Reclaim our Catholic Identity

The recent healthcare debate in Washington brought to light an increasingly troubling division within the Church. Archbishop Chaput has written about it Catholics,health care and the Senate's bad bill, How we got from good intentions to a flawed bill, and The Captivity Of ‘Catholic’ Witness. But, with all due respect, these articles are not presented in the mainstream media. What has been presented is an emphasis on the ambiguity of the position of the Catholic Church.

The transcript excerpt from last week's Fox News Sunday presented below underscores how some so called credible "Catholics" provided cover for Catholic politicians to go against the position of the bishops, the teaching authority of the Church. In the end, 127 out of 136 "catholic" Democrats voted for the bill. But, perhaps even more damaging was the very public display of this dissent and the confusing message it sends to all Catholics across the nation.

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Fox News Sunday, transcript excerpt:

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Well, I'd argue it isn't even necessary to add that language because the bill absolutely is status quo on the Hyde Amendment, does not provide federal funds. In fact, the — that's why the Catholic Health Association, the nuns, significant Catholic groups have all endorsed health care reform.

RYAN: The bishops are the authority, and the bishops say...

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Well...

RYAN: Take it — I'm a Catholic. Let me tell you, the bishops are the authority, not the hospital administrators.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: I'm sure the nuns would be...

RYAN: And they say this funds abortion.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: I'm sure the nuns would be surprised to learn that they don't have the right to weigh in on health care reform.

RYAN: Hospital administrators are not the — are not the keepers of the doctrine. The bishops are.

WALLACE: I'm curious about Wasserman Schultz and Ryan arguing about the Catholic Church, but as they say, politics make strange bedfellows.

So, what is the harm?

Reading the comments on a recent Wall Street Journal blog article Group of Catholic Nuns Supports Health Bill will highlight the the disunity and division in the Church that is so destructive.  The Church is under attack from within, as well as from the outside. As it is clear that the bishops are the teaching authority in the Church, I have to emphasize the point I made in a comment  that I posted  to that blog article (under the alias countercultural rebel): 

"The Catholic Church is to stand for God’s truth whether the culture likes it or not. It is the Bishop’s job to teach that truth, and our job as faithful Catholics to accept it. It all comes down to a matter of faith. No one is forced to accept or practice the Catholic faith, however, they should not lay any claim to the Catholic identity if they do not truly practice the faith, with all its demands and expectations.

Now, I’m sure that people like Anon-non-non will enjoy mocking this idea of fidelity to our bishops, but such people do not share our faith. If we have faith, we know that our own notion of what is ultimately good for humanity is not reliable, but that we can place our hope in Jesus Christ, and the teaching of His Church.The real fools in the eyes of the Catholic faithful, are those who place their trust and hope in man and the institutions created by man. Through the ages, such have always failed to deliver what was promised."

So, what can we do?

First, write to Archbishop Chaput and let him know that you support him, and that you are fed up with these fringe groups diminishing our holy faith. His email address is: shepherd@archden.org. (note: Shepherd). Second, write to Bishop Blair who is conducting the Vatican's investigation of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), who's member congregations are responsible for the "nun's" position. Let him know that the destructive division caused by these nuns can no longer be tolerated. His mail address is:

Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair
Bishop of Toledo
P.O. Box 985
Toledo, OH  43697-0985

Finally, get engaged in the blogosphere. Write and post comments defending our bishops and our faith. Let the world know that we want to reclaim our Catholic identity.