Back when I was at the parish, one night I was locking up the church and a lady stopped me to say something.
"You're a good priest, Father, but you're not pro-life enough."
Showing posts with label Justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Justice. Show all posts
July 11, 2013
September 29, 2009
Standing Up for Real Health Care
One must rejoice a little when the secular press represents a Catholic position more or less well. From the New York Times this morning:
The Catholic Church seeks to cooperate with grace in the development of the common good and a more just human society; public health--as an issue of both wellness and justice in our time--is a critical component of this vision. The problem here is that abortion is not health care, but in fact the opposite, both for its specific victims and for the deforming of our imagination around human life that it imposes on all of us.
Full article here. Thanks to the writer, David D. Kirkpatrick.
UPDATE: An old friend, who often does me the great favor of keeping me honest in these posts, reminds me that we should always keep in mind that federal funding for abortion has long been forbidden. So, just to clarify, my point is not to try to say anything about politics, funding, insurance plans or anything else about which I am unqualified to comment. What I do want to point out is that the debate in these days is a good moment to remind ourselves that what the world calls 'health care' is not the same thing as what we Catholics would call 'health care.' Since many of our so-called Catholic politicians do not seem to care about this distinction, I think it's important that we point it out when we can.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has lobbied for decades to persuade the government to provide universal health insurance, says it opposes the bill unless it bans the use of subsidies for plans that cover abortion.
The Catholic Church seeks to cooperate with grace in the development of the common good and a more just human society; public health--as an issue of both wellness and justice in our time--is a critical component of this vision. The problem here is that abortion is not health care, but in fact the opposite, both for its specific victims and for the deforming of our imagination around human life that it imposes on all of us.
Full article here. Thanks to the writer, David D. Kirkpatrick.
UPDATE: An old friend, who often does me the great favor of keeping me honest in these posts, reminds me that we should always keep in mind that federal funding for abortion has long been forbidden. So, just to clarify, my point is not to try to say anything about politics, funding, insurance plans or anything else about which I am unqualified to comment. What I do want to point out is that the debate in these days is a good moment to remind ourselves that what the world calls 'health care' is not the same thing as what we Catholics would call 'health care.' Since many of our so-called Catholic politicians do not seem to care about this distinction, I think it's important that we point it out when we can.
September 26, 2006
The Superdome
Yesterday I saw a bit on TV about the grand re-opening of the New Orleans Superdome for the Saint's victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Now I know they did some stuff to honor the suffering of the victims of hurricane Katrina, and they had some first responders present for the festivities, but I couldn't get over the part that I saw with a bunch of celebrities and important people in fancy suits, enjoying special treats and fine china.
It seems to me that it would have been more classy to fill the newly fixed and renovated Superdome with all of the poor and unimportant kind of folks who suffered through the hurricane. It would have been a fine opportunity to subvert the divisions of class and race that make this country suffer so much.
In the Office of Readings today God's Word comes through psalm 12:
"For the poor who are oppressed and the needy who groan
I myself will arise," says the Lord.
"I will grant them the salvation for which they thirst."
Now I know they did some stuff to honor the suffering of the victims of hurricane Katrina, and they had some first responders present for the festivities, but I couldn't get over the part that I saw with a bunch of celebrities and important people in fancy suits, enjoying special treats and fine china.
It seems to me that it would have been more classy to fill the newly fixed and renovated Superdome with all of the poor and unimportant kind of folks who suffered through the hurricane. It would have been a fine opportunity to subvert the divisions of class and race that make this country suffer so much.
In the Office of Readings today God's Word comes through psalm 12:
"For the poor who are oppressed and the needy who groan
I myself will arise," says the Lord.
"I will grant them the salvation for which they thirst."
September 15, 2006
Our Lady of Sorrows
Mary, like many mothers before her and since, had to go through the suffering of having her own son fall victim to the world's twisted cycle of violence, oppression, and war.
Women bear a disproportionate share of the injustice and suffering we human beings insist on making for ourselves. Just as Mary became the path of the Word into the world, so Our Lady of Sorrows can be a path for us to share in God's compassion for all the suffering women and mothers of our world.
Women bear a disproportionate share of the injustice and suffering we human beings insist on making for ourselves. Just as Mary became the path of the Word into the world, so Our Lady of Sorrows can be a path for us to share in God's compassion for all the suffering women and mothers of our world.
September 11, 2006
9.11
Today we remember the tragedy of September 11, 2001. And I think we are wise to mourn the victims of that day, but we also pray for all of the further victims of the attendant "war on terror" and the grand disaster of our response to the attacks.
It makes me think that perhaps both the perpetrators of Islamic violence and we arrogant western crusaders might take a lesson from Francis in the Earlier Rule.
Francis writes that the brothers who are inspired to go among non-believers may do so in one of two ways. They may either keep themselves quiet and humble, not arguing or debating with anyone, and being subject to every human creature for God's sake (2 Peter 2:13), simply confessing that they are Christians. In this way they preach the poor and humble Christ without having to say anything. Or they may boldly preach the Trinity and the necessity of baptism for salvation, and gratefully suffer whatever consequences come.
We might note that neither of these paths involves killing or imprisoning anyone.
It makes me think that perhaps both the perpetrators of Islamic violence and we arrogant western crusaders might take a lesson from Francis in the Earlier Rule.
Francis writes that the brothers who are inspired to go among non-believers may do so in one of two ways. They may either keep themselves quiet and humble, not arguing or debating with anyone, and being subject to every human creature for God's sake (2 Peter 2:13), simply confessing that they are Christians. In this way they preach the poor and humble Christ without having to say anything. Or they may boldly preach the Trinity and the necessity of baptism for salvation, and gratefully suffer whatever consequences come.
We might note that neither of these paths involves killing or imprisoning anyone.
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