Ok – I’ve never heard of this before but maybe you have. A Bishop who dares to show up as an audience member at a public forum to correct the panel of experts’ misstatement of Catholic teaching.
On October 19, Bishop Martino of Scranton unexpectedly appeared at a scheduled public forum in Honesdale, PA, not as a panel presenter, but as a member of the audience. The forum’s topic was the permissability of a Catholic voting for a politician supporting abortion. The panel passed out the US Catholic Conference of Bishop’s statement “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” and proceeded to discuss, with varying viewpoints, what it’s practical application means to Catholics.
Unfortunately for the panel, it neglected (deliberately?) to also pass out a probably more relevant document, Bishop Martino’s September 30, 2008 letter which was clearer and more forthright than the USCCB’s statement (which leaves quite a bit of wiggle room for those who want to wiggle). In his September 30 letter he in part stated:
Health care, education, economic security, immigration, and taxes are very important concerns. Neglect of any one of them has dire consequences as the recent financial crisis demonstrates. However, the solutions to problems in these areas do not usually involve a rejection of the sanctity of human life in the way that abortion does. Being “right” on taxes, education, health care, immigration, and the economy fails to make up for the error of disregarding the value of a human life. Consider this: the finest health and education systems, the fairest immigration laws, and the soundest economy do nothing for the child who never sees the light of day. It is a tragic irony that “pro-choice” candidates have come to support homicide – the gravest injustice a society can tolerate – in the name of “social justice. [and quoting former Bishop Timlin]: “No, the taking of innocent human life is so heinous, so horribly evil, and so absolutely opposite to the law of Almighty God that abortion must take precedence over every other issue. I repeat. It is the single most important issue confronting not only Catholics, but the entire electorate.”
..[I]t is incumbent upon bishops to correct Catholics who are in error regarding these matters. Furthermore, public officials who are Catholic and who persist in public support for abortion and other intrinsic evils should not partake in or be admitted to the sacrament of Holy Communion. As I have said before, I will be vigilant on this subject.”
So Bishop Martino stood and objected:
“No USCCB document is relevant in this diocese,” said Martino. “The USCCB doesn’t speak for me.”
“The only relevant document … is my letter,” he said. “There is one teacher in this diocese, and these points are not debatable.”
3 things I find delicious in this story: (1) The wishy washy USCCB is correctly put in its place, (2) a Bishop who has the guts to proactively participate in public dialog. Most Bishops would have let the forum take place, and would only have responded with a dry press statement and then only if there were complaints made, and (3) the Bishop states his authority clearly and draws the line around what is not up for grabs. This Bishop is leading his flock with gusto and courage!
Full story appeared in the local Wayne Independent.
