Church Teaching versus the Legislative Process

I want to continue my series of entries on the use of authority in the Church and what might be an appropriate relationship for the Church in the political sphere. A few members of the clergy and the heirarchy are choosing to deny communion to Catholic politicians who dissent from certain Catholic teachings. Chief among these teachings tends to be that of abortion. The problem however, is that I know of no Catholic politician who has in any public way dissented from the Church's teachings on abortion. The Church teaches that abortion is always wrong, even when done to save the life of the Mother. I have heard no Catholic politician disagree with that position.

I understand that abortion is a hot topic in the Church today and there is an aggressive movement pushing for a strong right to life stance. That is understandable and even laudable, but it does not excuse confusing, sometimes deliberately, Church teaching from public policy or legislation. Some will say that abortion is so serious an issue that drastic measures are needed. Yet another seemingly forgotten teaching of the Church is that the end does not justify the means. The Church has chosen on this issue to blur the very distinctions that have been the hallmark of its scholastic heritage. Perhaps that is because there has been a movement away from intellectual pursuits in the Church, but that is a topic for another day.

Let me give an example of what I mean. The presumed position of Church leaders would be a push for the overturning by the United States Supreme Court of the Roe vs. Wade decision. Yet, if that were to occur it would mean that each state could then decide for itself issues related to abortion. Some would undoubtedly ban abortion and many others would continue to keep it legal. To insist that a Catholic politician endorse such a position would prevent this individual from making any kind of personal legislative judgements, plus he would be forced to advocate for a position that does not represent what Catholics believe. That is, unless Catholics believe that it is O.K. for New York to countenance abortion rights as long as Georgia institutes a ban on it. It is the role of the politician, not the Church or Church leaders to develop specific pieces of legislation. No legislation is likely to conform exactly to the doctrinal positions of the Roman Catholic Church. It is one thing for the Church to define its position on a particular issue, it is another to craft legislation and then insist that this specific legislation must be supported by all Catholics or the Eucharist might be denied them.

A politician, even a Catholic politician, enters the political arena to try to make life better for people based on his understanding of the political system, the art of the possible, and what he believes is in the interest of all his constituents. In this country that task involves a critical sensitivity to the multi-cultural society in which we live. His work is of course informed by his Catholic faith, but the notion that his parish priest is going to be looking over his shoulder, to make sure he toes the line as defined by the Church on each issue is insulting to his intelligence. John Kennedy told us in 1960 that he would not be taking orders from the Vatican.