Posted on 08/29/2002 10:15:33 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard
A Pastor’s Descant
August 25, 2002
In a recent issue of Crisis Magazine, there was an interview with various prominent non- believers who were asked, severally, various questions about their perceptions of the Christian faith. It was interesting to read their responses to questions such as ‘What do you think of when you think of Christians?’, and ‘What are the questions you’d most like Christians to answer?’ I don’t intend to report here on all the interesting replies to these questions by the queried non- believers that included a law professor at Yale University, an editor of national monthly review, a philosopher, various journalists, etc. I want only to relate the response of one of them which was a real shame upon us. Here is a quotation: “The most striking thing to me about American Christians is that so few of them seem to feel any conflict between their religious beliefs and the secular values that are so clearly a part of American culture.” Understand what is being said: he, who is a decidedly non-Christian man, finds it a scandal that we easily go along with ideas, policies, philosophies, trends, political positions, etc. that are in opposition to what we Christian say we believe. For this very reason, this man cannot become a believer in Christianity. In other words, he’s saying that we are either frauds, idiots, or perhaps mere wimps. In any case, we are not impressive practitioners of what we say we believe. (It’s interesting to note that his comment endorses what Vatican II said about one of the causes of atheism today: the bad example that Christians set for them.)
What brings this to mind is a recent news story that a pastor of a parish of the Archdiocese has written a column in his church paper that approves the ‘pro-choice’ position in the abortion matter. His writing has generated much justified and heated anger from some of his parishioners. How can it be that a priest would write something that would–to the point–lend support to a pro- abortion candidate for public office? The fact is, that one of his own parishioners, who is a lector at Mass, is a candidate for governor of the State of Michigan. She is also pro-choice. He wrote the following malignant words endorsing ‘choice’ in an unqualified sense to his parishioners: “Choice is part of the very foundation of our Catholic Christian Community. To say that one is pro-choice is, for the Christian Community, an admission that we are created in freedom....it is a grave error to assume that the ability to freely choose actions and words is sinful.” Pro-life parishioners rightly have begun picketing the parish grounds. Now, if the clerical scandals of recent weeks have provoked outrage, all the more ought the faithful to rise up in indignation over this ever more grave form of clerical ‘abuse’, far more devastating, because it destroys not only this or that person’s moral life, but the souls and thinking of many people. I sure would like to see the novel policy recently adopted by our American bishops of ‘one-strike and out’ applied to such priests who dissent publicly from Catholic teaching or cause grave harm to morals through preaching, teaching, or writing. A sin against faith is more serious than a sin of unchastity. And, that this matter is certainly a sin against faith should be evident in that this priest’s position attacks not this or that doctrine, but undermines the very structure of faith. Faith is an unswerving submission to Truth, the free acceptance of revealed, given truths. ‘Choice’ in this priest’s terms would admit a freedom for each man to formulate his own doctrines, a view that is truly the very antithesis of faith.
Recall that the acceptance of secular culture by Christians was the complaint lodged against us by the non-believing philosopher quoted in the magazine article. One can only imagine what would be his contempt for priests who promote secular and anti-Christian views (many of which a non-believer himself might espouse) but who masquerades in clerical guise as a putative representative of Christ.
On another topic. I make a special appeal to your charity for prayers for the best possible outcome to the trial that will take place this week in the matter regarding Father Félicien. That it has now come to this point is sad indeed but well to be taking place as soon as possible. No matter what the outcome, it will be, in one sense, a ‘no winner’ in the sense that someone’s life, reputation, and future will be marred. I hope that, finally, truth will prevail and that justice and charity be manifest in the process.
Fr. Perrone
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patent +AMDG
That is a great idea. Too bad it will never be implemented.
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