We know that improvisation is almost always at odds with precision. The Pope Leo’s troubling words directed at American Catholics regarding the case of Democratic Senator Durbin are raising blisters. It has been learned that the senator has resigned from the award. The Pope has confused the doctrine on abortion with the death penalty, stating that «saying ‘I am against abortion’ but ‘in favor of the death penalty’ is not truly pro-life, nor is «agreeing with the inhumane treatment of immigrants in the United States». Like the death penalty or immigration, which, while important, allow for legitimate debate among the faithful and are not all equally morally serious. «This relativist approach, which seems to minimize the gravity of sins against life, only fuels the already widespread doctrinal confusion and undermines the moral clarity expected from the Universal Pastor».
Pope Leo is already under fire for his comments from Tuesday, when he said: «Whoever says they are against abortion but in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life. Whoever says they are against abortion but agrees with the inhumane treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that is pro-life». All in the midst of the dispute over Cardinal Blase Cupich’s plans, Archbishop of Chicago, to honor Democratic Senator from Illinois Dick Durbin, a Catholic politician who supports abortion rights, with a lifetime achievement award for his defense of immigration. On Tuesday, Durbin “has decided not to receive an award at our Keep Hope Alive celebration”, says Cupich himself.
Cupich is bleeding from the wound. Has he received orders to fix the mess?: «Senator Durbin informed me today that he has decided not to receive an award at our Keep Hope Alive celebration. While this news saddens me, I respect his decision. However, I want to clarify that the decision to award him was made specifically in recognition of his singular contribution to immigration reform and his unwavering support for immigrants, so necessary today. However, I would be negligent if I did not take this opportunity to share some additional reflections that I offer as his pastor. Reflecting on my 50 years as a priest and 27 as a bishop, I have seen how divisions within the Catholic community deepen dangerously. These divisions harm the unity of the Church and undermine our witness to the Gospel. Bishops cannot simply ignore this situation, as we have the duty to promote unity and help all Catholics embrace the Church’s teachings as a coherent whole».
«The tragedy of our current situation in the United States lies in the fact that Catholics find themselves politically helpless. The policies of neither of the two political parties perfectly reflect the breadth of Catholic doctrine. Moreover, polls tend to show that, on public policy issues, Catholics themselves remain divided along partisan lines, just like all Americans. This stalemate has taken hold over the years and our divisions undermine our vocation to witness to the Gospel. The controversy of the last few days points to the depth and danger of such an impasse. Some would say that the Church should never honor a political leader if he pursues policies diametrically opposed to critical elements of Catholic social doctrine».
«But the tragic reality in our nation today is that there are virtually no Catholic public officials who consistently pursue the essential elements of Catholic social doctrine because our party system does not allow it. Total condemnation is not the solution, as it closes the debate. But praise and encouragement can open it, by inviting those who receive it to consider how to extend their good work to other areas and issues. In more general terms, a positive approach can keep hope alive that it is worth speaking and collaborating to promote the common good. No one wants to relate to someone who treats them as an absolute moral threat to the community. But people will relate, and even learn from, those who recognize their contribution to a common effort».
«It is also important to make clear that it would be wrong to interpret the decisions about the “Keep Hope Alive” event as a moderation in our stance on abortion. We firmly affirm what the Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly states: «From the first century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable». Likewise, there should be no doubt about our duty to defend laws that protect human life, as well as the Church’s right to the free exercise of religion. Catholic bishops responded heroically when the right to life of the unborn was denied by the 1973 Supreme Court decisions. That right to life still must be defended without compromise».
Another issue, that of immigration, has been inadequately addressed by our nation for a long time, but it is also a problem in which American bishops have invested our energy and resources for a long time. Thirty years ago, St. John Paul II delivered a homily in our nation in which he vigorously defended the rights of the unborn, the elderly, and people with disabilities, and quoted the poem inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty. He asked: «Is present-day America becoming less sensitive, less compassionate toward the poor, the weak, the strangers, the needy? It must not be so!».
Today everything is weighed and measured and we already have many people who have spoken out against Pope Leo blessing an ice block during a world church summit on climate change, a “strange hippie pagan ritual of Earth worship”. A recording of the Pope blessing an ice block has been widely shared online. Several figures have criticized the action, calling it «paganism» and stating that «the leader of the Catholic Church should not be near this nonsense». The event took place in the context of growing political polarization in the United States around climate issues, with Pope Leo launching veiled criticisms at those who ridicule global warming science. At the same time, Pope Leo is already facing negative reactions for his comments on abortion and what it means to be pro-life.
Despite the pontifical support.
If anything, the United States is very special and there, if they have to give someone a piece of their mind, they do. And Mierdich heard it.
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