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Remarks from Kent Peters Life and Dignity Issues Worked Together
for the Good of Everyone Did you know that the Diocese of San Diego is one of a handful of dioceses in the Country that has a single office dealing both with life issues (abortion, euthanasia, cloning, embryonic stem cell research, etc.) and with what are often called human dignity or justice issues (poverty, immigration, housing, health care, crime, labor, disabilities, etc.)? Some call this a "combined office" setting, but this is really a misnomer, as these issues should never have been separated in the first place. The fact is, the majority of offices in the country should be labeled "artificially separated" offices. Dignity issues differ in that they do not deal with direct threats to human life i.e., overt killing, but rather issues that leave human persons struggling to such an extent that their human dignity is severely compromised. Many of our neighbors struggle and live in conditions that are deemed sub-human. At times, that struggle may be so challenging as to be life threatening, even though no one intends that loss of life occur, but with life issues, direct killing is always present. The life/dignity-dealing office in our diocese is called the Office for Social Ministry. The artificial separation of life and dignity leaves these offices at odds with each other, competing for the attention of the bishop, for funding, for influence in the political arena, and for the hearts and minds of the Catholic public. This is truly unfortunate. Beyond these conflicts, a more serious deficiency caused by this separation motivates many of those who gravitate to either facet of this work to do that work in an exclusionary manner. Those involved in life-issues sometimes express disdain for those who feel called to work issues that are not directly life threatening, and those working on dignity issues often turn a blind eye to the grossest of injustices involved in abortion, assisted suicide, etc. Each camp tends to discount the work of the other. They have even been known to express mistrust and denigrate each other's work, in public. Ultimately, we should embrace what I would call "Catholic maturity." We are to be mature in the sense that we embrace efforts dealing with the complexity encountered in human suffering, i.e., life and dignity issues. We are to be mature in the recognition that the Holy Spirit will call and empower us as individuals, incorporating our past experience, gifts and surroundings in that call, knowing that some of us will be motivated to work on issues that do not involve direct attacks on life, that some of us will work on life issues, and that some of us will be called to work on both. Finally, we are to be mature in the recognition that life issues are, in the end, more basic and compelling than dignity issues, and we will, at times, need to give them priority. The following words of the U.S. Catholic Bishops beautifully express this prioritization: Opposition to abortion and euthanasia does not excuse indifference to those who suffer from poverty, violence and injustice. Any politics of human life must work to resist the violence of war and the scandal of capital punishment. Any politics of human dignity must seriously address issues of racism, poverty, hunger, employment, education, housing, and health care. Therefore, Catholics should eagerly involve themselves as advocates for the weak and marginalized in all these areas. Catholic public officials are obliged to address each of these issues as they seek to build consistent policies which promote respect for the human person at all stages of life. But being 'right' in such matters can never excuse a wrong choice regarding direct attacks on innocent human life. Indeed, the failure to protect and defend life in its most vulnerable stages renders suspect any claims to the 'rightness' of positions in other matters affecting the poorest and least powerful of the human community. If we understand the human person as the "temple of the Holy Spirit" -- the living house of God -- then these latter issues fall logically into place as the crossbeams and walls of that house. All direct attacks on innocent human life, such as abortion and euthanasia, strike at the house's foundation. These directly and immediately violate the human person's most fundamental right -- the right to life. Neglect of these issues is the equivalent of building our house on sand. Such attacks cannot help but lull the social conscience in ways ultimately destructive of other human rights. As Pope John Paul II reminds us, the command never to kill establishes a minimum which we must respect and from which we must start out "in order to say 'yes' over and over again, a 'yes' which will gradually embrace the entire horizon of the good." Serving in a diocesan office where issues are "combined" is a blessing. It prompts the Social Ministry Office staff to discuss and make decisions about when, where, and how to act on issues with balance, perspective, and priorities in mind. We hope this is always accomplished with Catholic maturity. We are compelled to face, each day, the question, "are we really living that Catholic maturity?" It's a great conversation to have, one that should be had daily in homes, schools and parishes. We also are happy to get feedback from the field (e-link subscribers, for sure) as to how well we are balancing issues and keeping our priorities straight. Part 2 From e-link Bulletin #13 Back in July of this year (see above), I described the unique structure of our diocesan Office for Social Ministry, and how it approaches, in a unified fashion, the many issues related to human life and dignity when either is threatened or compromised. Limited space in that issue prompted the deferral of an essential point, one with the potential to change hearts and transform culture, one that we, as a diocese, should never give up. To make that point, however, we need to first consider a clever tactic that has been used by the media for some time. The elite in the media have been on a campaign to demonize pro-life activism since the beginning of the pro-life movement in the early 70's, identifying respected pro-life citizens and their legitimate activities with fanatical extremists. Just ask a typical parishioner if he or she would want to be labeled a pro-life activist or a member of the pro-life movement. You might hear a response something like, “Oh no, the violence of those people is frightening. They’re clinic bombers; they harass poor women; they shoot doctors; we’ve seen them confronting good people, including children, with graphic pictures of dead babies; I’m not one of them.” Of course they’re not; only a handful of people are. It’s unfortunate, but the media has successfully created the impression that anyone who focuses energy directly on serving potential victims of abortion, mother or child, is one with those who use violence and intimidation. How have they accomplished this? By ignoring the good works of the pro-life community and highlighting the violent acts of the extremists. In fact, this media distortion misrepresents about 99.9% of the pro-life activist in any U.S. community, those who are motivated by love and who serve the community with nothing but kindness. And, if the Catholic community has been drawn into believing this distortion, think of how much more so would be communities that rarely, if ever, deal with life issues at an institutional level. We surely have our work cut out for us. In dioceses where there is a division between life and dignity, those who focus on life issues are highly segregated and thus remain invisible to other activists who work for justice in the community. This plays right into the hands of the media smear campaign. I have heard a thousand times from justice folks the comment, "Pro-lifers only care about the unborn and will drop both mother and child the minute the baby is delivered." This response is understandable. It springs from what they just don't see. Who can blame them for that belief? But we know better. Given the unified structure our diocese attempts to emulate, both at the diocesan and parish levels, those who focus on life issues are also seen working on issues like immigration, debt reduction in the developing world, domestic abuse, housing and health care reform, AIDS ministry, detention ministry, and the like. What happens in the mind of a labor or immigration activist who may be weary of life issues when they work hand in hand with a life activist? They confront the truth. Through camaraderie, they learn that life is a justice issue, the preeminent justice issue. There is also a chance for real transformation in the heart of non-life activists, not to mention what trust-building between the two will do. It's hard to buy into the media distortion when reality displays a reverse screen. To break the media's stronghold that perpetuates this grossly false perception of the pro-life community, we must swell the numbers of those who will both stand up for life and stand up for those whose dignity has been compromised by policies and structures that hinder the common good. One person at a time, as we witness to the value of human life and work for the common good, hearts will be changed, and if enough hearts are changed, we will ultimately change the whole culture. It has never worked otherwise. Let me share one final thought related to a well-rounded public witness within the larger community. A pet peeve (or should I say a heart felt and deep criticism) that I harbor emerges when I encounter Catholic "justice" lobbying organizations that “take no position on life issues.” As they publicly work on immigration, social programs, third world debt, etc., they say nothing about the plight of the unborn or others threatened with death. There are more than a few organizations like this out there. As they distance themselves from the premiere justice issue, life, and those who labor on its behalf, they become unwitting allies of the media distorters, fueling the myth that reasonable people should steer clear of those seeking protection for human life. What could possibly motivate a Roman Catholic to behave in such a counter productive manner, ignoring millions of lost lives, both past, present, and future, working in isolation on issues that diminish human dignity? Whatever it is, it can't be more important than the nurturing of the whole of God's created order and the call to serve life wherever it is threatened.
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