Ambassador Flynn Talks to California Catholics

Thanks nuns and priests for service to our Catholic faith and nation.

College students, business and political leaders, concerned Catholics, it's great to be with you. Over the past several months I have had the opportunity to spend time with Californians from San Diego to San Francisco. I've been deeply impressed with your concern for our country and our Catholic Church. There certainly is much to talk about, and if you're a loyal American and a faithful Catholic, you have a lot to be concerned about. I appreciate the respect you show me by offering me your precious time to hear about my experiences and my opinions about what is happening today.

Even though we share a common bond of love for Jesus Christ and our Catholic faith, many of us are separated by time, generation and culture, and certainly distance. Some of us are even divided in our politics and the political party we support. I have even had people on occasion scream at me and say, "How can you still be a Democrat and support a party that promotes abortion?" I have also had several friends and supporters complain to me and say, "How could you vote for George W. Bush in 2000? The Republicans are against people like us. They are not for human rights, they don't want to help the poor and needy - nearly everything as Catholics we believe in. Sure, some Republicans are pro-life, as are we, but what about social and economic justice, full equality for all and all the other issues important to our Catholic faith? Do we just forget about them?" No we don't. We must work in the civic arena for equal rights for all of God's children.

Now, I'm not going to tell you how to vote, or even which party you should support. If I knew, believe me, I'd tell you. But I will tell you that many faithful Catholics are in a political quagmire. We're between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Apathy, complacency and even economic success have changed political attitudes of many millions of U.S. Catholics the past 30 or 40 years. But mostly, it has been the Democratic political party that has changed, not Catholic values or principles. There are many factors for these changes that often generate controversy and debate among Catholics. While some describe this diversity of opinion among Catholics as a sign of openness and strength, it has also created division within the Church. This division has regularly played out publicly in the media and given enemies of the Church a platform to divide us on important moral, social and political issues like life, the definition of marriages, and the death penalty. It even stretches to controversial issues like women being ordained and married priests.

Some Catholics think change for the sake of change is inevitable and is always a good thing. They have been told repeatedly from people on the left and right and in the media what is popular and politically correct. The cultural influence of the media and the entertainment industry is extraordinary in society today. More Catholics probably watch Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Sex in the City on television then go to Mass on Sunday. The American Broadcast Company (ABC) can even promote and broadcast a TV feature which is a blatant anti-Jesus Christ revisionist history, and Catholics are powerless to do anything about it. If such a negative portrayal of Moses, Mohammad, or for that matter Ronald Reagan or Martin Luther King, were to be broadcast, conservatives, the NAACP, Jewish and Muslim organizations would protest so strongly that the media executives and commercial sponsors would be forced to take the offensive program off the air. So why is it ok for Catholic values to be ignored and disrespected in our society today? Again, for the people who say it's all about change, and you've got to accept it, what if the change distorts and manipulates our traditional family values? We just sit idly by and say nothing?

Not all of us, of course. But if we open our mouth, we're called all kinds of names from people on the cultural right and left. Admittedly, our Catholic values are sometimes in conflict with Republican and Democrat party policies. Now, I am not suggesting we form our own Christian Democratic Party, like they did in Europe. But I am urging Catholics to become more actively involved in politics and elections and begin today.

Let me end by reminding you all today and the 65 million people in the U.S. who say they are Catholics, what Pope John Paul II said through his bishops about political and civic responsibility. "We urge our fellow citizens to see beyond party politics, to analyze campaign rhetoric critically, and to choose their political leaders according to principle, not party affiliation or mere self-interest." Christ's Gospel also called on us to live in solidarity with the poor, standing up for their dignity. The pope also tells us to speak out for the sanctity of marriage, a union between one man and one woman, which is under assault today. And he has repeatedly fought for the dignity of and respect for all human life. "No public official, especially one claiming to be a Catholic, can responsibly advocate for or actively support direct attacks on innocent human life." These words came from Pope John Paul II himself, through his bishops.

Before you decide to join a political party or pick a candidate you're going to support, remember the change that is best for our faith, must begin with us. Not changing our values and principles, but getting more involved and informed, and having the courage to speak up.

I intend to carry this message throughout the United States. Next week I will be in the "Rust Belt", to urge the Catholic faithful to support our dedicated religious women who have played a pivotal role in the building of American society. As I said in author John J. Fialka's best selling book, "Sisters, Catholic Nuns and the making of America, No group of Americans has had such an important impact in our nation's development as Catholic nuns."

This Christmas let us dedicate ourselves to thank these wonderful women and men religious who have served our Catholic faith and nation with such compassion and dedication over these many years. (See Buffalo News, Saturday December 6, 2003).

______________________________

Raymond L. Flynn is National President of Your Catholic Voice
www.yourcatholicvoice.org
He was the former Mayor of Boston (1984-1993) and U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican (1993-1997)

Contact

Your Catholic Voice
https://www.catholic.org CA, US
Ambassador
Raymond L. Flynn - National President, 661 869-1000

Email

info@yourcatholicvoice.org

Keywords

Catholic, Faith, Flynn, Faithful

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