Election Coverage
While I have been mostly edified by the statements several bishops (1 in 4 according to Rocco Palmo) have made on abortion in the run-up to the election, I am reminded that they wouldn't have to so frantically remind us of our moral and political obligations every election year if we concentrated a fostering cultures of intentional discipleship in our parishes and dioceses all the time. Somehow I think intentional disciples with well-formed consciences can figure out how to vote the "Christian way" without as much difficultly as it seems to be for Catholics these days. Just a thought...
Labels: intentional disciples
posted by Joe Waters @ 8:52 PM
3 Comments
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3 Comments:
Joe:
Certainly I would agree! But I do think that we are watching the beginning of the sort of debate within the Church that leads to the development of doctrine. (Re the whole issue of voting and political engagement and various grave moral issues). Of course, our national debate is not the same as the Church discerning, but we may well be the spark - especially in light of the size and influence of our Catholic population.
Sherry,
What do you mean exactly by "development of doctrine" in this particular case (I know what the phrase means overall). What sort of intra-Church debate have you seen, other than the usual? It seems to me that the Church already has articulated and explicated its doctrine on the moral points that have come up in this election. There are a certain number of Catholics, particularly in the legal profession this time around, who are parsing Church teaching in an unhelpful way, but other than this, why would this lead to a "development of doctrine?" And do you mean a further eluciation of doctrine that is already present or an Americanization of the Catholic Church?
The Catholic population in the US is only 6% of the Catholic population worldwide so I don't know how that makes us particularly influential.
Steven Florent
Steven:
I'm not sure what Sherry is referring to. I'm curious as well. I'm certain it is not the Kmiec's of the world.
I certainly don't give incredible weight to a conversation of bloggers, but the running dialogue between Zippy-Mark-SDG-Disputations-Myself that has been transpiring this week is an effort at a serious look at things we have ordinarily taken for granted related to voting.
Joe: I agree completely and I think you make the fundamental point. We shouldn't take away from the fact that we find ourselves in this position with regard to the election that we need more bishops statments next election or that it's a shame we find ourselves put in this position. We should take it as a stark reminder of the disunity and disrepair within the Body in the United States and our need for greater faithfulness to Christ. I think your point about the difference raising intentional disciples would make in how we face questions like voting in the future is very important.
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