Church and State (Part III of VI)

09-01-2024Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II were two of the most important and influential figures concerning faith and politics of the 20th century. Both men were extremely gifted in their determination and their words. Together, they liberated Europe and made the world a better place by being a voice for the voiceless. They recognized that the just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsibility of politics. Both men knew that the fight for justice is not exclusively the role of the state. The Church in her God given responsibility to proclaim the truth of the Gospel “cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice.” (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 183)

Few popes in the history of the Catholic Church have written more about Our Lord Jesus and the Gospel than Pope John Paul II. With a keen eye for world events, Pope John Paul II set out proclaiming the Gospel of Life as a pivotal teaching for the entire world. His encyclical, The Gospel of Life, defines in powerful ways his storied and historic papacy. Understanding the “culture of death”, Pope John Paul II introduced Evangelium Vitae with these words: “The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus' message. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as "good news" to the people of every age and culture.” (Evangelium Vitae, no. 1).

Acknowledging the clarion call from the popes throughout history to combat the “culture of death”, Archbishop Eduardo Gomez points to two injustices specifically. “Among the evils and injustices in American life in our current day, abortion and euthanasia are different and stand apart. Each is a direct, personal attack on innocent and vulnerable human life. Abortion has become a part of mainstream health care and one of the “freedoms” that Americans presume. Euthanasia, or doctor-assisted suicide, is fast gaining that same status. Both practices are zealously defended by our society’s elites — those who shape public opinion and civic morality through government, the popular media, and education.” (Catholics in the Public Square, Forward, Archbishop Gomez)

Like the holy men and women who have remained faithful to Our Lord throughout the ages, Catholics have a vital role protecting the unborn and the elderly by electing officials and leaders who promote the Gospel of life in our present day. Sincere Catholics must discern elected officials’ willingness to defend life at all its stages but especially the life of the most vulnerable. No reasonable person could knowingly promote the culture of death. No faithful Catholic can sit by silently when provoked by a culture of death.

To assist and inform Catholics to make morally responsible decisions in the ballot box, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops speak of our “preeminent priority”. They emphasize the importance of forming a person’s conscience in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. An informed Catholic conscience establishes the faithful Catholic’s role in electing officials who stand for life in meaningful and definitive ways. Elected or not, everyone is called by God to stand for life, to protect the unborn children who have no voice, who have no choice.

Paragraph 73 of Evangelium Vitae – The Gospel of Life states: “Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize. There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection. From the very beginnings of the Church, the apostolic preaching reminded Christians of their duty to obey legitimately constituted public authorities (cf. Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13-14), but at the same time it firmly warned that "we must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

To be continued…

Fr. Don Kline
Pastor