All Catholics should unite behind universal principles
By Alexander J. Brunett
Special to The Times
The election-year controversy over pro-choice Catholic politicians receiving Communion has become the cause for division among some Catholics and raised concerns among non-Catholics. It has raised questions about the separation of church and state, the role of faith in political decision-making and what the Catholic Church teaches regarding abortion, the sacrament of the Eucharist and participation by Catholic people in the political process.
As the spiritual leader for nearly 1 million Catholics in Western Washington, I issued a statement Monday that can be read in its entirety on the Archdiocese of Seattle Web site (
www.seattlearch.org ). This statement is not in support of any candidate or political party. It is a teaching statement addressed to Roman Catholics and does not tell them how to vote.
It attempts to dispel the notion, proposed by some, that the constitutional separation of church and state implies that religious leaders should not involve themselves in politics when moral principles are at stake. It reminds Catholics that if they profess to be in communion with the church, their faith values must inform their political actions and not the other way around.
While affirming church teaching, which unequivocally promotes the sanctity of all human life and opposes abortion, it recognizes that we all must have choices and that those choices should be informed by a clear conscience. We do not control people by mandate or fiat.
My statement instructs ministers of the Eucharist in our archdiocese that no one may be denied Communion without the opportunity for both pastoral dialogue and due process. If after such a dialogue, a Catholic recognizes that they are not in communion with the church, it seems clear that they should voluntarily withdraw from Eucharistic sharing without the need for formal action by me or the Catholic Church.
The Second Vatican Council called the Eucharist "the source and summit of our faith." We believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and Catholics assemble around the altar in communion with one another to appropriate his life, death and resurrection.
As a result, it should be clear that one who is not in communion with the Catholic Church should not be receiving Communion. Coming together to celebrate our Eucharist is a central expression of our communion with God and each other. We derive from it the strength and inspiration to live out our values in our families, in our place of work and in the public square.
The debate surrounding reception of Communion by certain Catholic politicians has been especially painful, precisely because we gather for Communion not as individuals but as a community united in faith. For us, the Eucharist must never become the source of division.
As political factions on both sides of this debate have tried to seize political advantage, however, non-Catholics and non-Christians have understandably worried that the lines between church and state are blurring. Some have suggested that the constitutional separation between church and state amounts to a prohibition against church leaders involving themselves in politics.
This misunderstanding turns the constitutional protection on its head. The separation of church and state protects churches and their people from the imposition of a state religion. It is a guarantee of religious freedom, not a gag order on the ordained.
Catholic leaders understand that many in our secular culture do not share our beliefs. We also recognize that every citizen is entitled to the full and free expression of their values. So we bring our principles into the public square and expect that others will do the same.
One of the most troubling aspects of the current debate over Catholic politicians and Communion has been the suggestion by some that they can separate their faith from their political actions. This, as I have said before, is a dangerous moral delusion. Those who profess to be in communion with the Catholic Church may in good conscience arrive at different political alternatives, but they are obliged to apply its moral principles when making their decisions.
Later this summer, I will join with the other Catholic bishops of Washington state to issue a statement encouraging all Catholics to participate fully in the political process. This statement will remind Catholic people that church teaching is ordered to promote the common good, not the electoral prospects of any party or candidate.
It will encourage Catholic women and men to put the dignity of all human life and the needs of the poor and vulnerable ahead of personal gain, political partisanship or the narrowly defined goals of any special-interest group.
Finally, this statement will call on the Catholic people to consider the teachings of our church in their totality, to analyze public-policy issues for their full social and moral dimension, and to measure all public policies and political candidates against Gospel values.
While political issues may divide us during this election season, the universal principles that have guided our church for centuries unite us still.
Archbishop Alexander J. Brunett is the spiritual leader of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, which includes all of Western Washington from the Columbia River to the Canadian border.
Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company
Threaded Mode
