Where Do We Go from Here?

The 2024 election in the United States is over.  There are winners and losers.  Who won and who lost is not a topic I will discuss in this article.  My concern is not politics.  I think Archbishop Broglio’s statement today on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) expresses why our concern as Catholics is not for politics.  Archbishop Broglio wrote, “The Catholic Church is not aligned with any political party, and neither is the bishops’ conference. No matter who occupies the White House or holds the majority on Capitol Hill, the Church’s teachings remain unchanged, and we bishops look forward to working with the people’s elected representatives to advance the common good of all. As Christians, and as Americans, we have the duty to treat each other with charity, respect, and civility, even if we may disagree on how to carry out matters of public policy” (Archbishop Broglio and the USCCB, 2024 Statement following Election Day.  November 6, 2024.  Available online at https://www.usccb.org/news/2024/us-bishops-president-calls-prayers-and-unity-following-presidential-election?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=facebook&utm_term=, bolding and italics my emphasis).

So, what are we to do now?  Regardless of whether or not we voted for the winning candidates, we need to heed the words of 1 Timothy 2:1-2 “First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.”  All of us, regardless of how we voted, need to pray for everyone who was elected.  We need to pray that they are able to do what God wants.  God has a plan.  We read in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the Lord—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.”  We need to let go of our plans and seek to fulfill God’s plan.

Noting the political divisions, we need to pray that all who serve in office are open and able to find a path to real dialogue (see my reflection from Fratelli Tutti, “Seeking Real Dialogue”). 

We need to pray for healing of the divisions so that we can become one.  Here I offer the following words as found in Eucharistic Prayer III for Mass, “grant that we, who are nourished by the Body and Blood of your Son and filled with his Holy Spirit, may become one body, one spirit in Christ.”

Several states had ballot proposals for or against abortion.  In New York State, the proposal to amend the New York State Constitution was broader, claiming to ensure “rights” regardless of gender, age, etc.  (see my “Bulletin Series on New York State Proposal One 2024 to Amend State Constitution”).  I find it unfortunate that this proposal passed.  Legally, NYS Proposal I is a “settled issue” enshrined in the New York State Constitution.  (I say settled not knowing if any legal challenges to it will occur in the future.)

Please note that I said it is legally settled.  This does not mean our efforts to proclaim what our faith teaches on the issues involved in NYS Proposal should end. 

If you read my article “Being Political or a Matter of Faith”, then you know our Church’s interest in Proposal 1 was not politically motivated.  Our concern was that what it sought to ensure (for example, abortions and gender transitioning), go against several teachings of our Catholic faith.  As Archbishop Broglio wrote on behalf of the USCCB, no matter who won election, our Catholic faith remains unchanged.”

Now, with the election over, our efforts need to move from advocating against NYS Proposal I to changing people’s hearts.  If we can lead people’s hearts to come to understand the problems of the issues involved in the changes to our state constitution and reject the immoral behaviors, it won’t matter if it is legal.  If people understand and accept what our Catholic faith teaches on these issues, legal or not, they will not seek out the immoral acts.

The task of changing people’s hearts might seem impossible.  We must remember that Jesus said that nothing is impossible for God.  Conversion is always possible.  Here I point to the Lord’s words in Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”  We pray that the Lord change all hearts to conform to his Will.

It is a proven fact that people can change and repent of past sin.  Even Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah (chapter 3 in the Book of Jonah).  (If you would like to learn more about Catholic teaching on the issues concerning NYS Proposal 1, please see my webpage “Catholic Morality and Sexuality”.

As long as NYS Proposal I was on the ballot, it was our civic duty to stand against it (USCCB, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship:  A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States with New Introductory Note.  USCCB: Washington, DC. 2023). https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/upload/forming-consciences-for-faithful-citizenship.pdf, see the introductory note and paragraphs 16 and 57).

NYS Proposal 1 passed with 61% of the vote.  I wonder how many of the people who voted for it did so under the mistaken notion that even though they would never have an abortion or transition gender, that they had no right to “impose” their beliefs on others.  I think they may have voted for NYS Proposal 1 based on a mistaken notion of rights.  We have free will but that does not mean that anyone has a right to do what is immoral.  Some say that you can’t legislate morality.  If this is true, then why is murder a crime?  Murder is a moral issue.

Those who feel they have no right to impose their beliefs on others often become silent on any moral issues.  Jesus Christ does not call us to silence.  He calls us to share the light of his truth (see Matthew 5:15).

We are free to make choices.  What do we do with our freedom?  I find an answer to this question in words Pope St. John Paul II spoke at Camden Yards, “Every generation of Americans needs to know that freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought” (“Homily of his holiness John Paul II” during his Apostolic Journey to America. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore. October 8, 1995.  https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1995/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19951008_baltimore.html, 7.)

Regarding rights, I would like to take a step beyond the more obvious issues directly affected by NYS Proposal 1.  In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) became a political issue earlier this year when the Alabama State Supreme Court said, “embryos are children” (see my article “There is Hope in Alabama.”).  A political movement quickly arose to ensure a right to IVF.  It was delivered by some under the notion of a right to have a child. 

Without a doubt, a desire to have a child is a good thing.  However, this is not the same as having a right to have children that uses immoral practices.  What most confuses me here is that there are people who speak strongly against abortion because it ends an innocent life, but they fail to realize that many innocent lives are lost through IVF when embryos are accidently or intentionally destroyed.  We need to help people understand.

It is difficult to help people understand our Catholic faith when many of them reject the concept of universal truth.  God provides us with truth in what He teaches.  This truth, if we accept it, does not confine.  Rather, God’s truth sets us free (see John 8:32).

There is one last issue I would like to briefly discuss as a matter of faith that is also a very political issue in our country.  It is immigration.  There are people who want to stop most, if not all, immigration to the United States.  It is true that there are criminals that immigrant to our country.  That does not mean all immigrants are criminals.  The saying goes “a few bad apples don’t spoil the whole bunch.”

What we seem to forget sometimes is that we are a nation of immigrants.  Unless you are solely of Native American ancestry, you come from a family of immigrants.  With this in mind, I point to God’s instructions to the Israelites on how to treat immigrants.  The Lord says, “You shall not oppress or afflict a resident alien, for you were once aliens residing in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:20, cf. Exodus 23:9).

The political divisions in our country are not likely to end soon (but nothing is impossible for God).  We need the gift of the Holy Spirit that is courage to be able to speak up for our faith.  We must speak up and we must do so in a way that respects those who we speak to.  In addition to courage, we also ask for the gifts of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding regarding what our faith teaches so that we may speak God’s Truth.

Do not be deterred when others tell us to be silent under the guise that people must be free to make their own choices.  The only way they are free to make a choice is for them to know what their choices are.  We want them to know what our faith teaches about those choices (see my article, “Tolerance, Hate Speech, and Dialogue”).

Please pray for our nation, especially those newly elected, that we truly mean it when we pray “thy will be done” in the Lord’s Prayer.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff