EDITORIAL: Catholics must model unity and dialogue if we hope to help heal a divided nation.
Much ink has already been spilled over Cardinal Blase Cupich’s plan to give one of the nation’s leading pro-abortion politicians a “lifetime achievement award” in recognition for his work on immigration issues.
Our purpose here is not to heap further scorn on what was, it must be said, a shocking lapse of judgment. The idea that the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity would fete Sen. Dick Durbin, someone who obstinately and repeatedly denies the inherent human dignity of the unborn, predictably provoked a firestorm of outrage. Who thought we needed more of that right now?
That the controversy came to cause problems for our Holy Father, who has consistently called for peace and unity since the moment of his election, only added further to the needless tumult.
Enough said. As members of the Body of Christ, more pressing than casting aspersions and pointing blame is to start taking seriously the question, “Where do we go from here?”
Tragically, too many of us in the American Catholic Church are at each other’s throats over the hair-trigger issues of our day: sexual morality, liturgy, immigration policy and anything and everything connected with Donald Trump, to name but a few. The intensity of this crippling polarization isn’t so surprising, given the divisiveness of our wider society. Why should Catholics be any different? Because we’re supposed to be different. We’re supposed to set an example.
Make no mistake: Those on the outside of our Church see how divided we are, and they’re watching us very closely to see if we can figure out how to put the brakes on this runaway train of suspicion and animosity. Because if we can manage to do that, maybe the country can, too. Conversely, if we can’t, how can we hope the country will?
In that spirit, it’s worth taking a serious look at some of the laudable things that Cardinal Cupich had to say when he announced the news on Sept. 30 that Sen. Durbin (to his credit) had declined the archdiocese’s honor. Here are the highlights:
Cardinal Cupich spoke strongly in defense of the unborn. He clarified that the decision to honor Durbin was not meant to signal “a softening of our position on abortion.” That’s good to hear.
Instead, he said, “We firmly assert what the Catechism of the Catholic Church makes clear: ‘Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.’”
“The Catholic bishops heroically responded when the right to life of the unborn was negated by the 1973 decisions of the Supreme Court,” he added. “That right to life still needs to be defended without compromise.”
He correctly reminds us that we can’t be “one-issue Catholics.” How simple life would be if we could take a one-and-done approach to politics. But life is complicated. So is defending life, in all its stages and vulnerabilities.
“The tragedy of our current situation in the United States is that Catholics find themselves politically homeless. The policies of neither political party perfectly encapsulate the breadth of Catholic teaching,” Cardinal Cupich observed, adding that “the tragic reality in our nation today is that there are essentially no Catholic public officials who consistently pursue the essential elements of Catholic social teaching because our party system will not permit them to do so.”
“Total condemnation is not the way forward, for it shuts down discussion,” he said. That’s 100% true. Yet finding some better way to function in today’s overheated public square won’t come easy. The social media giants have figured out that keeping us all at an “11” on the anger amp is a wonderfully lucrative business model. But look around and see where that’s gotten us.
Criticism and debate are foundational to healthy civil discourse. Demonization and denunciation undermine it.
“No one wants to engage with someone who treats them as a thoroughgoing moral threat to the community,” Cardinal Cupich said in his statement. “But people will engage with, and may even learn from, those who recognize them as making some contribution to a common endeavor.” This is one of the great challenges of our day, especially for Christians.
Cardinal Cupich said he is “open to suggestions” for how we can promote a more constructive dialogue. Let’s take him at his word. Giving awards to those who fundamentally disrespect our core values is not the way to go about this, obviously. But there are plenty of other means. Can we discuss that? Cardinal Cupich, for his part, suggests “synodal gatherings,” which some Catholics might view with skepticism. Call it whatever you want, but we desperately need to learn to listen — to those we vehemently disagree with — and to Pope Leo and especially to Our Lord, whose prayer that “they may all be one” remains unrealized yet unceasing.