"When it comes to the issues that are most important from a Catholic standpoint, Henry says the Church is very clear: Abortion is the primary issue Catholic voters should be concerned with this election season. While not the most popular topic in either conservative or liberal circles, the abortion issue gets to the very heart of the question: “If God has given us the gift of human life, then what does that require of us?”
Closely related to abortion, Henry says, is the debate over sex and gender, which addresses another fundamental question about human nature—the difference between men and women.
“It seems to me that the culture is desperately in need of conversations about these questions,” he says. “And we as Catholics have answers.”
For Catholics worried about being called “single-issue voters” because of their opposition to abortion or gender ideology, Henry says these criticisms do not hold much weight."
Yeah, that article is in direct contradiction to actual papal teaching. From Gaudete et Exsultate:
"Our defence of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection.[84] We cannot uphold an ideal of holiness that would ignore injustice in a world where some revel, spend with abandon and live only for the latest consumer goods, even as others look on from afar, living their entire lives in abject poverty.
We often hear it said that, with respect to relativism and the flaws of our present world, the situation of migrants, for example, is a lesser issue. Some Catholics consider it a secondary issue compared to the “grave” bioethical questions. That a politician looking for votes might say such a thing is understandable, but not a Christian, for whom the only proper attitude is to stand in the shoes of those brothers and sisters of ours who risk their lives to offer a future to their children. Can we not realize that this is exactly what Jesus demands of us, when he tells us that in welcoming the stranger we welcome him (cf. Mt 25:35)?" (101-102)
Paul - It just makes me so sad that in so many parishes, parishioners are vilified for agreeing with your essay and your quote from Gaudete et Exsultate. When I brought up those points with our priest (care for those on the margins, warmongering, out attitudes towards the disabled, immigrants, etc), I was encouraged to find a parish that was a better fit (=an hour drive). It is impossible to sit through homilies, prayers of the faithful, and youth ministry without constantly hearing the same talking points as the Franciscan article. I mean, there are entire dioceses that seem to encourage the message of the Franciscan article.
Another great piece.
Thanks Paul.
In contrast, this article from Franciscan is the approach many of us heard from our priests:
https://magazine.franciscan.edu/articles/how-do-i-vote-like-a-catholic/
"When it comes to the issues that are most important from a Catholic standpoint, Henry says the Church is very clear: Abortion is the primary issue Catholic voters should be concerned with this election season. While not the most popular topic in either conservative or liberal circles, the abortion issue gets to the very heart of the question: “If God has given us the gift of human life, then what does that require of us?”
Closely related to abortion, Henry says, is the debate over sex and gender, which addresses another fundamental question about human nature—the difference between men and women.
“It seems to me that the culture is desperately in need of conversations about these questions,” he says. “And we as Catholics have answers.”
For Catholics worried about being called “single-issue voters” because of their opposition to abortion or gender ideology, Henry says these criticisms do not hold much weight."
Yeah, that article is in direct contradiction to actual papal teaching. From Gaudete et Exsultate:
"Our defence of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection.[84] We cannot uphold an ideal of holiness that would ignore injustice in a world where some revel, spend with abandon and live only for the latest consumer goods, even as others look on from afar, living their entire lives in abject poverty.
We often hear it said that, with respect to relativism and the flaws of our present world, the situation of migrants, for example, is a lesser issue. Some Catholics consider it a secondary issue compared to the “grave” bioethical questions. That a politician looking for votes might say such a thing is understandable, but not a Christian, for whom the only proper attitude is to stand in the shoes of those brothers and sisters of ours who risk their lives to offer a future to their children. Can we not realize that this is exactly what Jesus demands of us, when he tells us that in welcoming the stranger we welcome him (cf. Mt 25:35)?" (101-102)
Paul - It just makes me so sad that in so many parishes, parishioners are vilified for agreeing with your essay and your quote from Gaudete et Exsultate. When I brought up those points with our priest (care for those on the margins, warmongering, out attitudes towards the disabled, immigrants, etc), I was encouraged to find a parish that was a better fit (=an hour drive). It is impossible to sit through homilies, prayers of the faithful, and youth ministry without constantly hearing the same talking points as the Franciscan article. I mean, there are entire dioceses that seem to encourage the message of the Franciscan article.
Thank you very much for this, Paul. It moved me to tears.