At Odds Among Ourselves

The spat between Congressman Patrick Kennedy and Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin began over healthcare reform, but quickly spilled onto other issues. Taken together, these “other issues” reflect much about the splintered state of American Catholicism. Even a simple listing reveals how deeply divided we have become:

The Abortion Issue. During my recent visits church visits in France, not a single Catholic (whether lay or clergy) could understand why American Catholics are at odds. The Notre Dame graduation, the disputes over politicians receiving Communion, the question of healthcare reform funding -- these seem peculiarly "American" problems. I explained that, since Roe V. Wade, many Catholics (and most bishops) equate "anti-abortion” with commitment to the total legal prohibition of abortion, and equated any other position with "pro-abortion.” This at least clarified the controversies for them, even though prohibition is a non-issue for French Catholics.

The Communion Issue. Some Bishops like Raymond Burke (former Archbishop of St. Louis) claim canon law is so clear they have no choice but to exclude catholic politicians from communion if they fail to tow the official line on abortion: "The Church's law is very clear…The person who persists publicly in grave sin is to be denied Holy Communion, and it [Canon Law] doesn't say that the bishop shall decide this. It's an absolute."

But other bishops believe just the opposite, such as Washington, DC Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Pittsburgh, who said: "That's the new way now to make your point…We never - the Church just didn't use Communion this way. It wasn't a part of the way we do things, and it wasn't a way we convinced Catholic politicians to appropriate the faith and live it and apply it; the challenge has always been to convince people.'' On the other hand, sanctioning Catholics tends to alienate them, he said. “I stand with the great majority of American bishops and bishops around the world in saying this canon [law] was never intended to be used this way." Wuerl also said that he thought "we've been making progress" in conveying the pro-life message to the Democratic Party, but "There was just a setback with the distraction of Communion."

No one should be surprised if rank and file Catholics become divided when even Bishops cannot agree on such aggressive measures.

The "Scandal" Issue. Clearly many Catholics were "scandalized" by Obama’s degree at Notre Dame, while others are equally "scandalized" by bishops moving to exclude politicians from Communion. But in Catholic tradition, "scandal" does not mean to offend or shock. It means to leave others into evil-doing.

Obviously, sex abuse by clergy is gravely scandalous, and the malfeasance of Bishops responsible for such clergy even more so, since it had led millions to doubt the moral integrity of the Catholic Church. Among this scandal’s victims are other bishops, like Bishop Tobin, who present themselves as moral arbiters to a Catholic public that no longer trusts them or the institutional authority they represent. Patrick Kennedy inevitably gets the benefit of the doubt because of the hierarchy’s self-inflicted credibility gap.

The Catholic Identity Issue. When Bishop Tobin wrote to Kennedy, "I’m not sure whether or not you fulfill the basic requirements of being a Catholic," he opened a particularly messy can of worms. Of course, all baptized Catholics are members of Christ's body. Of course, some people are better Catholics than others. Of course, Catholic parishes lack the clear-cut "membership" requirements of some Protestant churches. So, of course, every Catholic parish includes multiple degrees of membership. In my experience, very few parishioners perform all their duties and accept all Church teachings. As a matter of actual fact, "being a Catholic" means many things

These issues all point to one thing: we American Catholics are at odds among ourselves across a wide array of questions. I see no upside here, since I am convinced we are driving away millions of young adults (in their 20s, 30s, and 40s) who see a Church too preoccupied with internal conflicts to focus on its true mission of proclaiming Good News and practicing Love.

American Catholics desperately seek (or at least need) a leader who can unify us -- someone with a hopeful message, a constructive strategy, and an inclusive manner. Is there a candidate among our Bishops? Among our clergy? Among our laity?

Time will tell--but time is not on our side.