: "On Jan. 6, 2001, at the concluding mass of the jubilee, John Paul II personally gave communion to Francesco Rutelli, who is one of the most active supporters of abortion in Italy. Does not the Pope lead by example and are not the bishops obligated to follow?"

Reportedly, two-thirds of America's Catholics do not want bishops to pressure lawmakers. This attitude was reflected by lawmakers in May, when 48 Democrats wrote Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, DC, head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops task force on politics. The legislators, all Catholics, wrote: "[W]e do not believe it is our role to legislate the teachings of the Catholic Church."

Ironicially, the Roman Catholic Church, led by Pope John Paul II, opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq: "we fear that resort to war, under present circumstances and in light of current public information, would not meet the strict conditions in Catholic teaching for overriding the strong presumption against the use of military force." However, there have been no public statements forbidding holy communion to politicians who supported that effort.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Donoghue was attending a Knights of Columbus meeting in Texas this week, where President Bush spoke Tuesday, referring to Republicans as "promoting the culture of life."

The first amendment prohibits Congress from establishing a state religion, but there's no law that prevents religious leaders from becoming embroiled in politics -- unless it's one that grants religious institutions tax relief.

Historically, religious leaders have spoken out on issues such as temperance (19th century) and civil rights (20th century). Although most religions eschew violence and war, few prominent leaders have spoken out forcefully against 20th or 21st century wars.

When John F. Kennedy was nominated for President in 1960, political and religious leaders worried aloud about the influence that the Catholic Church might have over the President and, subsequently, domestic and foreign policy. This mindset might have been rooted in 19th Century Calvinism or, perhaps, the Northeastern establishment's Protestant roots.

See

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Catholic World News
• National Conference of Catholic Bishops - Statement on Iraq
• News-Record
• Statement - Southern Bishops