US Bishops: Ryan Budget Fails to Meet ‘Basic Moral Test’

Catholic Culture ^ | 5/9/12

[marshmallow]

A day after the House Budget Committee voted 21-9 to approve a budget plan proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) renewed its criticism of the plan and urged members of the House of Representatives to “put a circle of protection” around three “essential programs.”

The entire House is scheduled to vote on Ryan’s Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act on May 10.

“I reiterate our strong opposition to an unfair proposal that would alter the Child Tax Credit to exclude children of hard-working, immigrant families,” wrote Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. “Denying the credit to children of working poor immigrant families--the large majority of whom are American citizens--would hurt vulnerable kids, increase poverty, and would not advance the common good.”

“The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), provides vital food security to families during tough economic times,” Bishop Blaire added. “It is estimated that cuts proposed in this bill would deny assistance to two million families, and cut the benefit for everyone else. No poor family that receives food assistance would be unaffected, constituting a direct threat to their human dignity.”

[Mrs. Don-o]

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[Mrs. Don-o]

"The Catholic bishops have every bit as much right, representing the countries 64+ million Catholics, to advocate for policies and priorities in line with the Church's values as any political party, union, PAC or pact."

The problem here, my friend, is that the economic policies and priorities favored by the USCCB are not necessaily those most in line with the Church's values, especially with respect to subsidiarity.

To say "we" must feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, etc. is morally right and correct--- if "we" means the charitable giver, the family, the parish, the Diocese, the community organization, Second Harvest, Food Bank, Soup Kitchen, the private philanthropy, Youth in Mission --- of which we have many in the USA.

But to say that "we" means "the State" is a distortion of genuine Catholic social teaching. Like the prophets of Israel and the Fathers of the Church, the papal and conciliar documents almost always refer to "society" having such-and-such obligations. "Society" is not a synonym for "the State." By "society" they mean "all of us acting justly and charitably," not "the State acting coercively."

[texican01]

The Pope needs to ex-communicate these communist Bishops who are actually “whores of the Devil”

[jimsin]

These dingys dont seem to realize that the more tax money the socialists extract from the producers the greater power Socialism has to prolong the dependence that is poverty. The Socialists create giant welfare schemes that enamor the poor to themselves, not to God...

The church along with the BISHOPS lose big time. These guys are supposed to have degrees of higher learning but they talk like naive children and wrong headed simps. Psssst guess what fellas...you keep aiding and abetting the socialist tax machines and there will be no money left with which to fund CATHOLIC CHARITIES..and you too fall under the socialist thumb. You will then have no power or money whatsoever to really help the poor!
WAKE UP...AND SHUT UP.

(another thing if you SPEAK IN A MANNER THAT DISRESPECTS THE COMMON SENSE OF FREE MEN THEN YOU WILL NOT HAVE THEIR RESPECT OR SUPPORT....TAKE MY ADVICE AND START WALKIN THIS CRAP BACK ASAP!)

[count-your-change]

Aren’t these the same guys crying about the gov. poking it’s nose into religious affairs and practices?

[Natural Law]

"The problem here, my friend, is that the economic policies and priorities favored by the USCCB are not necessaily those most in line with the Church's values, especially with respect to subsidiarity."

On this we fully agree, but to contend that the bishops do not have a right to speak simply because someone does not like what they are saying is absurd.

[Mrs. Don-o]

You are correct if you say our clergy have as much right to speak as any citizen. They are welcome to pull up a chair and join the discussion as our equals (although politics and prudential judgments are properly the sphere of the laity.)

The bishops' pastoral authority properly involves faith and morals. The "speaking" (or "issuing of statements") which does not strictly constitute doctrine, however, should come wih a disclaimer along these lines:

"As Bishops we teach authoritatively on matters of the moral doctrine of the Church: the things which involve sins of omission or commission. These policy recommendations involve a choice between competing goods. You can disagree with our prudential judgments without sinning. Our political opinions do not have canonical authority."

"Thank you for listening."

[Little Ray]

The ‘Pubbies need to find out who the Bishops were and cut the tax exemption of their dioceses.

[guitarplayer1953]

Hey Bishops why not just dip into the Vatican's treasury and give these poor folks some of the Church's gold! Then the government would not have to rob Peter to give to Paul.

[Belteshazzar]

If only the bishops wouldn’t squander their moral authority on such things as are really outside their experience and expertise. When they make such pronouncements as this they lessen the seriousness with which many will take their pronouncements about marriage and the sanctity of life, subjects about which the Bible and the history of Christendom are utterly clear, and something about which the bishops, as all Christians, must be very firm in these dark times. Instead we hear such drivel.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I wouldn't mind if they wanted to actually preach in the Catholic tradition.

In his Wall Street Journal column last week, on Paul Ryan’s battle with critics of his budget plan on moral principles, Bill McGurn quotes Dorothy Day: “We believe that Social Security legislation, now billed as a great victory for the poor and for the worker, is a great defeat for Christianity. It is an acceptance of the idea of force and compulsion.”

Yup. That Dorothy Day.