Dr. Arthur Hippler: A Reply To Some Catholic Politicians

A Reply To Some Catholic Politicians
By ARTHUR M. HIPPLER

In recent weeks, the press in Wisconsin and elsewhere has given ample space to our Catholic legislators who support abortion to "defend themselves" against Bishop Raymond L. Burke’s "notification" that such Catholics should not be admitted to Communion. The character of the objections is largely pragmatic, and reveals a fundamental compromise on the application of Catholic social teaching to American politics.

(Bishop Burke wrote the "notification" as the bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wis.; he has now been installed as the archbishop of St. Louis, Mo.)
Some have asked, "What is the role of an individual to work within the realm of his own conscience?" This question seems to consider conscience detached from its foundation in the moral law. Without this foundation, conscience becomes mere rationalization. No one, for example, would excuse a Catholic legislator who promoted racist policies on the ground of "conscience." Conscience must be measured by the moral law, or else it becomes simply a license for personal whim.

Others have objected this way: "We can’t be a one-issue Church. We can’t have one issue be the litmus test to decide if someone is a good Catholic or not." They wonder why the bishop did not bar politicians from Communion who support capital punishment or the Iraq war.
...
Allow me to conclude with this observation: By and large, few are objecting to Bishop Burke’s reasoning in the pastoral letter On the Dignity of Human Life and Civic Responsibility and its accompanying "notification." They do not like the consequences and repercussions, but they cannot deny that His Excellency has followed out the logical conclusions of Catholic teaching. By this, many Catholics are openly admitting that they have compromised the truth of Catholic teaching for secular and political gain.

Dr. Arthur M. Hippler is the director of the Office of Justice and Peace in the Diocese of La Crosse, Wis.

Wanderer Article here.