Fr. Frank Pavone misses the point
Through Christian Newswire: Fr. Pavone: Pulpit Under God’s Authority, Not Government’s
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, commented today on the “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” that a group of pastors observed this past weekend, in which they spoke about the moral qualifications of candidates for public office, with a freedom that they maintain the IRS is wrongly taking from pastors.
“This effort is not about bringing politics into the pulpit; it’s about getting government out of the pulpit,” Fr. Pavone explained. “It should be Church authority, not government authority that determines the criteria for how pastors should address politics.”
“When a preacher goes into a pulpit, he does so under the command and authority of God, to preach God’s word. Now God’s word cannot really be God’s if the government can limit or censor it. Moreover, if preachers didn’t historically have the freedom to challenge government authority, we would have neither Christianity nor the United States of America,” Fr. Pavone pointed out…
There was much hullabaloo a week or so ago over freedom in the pulpit. Pastors wanted the freedom to comment on politics, political parties, candidates, etc. (but not really – they really wanted to make endorsements).
For more on this see the NY Times: I’m Your Pastor, and I Approved This Ad and from the IHT: Protesting pastors back candidates from the pulpit.
Fr. Pavone and his cohort say it is about freedom.
Fr. Pavone and those like him are so embroiled in politics that they cannot see the forest for the trees. In their comprehension everything is about politics and using political means to achieve the ends they seek. I think Fr. Pavone and the other pastors who championed this cause have forgotten who and what they are. They are not a business nor a corporation. They are not politicians, nor are they dependent on the political establishment for anything. Further, you do not need the government’s permission to comment on or challenge governmental authority. We do it all the time when we comment on greed, unjust war, abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, or pretty much any biblical principal that is at odds with the government’s direction.
Of course Fr. Pavone could care less about his right to speak freely on these principals. This fight has nothing to do with freedom to teach. He, and those like him, would much rather toss their biretta into the political morass, cleaving onto candidates with endorsements from the pulpit.
I can just see Jesus doing that – come unto Me all who hunger and thirst, and vote Pharisee – they believe in the resurrection!
I suggest that Fr. Pavone go on a long retreat, best in a far away country, and that he break his addiction to politics. When he comes back he should teach the truth without fear. He doesn’t need to approve of any candidate (and none are a basketful of Christian principals anyway), he just needs to trust. Do not fear the government when at the ambon or in the pulpit. Fear God who will judge if you do not put faith and trust in Him. With Him all things are possible.
Fr. Pavone is right as far as he goes, but I think we should go farther.
The Catholic Church and all other pro-life churches have every right to endorse candidates of their choice for any and all offices. The pro-life churches should condemn the Democratic Party in the strongest possible terms for their support for unlimited killing of human beings in the unborn stage, should declare that the Democratic Party does not deserve anyone’s support until they repudiate their abortionist platform planks and should urge all pro-life and Christian voters to vote only for John McCain for President and Republican candidates for House and Senate and state and local offices as the best available way to have any hope of stopping or reducing the killing of unborn children.
We have a moral obligation to do all that we can to protect all human beings from violence, including risking the tax exemptions of our pro-life churches, (if this is what it takes and I believe it will take this). If we in the pro-life movement don’t take strong steps to try to end this violence against our children, I am afraid we may spend the rest of our lives watching this unnecessary and indefensiblwe destruction of human life.
I believe that if there is any possibility at all that by endorsing pro-life candidates, the churches can make the difference between winning and losing, then I think that they have a moral obligation to do that, even if they have to sacrifice something in the process
The Church should condemn all parties and all candidates for what it is worth. None holds a strictly Catholic view, nor do they unequivocally support life. If you support Mr. McCain you support his ideas on stem cell research (yes, he’s for embryonic stem cell research, and his voting history on abortion isn’t clean either). Of course Mr. Obama is a bad choice on life issues almost in totality.
The fact is, believing Catholics and Evangelicals, as well as other pro-life voters, are simply being played by the politicians. The politicians give just enough lip service to obtain power, and once in office… is that crickets I hear chirping.
For a reasonable take on this issue refer to the Young Fogey’s: The libertarian case against abortion.
For the life of me I cannot fathom the mad rush to endorse among religious leaders. If they put as much time into teaching their flocks and prayer they would make more headway.
By-the-way, if you are really looking for a pro-life candidate your only choice is Chuck Baldwin.