Fr. Paul D. Williams, Jr., pastor, Saint Joseph's, Dalton, GA
Archbishop Gregory says, "the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty." And he continues, "I insist that this is a direct attack on our religious freedom and our First Amendment rights."
Why does he teach this? It is important to begin with the fact that our religious freedom does not exist because the First Amendment grants it. Our religious freedom exists because it is a right that belongs to all peoples in all times and places, by virtue of our dignity as children of God:
1738 Freedom is exercised in relationships between human beings. Every human person, created in the image of God, has the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being. All owe to each other this duty of respect. The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person. This right must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of the common good and public order.In other words, the Constitution of the United States did not create freedom of religion, it recognized it as an inalienable right, inherent in all peoples, citizens or not.
By what authority, then, does the Archbishop draw this conclusion about this particular modern political issue? Is he just stating his opinion, is he choosing political sides, supporting one or another political party? No. As a bishop, he is speaking with the authority of the Catholic Church, which he is obligated to do on matters of faith and morals that affect the people entrusted to his care as Shepherd of the local church.
Where does the Catholic Church get this authority? Christ himself is the source of the Church's authority. In today's Gospel, the people say, "What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him."
The New Testament shows that Christ deliberately created his Church to continue his mission in the world. He promised to remain present in his Church for all time, and he lovingly guides it through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Mt. 28:18, Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
To ensure the success of this mission, Christ gave his Church the ability to teach, govern and sanctify with Christ's own authority. The Apostles appointed successors to ensure that the Gospel would continue to be handed on faithfully as "the lasting source of all life for the Church" (CCC 860).
The purpose of this authority is to give the Church the ability to teach without error about the essentials of salvation: "On this rock, I will build My Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it" (Mt 16:18). This authority concerns the official teachings of the Church on matters of faith, morals, and worship. Because of Christ's presence and guarantee, his Church cannot lead people astray with its official teachings.
So when the Archbishop speaks on matters of faith and morals, he is not speaking on his own, as the Lord says to Moses in the First Reading, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him... to him you shall listen.”
875 "How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent?"390 No one - no individual and no community - can proclaim the Gospel to himself: "Faith comes from what is heard."391 No one can give himself the mandate and the mission to proclaim the Gospel. The one sent by the Lord does not speak and act on his own authority, but by virtue of Christ's authority; not as a member of the community, but speaking to it in the name of Christ. No one can bestow grace on himself; it must be given and offered. This fact presupposes ministers of grace, authorized and empowered by Christ.
So what, then, is conscience, and why is it so important that we do what we can, politically, to ensure that it is not violated?
1778 Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed. In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right.
1776 "Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment. . . . For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God. . . . His conscience is man's most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths."
Conscience is a natural facility of our reason that does three things: 1) Reminds us always to do good and avoid evil. 2) Makes a judgment about the good and evil of particular choices in a specific situation. 3) Bears witness after the fact to the good or evil that we have done.
Conscience is not itself the source of the moral law. Conscience is a judgment of reason. It uses the principles of the moral law to judge the morality of acts in specific circumstances. And this moral law is objective, knowable by reason, and universal.
(DH 14) “In forming their consciences the faithful must pay careful attention to the sacred and certain teaching of the Church. For the Catholic Church is by the will of Christ the teacher of truth. It is her duty to proclaim and teach with authority the truth which is Christ and, at the same time, to declare and confirm by her authority the principles of the moral order which spring from human nature itself.” 2039: “Personal conscience and reason should not be set in opposition to the moral law or the Magisterium of the Church.”
So, what is happening here? In summary, the Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services, are mandating that the Catholic Church provide coverage under any health care plan for three things which are considered morally unacceptable for Christians: abortion, contraception, and sterilization. Not only are they attempting to force the Church to do this, they will fine the Church if it fails to do so, thus paying for such morally unacceptable services for other people.
The Archbishop said, “The Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.” As one commentator has said, basically “In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences.”
Why such an attack on the Church, especially since the Catholic Church has traditionally been the largest hospital network in the country? Simple: to silence our voice, to make it difficult or impossible for the Catholic Church to speak out on public issues.
We should oppose this with our voices, our pens, and in the voting booth.
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Homilia OT 04 B, SJCC 2012
El Arzobispo dice, “Con esta decisión, la presente Administración ha hecho a un lado la Primera Enmienda de la Constitución de los Estados Unidos, negando a los católicos la primera y más fundamental libertad de nuestra Nación, la libertad religiosa... Con mis hermanos obispos insistimos que esto es un ataque directo a la libertad religiosa y a nuestros derechos bajo la Primera Enmienda.”
1738 La libertad se ejercita en las relaciones entre los seres humanos. Toda persona humana, creada a imagen de Dios, tiene el derecho natural de ser reconocida como un ser libre y responsable. Todo hombre debe prestar a cada cual el respeto al que éste tiene derecho. El derecho al ejercicio de la libertad es una exigencia inseparable de la dignidad de la persona humana, especialmente en materia moral y religiosa (cf DH 2). Este derecho debe ser reconocido y protegido civilmente dentro de los límites del bien común y del orden público (cf DH 7).
En otras palabras, la Constitución de los Estados Unidos no ha creado la libertad religiosa, pero la ha reconocido como un derecho inalienable, inherente a todos los pueblos, ciudadanos o no.
¿Con qué autoridad, pues, el arzobispo llegar a esta conclusión sobre este asunto político particular? ¿Es solamente una manifestación de su su opinión, es que tome partido político, el apoyo a uno u otro partido político? No. Como obispo, él está hablando con la autoridad de la Iglesia Católica, que está obligado a hacer en asuntos de fe y la moral que afectan a las personas confiadas a su cuidado como pastor de la iglesia local.
¿De dónde la Iglesia Católica recibe esta autoridad? Cristo mismo es la fuente de la autoridad de la Iglesia. En el Evangelio de hoy, la gente dice, "¿Qué es esto? ¿Qué nueva doctrina es ésta? Este hombre tiene autoridad para mandar hasta a los espíritus inmundos y lo obedecen?”
El Nuevo Testamento enseña que Cristo creó deliberadamente su Iglesia para continuar su misión en el mundo. Se comprometió a seguir presente en su Iglesia por todo el tiempo, y con amor que guía a través de la presencia del Espíritu Santo.
Mt, 28:18-20, “Jesús se acercó y les habló así: «Me ha sido dada toda autoridad en el Cielo y en la tierra. Vayan, pues, y hagan que todos los pueblos sean mis discípulos. Bautícenlos en el Nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo, y enséñenles a cumplir todo lo que yo les he encomendado a ustedes. Yo estoy con ustedes todos los días hasta el fin de la historia.”
Para asegurar el éxito de esta misión, Cristo dio a su Iglesia la capacidad de enseñar, gobernar y santificar con la misma autoridad de Cristo. 890 Esta misión divina confiada por Cristo a los Apóstoles tiene que durar hasta el fin del mundo, pues el Evangelio que tienen que transmitir es el principio de toda la vida de la Iglesia. Por eso los Apóstoles se preocuparon de instituir sucesores (los obispos hasta hoy en día).
El propósito de esta autoridad es dar a la Iglesia la capacidad de enseñar sin error las enseñanzas fundamentales de la salvación: "Sobre esta piedra, edificaré mi Iglesia, y las puertas del infierno no prevalecerán contra ella" (Mt 16:18) . Esta autoridad se refiere a las enseñanzas oficiales de la Iglesia en asuntos de fe, la moral y el culto. Debido a la presencia de Cristo y de su garantía, la Iglesia no puede llevar a la gente por mal camino con sus enseñanzas oficiales.
Por eso, cuando el arzobispo habla de asuntos de fe y moral, no está hablando por su cuenta, pero con la autoridad y la verdad de Cristo. Entonces, ¿qué es la conciencia, y por qué es tan importante lo que hacemos lo que podemos, políticamente, para asegurarse de que no se viola la consciencia de Católicos?
1778 La conciencia moral es un juicio de la razón por el que la persona humana reconoce la cualidad moral de un acto concreto... En todo lo que dice y hace, el hombre está obligado a seguir fielmente lo que sabe que es justo y recto.
1776 “En lo más profundo de su conciencia el hombre descubre una ley que él no se da a sí mismo, sino a la que debe obedecer y cuya voz resuena, cuando es necesario, en los oídos de su corazón, llamándole siempre a amar y a hacer el bien y a evitar el mal [...]. El hombre tiene una ley inscrita por Dios en su corazón [...]. La conciencia es el núcleo más secreto y el sagrario del hombre, en el que está solo con Dios, cuya voz resuena en lo más íntimo de ella” (GS 16).
La conciencia es un poder natural de nuestra razón que hace tres cosas: 1) Nos recuerda siempre hacer el bien y evitar el mal. 2) Hace un juicio sobre el bien y el mal de las opciones particulares en una situación específica. 3) da testimonio después de que el bien o el mal que hemos hecho.
DH 14, Por su parte, los fieles, en la formación de su conciencia, deben prestar diligente atención a la doctrina sagrada y cierta de la Iglesia . Pues por voluntad de Cristo la Iglesia católica es la maestra de la verdad, y su misión consiste en anunciar y enseñar auténticamente la verdad, que es Cristo, y al mismo tiempo declarar y confirmar con su autoridad los principios de orden moral que fluyen de la misma naturaleza humana. 2039 No se ha de oponer la conciencia personal y la razón a la ley moral o de la Iglesia.
Entonces, ¿qué está pasando aquí? En resumen, la Administración y el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos van a forzar la Iglesia Católica para ofrecer una cobertura de salud por sus empleados que contiene tres cosas que se consideran moralmente inaceptable para los cristianos: el aborto, la anticoncepción y la esterilización. Como resultado, y a menos que la regulación sea anulada, nosotros los católicos nos veremos obligados o a violar nuestra conciencia y/o a dejar de ofrecer seguro médico y de salud a nuestros empleados (y a sufrir sanciones económicas por ello).
¿Por qué este ataque contra la Iglesia, especialmente cuando la Iglesia Católica tiene la mayoría de los hospitales de caridad en el país? Simple: para silenciar nuestra voz, para que sea difícil o imposible que la Iglesia Católica para hablar sobre los asuntos públicos. Debemos oponer este ataque con nuestras voces, nuestras plumas, y en nuestras votas.
