Where’s The Secular Bias Now?

In the many stories I’ve read about Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, this line stood out:

Ensuring the commonweal “is the chief aim of all politics,” according to Francis, who once weighed a career in political life.

This writer felt obligated, apparently, to justify the pope’s presence before Congress on grounds of expertise. As the Bishop of Rome since 1870, the pope has no temporal power, and so his audiences have no reason to look to him for advice or wisdom about politics. Yes, he is the chief administrator of a large bureaucracy. So is Bill Gates (or was). In point of fact, the pope has no more expertise or insight into federal policies in the United States than your average priest in one of the parishes of Indianapolis. The latter may actually have more insight. But does he get invited to Washington? No peace. No justice.

So why did Congress invite Pope Francis to address U.S. legislators? And why are journalists covering Pope Francis non-stop (except for advertising revenues)?

The reason is that American politicians and reporters believe the Roman Catholic Church’s claims about the papacy. At some level, they recognize that Pope Francis has authority that the average Indianapolis priest doesn’t have. They also recognize that the pope speaks with greater spiritual leverage than any other bishop or archbishop.

Secular politics and secular journalism typically don’t allow those sorts of judgments. Because the United States has no religious test for holding public office, all religions are equal before Congress. So why not invite the president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod? Well, there really is something about that papal bling? Or why would journalists give such attention to the papacy? Yes, numbers as in church members and budgets matter. But can a bishop, priest, or pastor have anything to say about policy unless you are giving some kind of credence to the religious claims behind such an official?

It’s a wonderful week in the United States. For the moment secularism is dead and Kim Davis is off the front-page. The Christian activists are winning (for now).

Image by White House