The last nine months have seen two brief but strong documents from the
Vatican containing some direct messages to Catholic politicians.
[Of course, all the right things are said, but these documents do not reach
their intended audience on their own. You and I have a role to play.
Without waiting for our bishop, pastor, or anyone else, we should personally and
directly deliver these documents to those who need to read them -- after, of
course, reading them carefully ourselves. They can be obtained at
www.priestsforlife.org/magisteriumvatican.htm].
The first of these documents is the
"Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the Participation of Catholics in
Political Life." You can usually find a message in the date on which these
Vatican documents are issued, and this one is dated on the Feast of Christ
the King (November 24, 2002). Jesus Christ is Lord not only of individuals,
but of nations. "All authority has been given to me, both in heaven and on
earth" (Mt. 28:18). This does not deny the proper autonomy of the state, nor is
it a call for building a theocracy. There are certain things that the state
properly does, and others that the Church properly does. But both
are subject to God and the norms of morality that He has built into creation.
In our day, of course, the question asked is, "Whose God? Whose morality?"
The question implies that we can't tell the difference between fundamental
rights and wrongs. While upholding religious freedom, we reject the idea that
every concept about life, marriage, family, justice and peace is equal. And this
is the point of this "Doctrinal Note" from the Vatican. It's a good news flash
that we as human beings have not lost the ability to tell right from wrong.
Politicians, especially Catholics, are not permitted to take refuge in a "your
truth is as good as my truth" mindset.
The second
document, issued on June 3, gives a concrete example. It addresses the
attempt to legitimize gay marriage, and, after reviewing why such attempts
violate the moral law, tells Catholic politicians that it is immoral for them to
vote for the recognition of homosexual unions.
Some politicians responded that the Pope is trying to interfere with
democracy. On the contrary, the Pope is promoting democracy. As he wrote
in The Gospel of Life, "[T]he value of democracy stands or falls with the
values which it embodies and promotes" (#70). Henry Hyde expressed the same
truth this way: "To have a virtuous kingdom it is enough perhaps to
have a virtuous king, but you cannot have a successful democracy without a
virtuous people" (Heritage Lecture #673, July 19, 2000). Democracy means we
govern ourselves, and we can't govern ourselves if we can't tell the difference
between what is good for us and what can destroy us. What we need is
virtuous democracy -- a self-governing people free to strive for and do
what is right.
Incidentally, June 3 is a feast of a group of martyrs.
