Common Sense from Fr. James Martin

My latest at The Catholic Weekly:

I have criticised Fr. James Martin, SJ in this space, so it is only fair that I praise him as well when he does good.  Last week, he published two tweets that sum up very nicely the insane dichotomy of the politics of my country—and the Church’s entirely sane reply to them:

The tweets tell a story that I have seen played out a thousand times in the American Church—and tell us that there is still a sane Church pointing the way out of our entirely unnecessary contradictions.

I was once asked to give a talk on the Church’s social doctrine at a local parish.  There, on one side of the room, sat the Social Justice people, eager to hear about the stuff in the Church’s teaching concerning the Preferential Option for the Poor, the Church’s rejection of racism, her support for a living wage, opposition to the death penalty, her hostility to war and openness to pacifism, her call for universal health care, etc.

There, on the opposite side of the room, were the Pro-life people, eager to hear about the Church’s teaching on abortion and euthanasia.

Each faction (for that is what they were) eyed each other with hostility and suspicion. Neither dreamed for one second that the other was an ally. Both saw each other, in fact, as enemies to be defeated and overcome.  It was a miniature portrait of our foolish divisions.