Conscience

Slim pickings at the moment when it comes to the blog. I have been engaged in a writing project which has been on the back burner for some time, so that took me away from my regular interventions here. There are more projects waiting to be finished also, so it may be slim pickings for a while yet. That and parish work keeps me busy.

I have been keeping up with developments in recent weeks and a lot has happened. In recent days one piece in particular interested me and I would like to share a few reflections with you. It was an article Edward Peters, the canon lawyer, wrote on his blog concerning priests and conscience. In the piece he reminded us all that priests have consciences too, and these consciences must be respected. As I read the piece I was thrilled to see that someone is looking at things from a priest's perspective and defending us. 

To be honest, as a priest I have to say the last number of years have been difficult. We have been on the receiving end of a lot of abuse, mired in controversy, dragged through the media. Pope Benedict tried to ease the stress by the Year of the Priest, a year dedicated to help us renew, but the scandals destroyed that. Pope Francis's tirades against us haven't helped either. Talking with brother priests I see the morale is very very low, in fact I have never seen it as low as it is, and this has me worried. Most priests are hard working men who do their best, but get little support. Some laity and bishops are very good, but there is an attitude in the Church which regards priests as functionaries and we are expected to just get on with it. Dr Peters's article is welcome because it does not treat us as functionaries, but as members of the Church. You can read his piece here, if you haven't already read it.

This is the crucial bit:  "Many clerics, Deo gratias, and other ministers of the Eucharist, recognize the significance of their sacramental office and know—as all Catholics should know—that their actions, too, are carried out before a God who sees all".  In conscience a priest cannot do what is wrong, regardless of who asks him be it divorced and remarried Catholics, bishops, brides looking for the perfect wedding, grieving families organising a funeral. A priest has to be faithful to God, Church teaching and the laws of the liturgy; if he is not, then he sins. 

Too often as a priest I have been asked to break the rules of the Church for people; they ask it as a favour, or to keep the bride happy on her big day, or as a gesture of compassion towards a grieving family. What does a priest do? Do I do what I know in my conscience to be wrong to keep people happy? I have been told other priests do it, but should that be the measure of my moral observance - if others are doing it, then it is okay? Speaking with those who make such demands I gently remind them that such things are not possible: I cannot do it because I know it to be wrong. But they have no concern for the state of my soul; they want it, demand it and I must conform if I am a "Christian". When I tell them I would be committing a sin if I did it, they make little of it; it is not important. My right to follow my conscience must fall to their desires.

I remember in a few cases, for example, explaining to bereaved families why eulogies are not permitted in our diocese - our bishop does not allow them. In each case I have been asked to make an exception for them - so I put it in context for them: "Are you asking me to be disobedient to my bishop?" The answer is usually "Yes" but expressed in that round-about way only the Irish have mastered. Refusal on my part is usually interpreted on their part as a lack of compassion, a betrayal of Christ's values of being nice and conciliatory. 

Priests have consciences too. If a priest does something that he knows is wrong or not permitted by the Church then he sins. Am I as priest expected to bear the burden of such sinning when I, like every other Christian, have enough sin to deal with in my personal life? Am I just a functionary? Some say that if the bishop permits it then it is okay. That is true if the bishop has the competence to dispense. However in some areas, like communion for the divorced and remarried (since it is being discussed now), a bishop cannot dispense from the moral law of God; then no, not even the orders of a bishop can compel a priest to "give in". I know of one case, for example, where a bishop ordered a priest to give communion to a married woman living very publicly in a second relationship. The priest rightly resisted and suffered for it. The bishop thought that the priest's conscience could be set aside with an episcopal decree.

Not so. If I, in conscience, know something is wrong or not permitted, then I must remain true to my conscience regardless of what others think or do. As a Christian I must be permitted to follow my conscience, just because I am priest does not mean that I can put it in a box and forget about it when performing my priestly duties or celebrating the liturgy. Some may say that some of these issues are small things, they do not really register on the radar; however, Christ himself said that he who is faithful in small things can be trusted with great. The small things do matter, even more so than the great because, for most of us, our lives are usually measured in small things. Few of us rarely have to face major moral problems, but we do face the small ones every day, and our conscience is not a faculty given to be taken out for the big events of one's life, it is a constant companion that is meant to keep us on the right road, and on the right side of the road. 

So thanks to Dr Peters for his piece; it is most welcome.

Red Tail Wagging Blue Dog?

At the end of our St Genesius Film Club in Dublin yesterday evening, a number of people were discussing the government's decision to legislate for abortion and the Archbishops's response, one young man, a teenager commented: "Well, what do you expect?  It's the red tail wagging the blue dog."  An interesting comment and one which reflects the opinion of many that Labour has whipped Fine Gael into supporting its own anti-life agenda.  I do not know if it is true, but it may well be academic since history will record, and we will never forget, that Enda Kenny and Fine Gael as the majority party in government, brought abortion into Ireland.  

I see Labour Minister Pat Rabbitte is shocked at the Church's response and is castigating the bishops in his own inimitable way.   He wonders how the bishops can jump to conclusions when the legislation has not even been written, well the dogs in the streets, red, blue or green, know what Labour are trying to do.  The bishops have stood up and are being counted and are showing that in the struggle to come they will not be silenced now. Perhaps Minister Rabbitte is shocked to discover that the Church has teeth after all.  And it seems Minister Rabbitte does not like the term "culture of death", well it may grate on his ears, but that's what he and his colleagues in government are seeking to create. 

Of course bishops, faithful and pro-life organisations must work together, as I have said.  No doubt the media will be up to its usual tricks and will try and support red tail/blue dog in getting the legislation through,  That may well mean the "exposing" of another scandal involving the Church at a crucial moment, but I think we need to take a piece of advice from an exorcist when engaged in an exorcism - when the strange things start happening, ignore them, they are distractions designed to unsettle and interrupt.  It will be necessary, then, to be prepared and to have a plan of action ready.  While I hesitate to use the terms of war since they imply violence, which we must reject at all costs, we are engaged in a war - the battle for life. 

One of the issues the Archbishops's statement raised was that of the free vote - as I mentioned, the parties are going to impose the whip and so TDs will not be free to vote according to conscience but must do as they are told.  First of all I note the hypocrisy as Minister Rabbitte's insists that he did not want to see bishops dictating to legislators while he sees no problem in party leaders dictating to the consciences of TDs.  Whether he believes it or not, TDs will have to answer to God for the way they vote and their eternal salvation may well now depend on how they respond to this legislation.  If a party leader wants to send himself to hell, does he have the right to insist that his minions must do the same?

But I also thought of the Nuremberg trials, where Nazis tried to defend their actions by insisting that they were only following orders.  The judges at the trial correctly rejected that defence pointing out that each of us is responsible for our actions, and when it came to their part in the murder of millions of innocent people in the death camps they could not evade justice.   That insistence by the judges on personal responsibility has been accepted by most, yet now here in Ireland personal responsibility has no place, all that matters is that TDs do as directed by the leader. 

A third issue that also arises concerns our doctors: will they be forced to perform abortions?  It has been said that doctors will not be permitted to object in conscience.  I presume nurses will also be forced to participate in the procedures.  One doctor has said that she will leave medical practice if she is required to participate in the killing of the unborn.

And finally, another issue that now also arises is that of excommunication.  The Church in Ireland will have to brush up on its canon law to see how to deal with Catholics in parliament who vote for the legislation.  Are they to be excommunicated, or just deprived of the Eucharist?  And will the pastors of the Church have the courage to follow through?  Lest people think that this is the Church imposing the party whip - it is more nuanced than that.  The Church teaches that direct abortion is evil and never justified: a Catholic who wishes to remain in full communion with the Church cannot support abortion.  In the Church's eyes TDs will be free to act as they see fit, however if they vote for abortion legislation they themselves have broken communion with the universal Church:  the decree of excommunication merely confirms what the TDs have done themselves.

I also note the timing of all this: Advent and Christmas - the feast of the Incarnation, of the birth of the child who was God.   It is grotesque and a real sign that evil is at work.

In a related argument, Fr Alexander Lucie Smith reflects on how choice has become a god in the eyes of so many today.

The Final Straw?

If there is one image which Americans love to use about their country it has to be "the land of the free" - it is an image enshrined in their National Anthem, and it sums up the aspirations which those going into politics bring with them as they seek to govern the vast federal entity which is the United States of America.

Well, many Americans are finally waking up to the realisation that their land is not as free as it is made out to be and those entrusted with protecting this freedom are the very ones engaged in wiping out their citizen's liberties. 

I am referring to President Obama's ultimatum to Catholics to get ready to violate their consciences (if I may quote Archbishop Timothy Dolan) as he will force them to accept his will as regards health care plans and their inclusion of contraception, abortifacients, and sterilisation.  And to tie it all up neatly, it is a Catholic in his administration, Kathleen Sebelius, who will enforce it. 

There is alot of reaction to it, and you have probably read alot about it, but there are a few good articles/posts.  The Catholic Herald, and Gateway Pundit which has a video of Archbishop Dolan's reaction.

I see a few of Obama's Catholic supporters are stunned.  Sr Carol Keehan, who supported him and even recieved a gift of one of the pens he used in his inauguration, is against the decision - I hope this is a sign she will have a change of heart.  And Cardinal Mahoney, emeritus Archbishop of LA, is also appalled.

Well, Catholics have one year to get ready for the forced imposition of Obama's plan.  Given the ideological nature of this president and his administration I do not think the decision will be reversed. So there is only one thing that can stop it: consolidating the Catholic vote against Obama in the November election, get him out and put in a pro-life president who will respect freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, and reverse the bill. 

And then it may be time for the Ordinaries of Ms Sebelius and the other Catholics in Obama's crew who have been consistent in attacking the faith,  to do what they should have done a few years ago...