The political season is fast coming upon us. Some us openly question whether it ever left. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, we will be treated to endless apocalyptic commentary speculating the end of the world if Candidate X is elected. Priests and other preachers of the word will be looking upon this time with absolute dread or great anticipation.
Since priests are human beings, they tend to span the spectrum of society. You will find a number of priests who refuse to vote, many who are completely indifferent to politics and happen not to vote, Democrats, and Republicans. Some are real political animals, and election season is the only time of year when many of their parishioners actually care about public morality. Others dread this time of year, fearing that no matter what they say their words will be twisted; they dread being accused of being shills for one cause or another.
A certain portion of the laity expect the bishops to start speaking up about issues. This is not the same portion of the laity that is always passionate. These are the folks that care about abortion every 4 years or care about the treatment of the impoverished every four years. They like most Americans enter the great myth that this election will determine whether our great national experiment survives or continues its sprint toward Gomorrah unabated. Sometimes I would like to be the bishop’s secretary during election season. I’m sure there are countless letters saying, “If you don’t come out in support [or opposition] of [the issue that transcends life], don’t expect any money from me for the Bishop’s appeal [or the collection basket].” If a bishop or priest bothers to open his mouth come election season, I’m sure he receives letters calling him a heretic, apostate, or clericalist. I don’t blame a bishop or priest if they choose to offer the sermons of Saint John Chrysostom during election season rather than composing their own homily.
Entering this election season, I feel a profound apathy. Politics appeals to our sense of solidarity. For whatever reason, solidarity is easy to find in something as trivial as politics. I’m sure many are familiar with the joke about the Marine and the jihadi. It ends with the Marine and jihadi shaking hands and patting each other on the back after they both recognize the evil of Hillary Clinton. Much like the joke, the solidarity we find in politics is superficial. Many care about abortion, but allow their sons and daughters to date at 16, 14, and sometimes even 12. They certainly wouldn’t dream of condemning another parent for doing it. Nothing says indifference to sex and the consequences thereof like allowing people who have absolutely no ability or desire to raise family being allowed to date one another. Many care about poverty, but have no problem walking by the family businessman on their way to the superstore that pays its employees an anemic wage. No one turns a raised eye to the businessman at mass who retains a large part time staff so that he doesn’t have to provide health care coverage.
For those who would like to move on with their lives, I’ll tell you what will happen on election day. A democrat will be elected President. The democrats will gain 1 or 2 seats in the Senate and gain 10 or so in the House. Of the 600 or so elective federal offices that will be voted upon, fewer than 50 will have an outcome that couldn’t have been predicted 10 weeks in advance. Of those 50, fewer than 10 will have an outcome that couldn’t have been predicted 48 hours prior to the election. And magically the world will go on, and 4 years hence we will be playing the same game again.
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