“Careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone.”
-Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae, 1968
My mother gave birth to me, she has nourished me, washed me, given me life, and she sustains me. She does this not by her own faculties but these actions are done with her spouse with whom she is united. Recently, my mother has been brutally attacked, an abuse that is not domestic because no abuse would ever come from her perfect and holy husband. As a child I have been afraid and uncertain of how to defend she who loves me so perfectly in my imperfection. Also, I have been too busy to feel that I could announce her abuse adequately and realizing that will not change, I hope to do so inadequately but hopefully not completely ineffectively.
My mother loves all of her children but not only that she loves all people and believes in their potential. My mother is filled with never ending hope.
When the news comes that a woman is pregnant, she shares the news with her spouse and with excitement, fear, joy, and hope they prepare to fulfill their greatest calling. They share the news with loved ones and ultrasound pictures of new life, while still present in the womb, are shared on Facebook and placed on refrigerators. New life is the greatest joy a family can share and the most transformative experience they can go through.
Somehow though, there are people who find out about a child and are not excited about it and so are allowed to call it "nothing", "refuse," "garbage," and "not life at all." The hypocrisy induces a confusion that is nearly paralyzing. Like I said, my mother, the Holy Catholic Church, as the Bride of Christ, loves all people, even the unborn. She knows that the ending of a life that has begun and that did not exist before is murder. Publicly my mother has proclaimed her disagreement with the killing of unborn children for over 1,900 years. In the Didache, believed to be written in or near the first century, Chapter two, labeled "Grave Sins Forbidden," it says, "you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is born." This document is believed be a recording of the first Bishop's teaching. You can find this document here. The new so called "health and human services mandate" forces my mother, the Catholic Church, and her children to pay for abortion inducing drugs. In her bold gentleness I hear my mother say, "Even if you do not believe this is murder why would you ever want me to do it if I am so convicted that it is murder? Why would you ever want to force someone to cause what they believe to be murder?"
The Catholic Church is not against women's rights and that is simply and honestly not what this issue is about. Dr. Jenkins, the president of the University of Notre Dame, in his announcement that the University is suing the Obama administration wrote, "Let me say very clearly what this lawsuit is not about: it is not about preventing women from having access to contraception, nor even about preventing the Government from providing such services....As we assert the right to follow our conscience, we respect their right to follow theirs. And we believe that, if the Government wishes to provide such services, means are available that do not compel religious organizations to serve as its agents. We do not seek to impose our religious beliefs on others; we simply ask that the Government not impose its values on the University when those values conflict with our religious teachings." This issue is about religious freedom, which I believe all Americans support and would want to defend. Anyone that argues that this is about another issue is projecting their agenda onto this issue or finding loose connections to their agenda that are not primary in regards to this issue.
Sadly, the HHS mandate has revealed something that is true about Catholics; we are grossly divided. Our opponents see our division and say to my mother, "How can you try to stand tall when your children do not even stand with you?" And their words bring to fulfillment the prophetic words of Pope Paul VI who proclaimed only 37 years ago, "The power of evangelization will find itself considerably diminished if those who proclaim the Gospel are divided among themselves (Evangelization in the Modern World, 77). Divided we are, disgustingly so, but should we be surprised? No. Should we be concerned? Absolutely. As Fr. Joe Krupp explains, only 35 years or so after the Resurrected Christ had ascended His followers were dividing among themselves. "I belong to Paul!” “I belong to Apollos." They fought in Corinth. The Manicheans, the Gnostics, Maricion and his crew they all tried to take people away from the Church. In their fallen-ness people have always been drawn to division but tell me the last time you met a Manichean? Our mother stands strong, enduring because her Spouse, promised that she would and He cannot lie. "The gates of hell shall not prevail against you! (Mt. 16:18)." It took me 22 years of life to realize that my King would not say such a thing unless the gates of hell were going to try their damn best to prevail against His Church.
Now if people are not Catholic they cannot understand our allegiance and obedience to our mother but that should not be surprising. If they understood us they would be with us. The eyes of faith see clearly the glory of God, not in its fullness but ever-present throughout all of creation. Pity those that do not see such glory, do not judge them.
If so many of her children disagree with their mother we must examine why. At least a part of the answer is that they do not talk to her anymore and that they do not listen well. How many Catholics can attest that they have read the beautiful and poetic words that Paul VI poured himself into? The words he was maybe most personally connected to as a work of the Spirit? Humanae Vitae, a prophetic work written about contraception and human life. Find it here. How many, doubting Catholics can say that they have read these words with an open and humble heart? I was for contraception before I read them. How many Catholics that disagree with the Church about contraception have educated themselves with a truly open heart about why the Church disagrees with contraception and abortifacients? It is a percentage of Catholics that is much smaller than the percentage that approves the use of contraceptives. We act as a Church that does not listen and I think almost everyone is guilty. Those Catholics that disagree with the Church proclaim it loudly and then do not return to our table. Those Catholics that agree with the Church often dismiss anyone that disagrees and judges them for doing so. One thing pride does is it makes us crave being right not for the sake of truth but for protecting our comfort. Pride divorces our minds from listening to new perspectives. As Catholics we have been, as my good friend and mentor (Fr. Joe Krupp) says, "Baptizing our opinions." Meaning that we believe that what we think and say is holy and sacred and should be followed by others. It is pride that makes someone think they know how to "fix" a 2,000 year old institution. Trust your mother be patient with her.
Catholics, please I beg you let us be united. We can disagree, that is normal and so very healthy but we must agree much more often than we disagree or we are having the wrong conversations. What should we be talking about? More important things. God revealing and gifting God-self to us, is important. That God is Love and is calling us into unity and transformation with Love, this is very important. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, greeting the stranger, and giving drink to the thirsty this is supremely important. But let us admit these things are more difficult to discuss than politics. As Catholics can we admit that we are more comfortable debating and arguing over who is right than bearing our hearts and souls about our experience of God and our struggles in faith? We must stop labeling each other. Calling another Catholic, "Conservative, Liberal, Progress, or Traditional" is not helpful, it is not productive, it is not edifying. What we are doing is polarizing ourselves and the world and the Evil One see it and laugh. We are Catholic, it means "Universal" those other labels do not belong. We can disagree, that is ok but let us listen to each other, open to growth. Let us all seek humility and the endless fruits that it brings. Division is coming, let us be aware of it and stay close to our Mother. I fear some Catholics are viewing the HHS mandate as, "Oh, that is an issue that fanatic Catholics are getting really worked up about." Those that oppose the Catholic Church have been condescendingly acting like, "Why are you making such a big deal out of this?" We can hear that enough times and start to think, "Yeah, maybe this is being blown out of proportion." What they are using is a very tricky form of manipulation. When someone that is uncomfortable with a topic is in conversation with someone that is passionate about the same topic they (the uncomfortable person) degrade the importance of the topic. The goal is to make the passionate person feel silly and therefore back down. It can be very convincing.
We however, will not back down but we must remain loving. Active, bold but always loving. It is Jesus who says, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35). As Christians we must be defined by sacrificial love. Be kind to those that disagree with you, they will be so much more powerfully converted by your love than by your arguments. Wash the feet of those that betray you, forgive those who spit on you, and pray for those who persecute you. That is the beginning of what it means to live like Christ. Pray for president Obama and not in a condescending, “You are so wrong, so I’ll pray for you” mindset but truly as the beautiful child of God that he is, pray for him.
Our mother is hated but she is beautiful. Her children may lead you astray but she never will. You want health? Come to the Eucharistic table and you will receive healing Food from Heaven. You want human service? Talk to my mother she has served more bodies and souls than anyone else in the history of the world. We, her children, serve and defend with her not because those who we serve are Catholics but because we are.
To end I will quote and repeat some chilling and prophetic words from Pope Paul VI written in 1968.
“Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.
Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone. It could well happen, therefore, that when people, either individually or in family or social life, experience the inherent difficulties of the divine law and are determined to avoid them, they may give into the hands of public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and intimate responsibility of husband and wife.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
1 comment:
Beautifully stated, little brother. Well done.
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