Another Letter to the Editor

UPDATE: In my response to the below letter, I said, "Likewise, the Vatican does not invest in real estate." This, I have just learned, is quite wrong; the Vatican does invest in real estate. I apologize for my error.

On 6 August 2008, the Effingham Daily News published a Letter to the Editor from Harold Kaufman, titled, "Politics vs. worship." It reads as follows:

Many of the bishops and priests of the Catholic Church have developed the policy and practice of denying the Eucharist to certain pro-choice politicians in order to achieve a political objective. The bishops hope this practice will eventually lead to the appointment of Supreme Court justices who will then be disposed to overturning the established law that permits a woman to choose. The public humiliation and embarrassment the politician suffers in front of the congregation will instill in the parishioners who are present a powerful message that is designed to strongly influence them to vote for a particular political party.

The approach the church is taking to try to bring political change to solve the problem of abortion is shortsighted and counterproductive. Although this approach does ingratiate the church into the fold of the Republican Party, this ingratiation by the church has helped to bring about dire consequences to our country and its citizens for the past eight years. A list of these dire consequences would be much too long to cite in this letter.

The Catholic Church and other like-minded Christian denominations need to develop more creative and realistic programs to help the pregnant mother and the father to choose life. The church tries to put the burden of abortion on the politician and Supreme Court justices. This strategy diverts attention away from the responsibility the church has in developing more programs to help the individual pregnant mothers and fathers to choose life. Over the past several years, the Catholic Church has spent a billion or so dollars to court decisions that involved sexual abuse. What a tremendous saving change this money could have achieved if it hasd been spent helping to reduce the number or abortions.

The Catholic Church has many collections that are gathered to deal with myriads of problems society faces, but I know of no collection that is taken up for the specific purpose of helping to reduce the number of abortions. Perhaps the church needs to put its money where its mouth is and discontinue to insist politicians are somehow in a position to magically solve the moral problem of abortion.

Many church leaders insist the paramount issue the voter must consider when voting is the issue of abortion. By the same token, should't many of these same church leaders sak the question, "Should I spend this money to help reduce the number of abortions or should I spend it for some other purpose?" Many church leaders spend millions on questionable church building projects. The pope is said to wear Prada. The Vatican routinely invests billions in real estate and other investments. Where is the paramount issue of abortion when the church itself seems to put abortion on such a low priority within its own organization.

One of the few times Christ showed a hint of anger took place when he drove the money changers out of the temple, a place reserved for worship. What would Christ do if he came to America and saw bishops and priests using the Eucharist as a political tool? Christ would probably advise them in no uncertain terms that political activity should not take place in his church but in the precincts where political activity is appropriate. Parishioners should be encouraged to demand bishops, priests and pastors use their churches as places for worship and not for political purposes. If bishops, priests and pastors continue political activity in a house of worship, then follow Christ's example and drive them out or find a parish or congregation that promotes worship instead of politics.

My response, submitted today, follows:

It is a false dichotomy to pit worship and politics against each other as if they were mutually exclusive, as in the title of Mr. Harold Kaufman’s recent Letter to the Editor published in the Effingham Daily News 6 August 2008.

Because worship involves faith and faith affects every aspect of the believer’s life, faith necessarily bears on politics. The Church involves herself in political affairs only in so far as political actions have moral consequences.

Mr. Kaufman criticizes the United States Bishops’ enforcement of the universal law of the Church in regards to Catholics who support abortion. It has always been the teaching of the Church that those who support abortion are not to be admitted to Holy Communion, especially if doing so would cause scandal to the faithful, as is the case of such politicians.

Mr. Kaufman wrongly asserts that such a position aims at the appointment of Justices who will repeal Roe versus Wade. While this would be a most welcome move, withholding Holy Communion from those in “obstinate, grave sin” (canon 915) is a medicinal discipline to help such a person see the error of his ways and return to the truth as taught by Christ, not a political ploy. If such a politician is “embarrassed” by the action of the Church, it is because he or she presents him or herself for Holy Communion fully aware that he or she cannot receive it. This is not about coercing a politician for vote with one party or another but to embrace the truth of the dignity of every human life. If one party claims to respect life and another does not, this is not the fault of the Church. Mr. Kaufman would do well to recall that at one time the Democratic party supported life and the Republican party did not; the parties have both changed their stance on abortion and the right to life.

The Catholic Church has always condemned abortion as a violation of the Fifth Commandment: “you shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17). Such a stance is nothing new and certainly has nothing to do with political views; it is a recognition of the truth. The ancient teaching of the Apostles, recorded in the Didache (written between A.D. 90 and 120), reinforces this: “You shall not kill an unborn child or murder an infant” (2.2).

It has also been the constant teaching of the Church that those who do not share the same faith as the Church should not be admitted to Holy Communion because they are not, in fact, in communion with her. The Apostolic Tradition (written before A.D. 150) states: “Let the one who objects be rejected”” (8.32). This reflects the teaching of Saint Paul: “Therefore whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord” (I Corinthians 11:27ff). This teaching of the Apostle echoes the command of Jesus: “Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6).

The words of Saint Jerome seem apropos here: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” Mr. Kaufman would do well to read the Scriptures in their entirety, before incorrectly citing one verse to defend his position. He should take a new look at the verse he cites and read it in context.

To receive Holy Communion is to say “Amen,” that is, “I believe,” to all that the Church teaches as coming from the Lord Jesus, including what concerns the moral life.

Mr. Kaufman seems unaware of the Church’s vast efforts to assist those facing an abortion and those who have experienced the tragedy of abortion. How many crisis pregnancy centers have been established by Catholics who continue to support them? How many of the faithful pray daily the unborn? How many men and women have entered new religious communities, such as the Sisters for Life and the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, who dedicate their lives to the service of the unborn? How many women and men have been assisted after an abortion through Project Rachel? These are just a few of the Church’s apostolates in this regard.

To suggest that the Catholic Church only seeks to end abortion through politics is ludicrous. While we agree with Mr. Kaufman that more can and should be done, the Church already puts great effort and prayer into the cause for a respect of all human life, born and unborn.

We should also note the Pope does not wear Prada and never has, as Mr. Kaufman suggests. Likewise, the Vatican does not invest in real estate. Before leveling such false accusations, Mr. Kaufman should investigate the facts of the matter.

Mr. Kaufman suggests that the Church takes up no collection to help end abortion. Perhaps he should investigate more closely how Catholic Charities, and other Catholic groups, spend the monies they receive and raise.

I would challenge Mr. Kaufman to demonstrate how simply spending more money will end abortion. It is not money that will end abortion but the turning of hearts to a recognition of the reality of sin and toward the love of God and neighbor. Money cannot do this.