ARTICLES

Don't Clergy Have to Compromise, Too?

Five Local Priests Talk Off the Pulpit

By Eric Reslock

On August 24, the Wall Street Journal published and opinion piece entitled "Preach to the Choir" by William McGurn, which we re-print in this issue. I asked five Bay Area priests to read the McGurn article and comment on questions about unpopular Church teachings. The priests -- two from San Francisco, one from Oakland and two from Sacramento -- will remain anonymous.

How do priests handle this problem of "undreamt-of ethical dilemmas" in sermons?

Father White: One deals with these by the principles of moral theology. The dilemmas are undreamt of only in their particulars, but the principles which guide them are consistent. The point made in the sermon as to how Catholics must react to such decisions has to bring it all back to these principles and show how the situation falls under one or more of them, such that some act which at first seems morally good because its consequences are in large part fortuitous, is not finally good because the means used breaks the moral law. Here, too, it is always best to point out that this is not just a law which comes out of thin air but is based upon a principle which we know to be true and thus good for man.

Father Black: Oftentimes [using] these principles regarding sexual ethics [it] can be shown that breaking them has lead to all the problems which almost all grant exist in society today. An example I often give is the Church's teaching on marriage as an unbreakable bond. It is pretty clear to everyone that civil divorce has been a cause of great evils in our society. Also, most women -- if they look seriously at contraception -- will see that they have been more enslaved by it than freed.

Father Green: I think McGurn is dead-on in his analysis. But I also look at cultural developments over the past 35 years and I think it a miracle that so many even attend Mass today. Yes, this is a way of looking at things as if the glass is half full, but I think pastors see the same thing and they are fearful if they preach on these topics -- against the opinion of the majority -- then they wonder who will still come to Mass. I think priests need to stop worrying about this and recognize that the Church is not a crutch for those who want to keep one leg in the secular world and one in the spiritual. I wonder how many souls have been lost because we have given our flocks the message that if you go to Mass, then you are covered. No need to avoid grave sin because there are many opinions about it.

Father Brown: I was not aware that Catholics who condone abortion provide the margin for victory in many political races. I have not addressed all of these so-called ethical dilemmas in my homilies. I have reserved many of these issues for couples who are preparing for marriage.

Father Gold: I preach on what is proper for man in order to fulfill his humanity in the image and likeness of God. It is not enough to simply provide a list of what not to do. The challenge is to build a foundation around the idea of where man's dignity lies. No matter what grave moral issue technology brings before us, the Church's ideas of what is proper for us in order to fulfill our supernatural ends will give us all the guidance we need to get to Heaven.

Do priests think McGurn is letting politicians off lightly by conceding only to politicians the art of the compromise? Don't clergy have to compromise too?

Father White: The clergy at times do not say everything they could to a certain congregation because they do not think they are ready for it and need something prior to it. A foundation often has to be laid.

Father Black: The real answer is that one has to compromise as a young priest because the pastor silences him if people complain about uncomfortable sermons. Also one compromises depending on the bishop.

Father Green: One should never compromise with truth or falsehood, but do I compromise on whether or not I explicitly mention these issues? When giving a homily, prudence requires that I consider the situation and the audience. Christ tells us that his truth is a hard thing. It's my job to impart that truth, but I have to do it in a way that is pleasing to the intellect of the audience. I don't want my parishioners to feel that I am hitting them over the head with a hammer, but it is my responsibility to give them the hard truth, too. I agree with McGurn that there is a distinction between our democratic republic and the Church. The nature of a democracy is such that the common good will be most strengthened and upheld if we have a spiritually awakened culture. This is prior to the political question and this is where the clergy can be more effective.

Father Brown: A priest must never compromise with moral issues. This is a betrayal that speaks right to the heart of his vocation. If I felt I was intentionally withholding information about what constitutes a grave moral action because I did not think my parishioners could handle it, I would only be serving my self and my desire to be liked. Charity requires that I help them guard their souls first. Of course, my pastor is supportive of this and a good preacher himself. This is not always the case, I've heard from others that older priests commonly want young priests to tone it down.

Father Gold: Whether one counts in a democracy is largely based on whether one wins. For this reason, I think it true that politicians have much greater latitude with the art of compromise than priests. But this does not excuse those in the political class if they ignore the slaughtering of innocents in the womb, for example.

McGurn says the problem for priests is the "unpleasant task of presenting to affluent congregations a litany of No's: no abortion, no birth control, not even in vitro fertilization." What do local priests make of that? Describe unpleasant experiences. Is it only, or mainly, at affluent parishes?

Father White: This again depends on the priest's presentation of the subject. I have never had a bad reaction (at least not to my face) on any of these subjects. Most people are very grateful that it is brought up, and I have had people thank me who had said they had been vaguely bothered by their use of contraception for some time and would now have the courage to talk to his spouse. The only fear at an affluent parish is that if it is unpopular it will mean a more severe drop in the collection. The author is right in saying it is not so much the 'no' as showing the mindset that produces these evil things to be a bad one, and that the moral law of God is obviously ultimately what is good for man. It might demand of the individuals to be heroic, but many good things do.

Father Black: Money does talk in all of this in big parishes. I had a friend who gave a homily at a Saturday evening Mass and had flyers available in back from a pro-life group. His pastor would not allow him to preach his scheduled Masses Sunday and took away the pamphlets.

Father Green: Yes, I think affluent parishes are more likely to have professionals who must interact and "swim with the sharks" in their social and professional lives. What that means around here is that my parishioners are often challenged to be their Catholic selves when among those least tolerant of Catholic teachings. This underscores how important it is that these have a solid understanding of the 'why' behind Church teachings. When they hear people say bad things about the Church, or its teachings, I hope they have the tools they need to stand up and be counted. Catholics who really understand their faith should have no problem standing up to liberals and moderns who insult them. It's a shame the current generation that grew up in the Church are not this confident or even aware of the intellectual heritage of their faith. As far as bad reactions to my sermons, I've had a few older women approach me in an angry way over the years, but it's a pretty rare thing.

Father Brown: I would not consider my own parish to be affluent. I think McGurn may be right that there is more support for abortion and contraception in wealthier communities. I fear that racism may be one of the causes of this. Some people see poor minorities as potential leeches on society and think they are better off dead. When I look at the pro-choice Republicans I wonder if the reproductive freedoms they are so adamant about to prevent them from having to live with people who may have needs? One of my parishioners volunteered for an assembly campaign in the Santa Barbara area. He was working for a pro-choice Republican candidate who opposed state funding for abortion. It was not enough for many in that wealthy community that the candidate tolerated abortion, this young man -- who is not white -- took phone calls from people who also wanted the candidate to support public funding for abortions. One of these said, 'After all, we don't want those people to reproduce.'

Father Gold: I have never preached differently to wealthy or poor congregations. I think our culture is more homogenous than whatever difference is produced by incomes.

Are abortion, no birth control, and no in-vitro fertilization equally hard sells to the hearts of parishioners?

Father White: In-vitro is the hardest for people to see because it seems pro-life, but all three need to be talked about together. In-vitro is the flip side of the other two and makes the argument for the other two much stronger. If the two elements of the marital act are procreation and union of the spouses and these can never be excluded from any act then it is clear in-vitro breaks the latter, while the other two break the former, so in-vitro shows how sincere the Church is about the unitive aspect in that it will not allow for births outside this act of love between the parents as this is a right of the child. This answers any critics who would say the Church is just after mass-baby production.

Father Black: I think those who have a priest they love will accept all of these without too much difficulty. Some will disagree with me. People love the truth -- if you think about it -- that is what we are made for. His truths are difficult to accept, but God wants us to be happy. Happiness can only come from knowing and loving God with our whole hearts. This means we can't carve out our own moral distinctions apart from the whole moral order.

Father Green: No, I do not think it is as hard as people think to "sell" any of these ideas. My experience is that most people want their souls to be healed and people who genuinely want this will not only accept the truth but will want to know it from you.

Father Brown: Is one more difficult than the others? I've had people walk out on me when I've preached against abortion, but these are few. The moral linkage between artificial birth control and abortion is obvious, especially with the pill. All priests should know that the pill is an abortifacient. I have never talked about in-vitro fertilization during a homily but should probably make a point to do so.

Father Gold: The three are different to most people. In vitro fertilization seems like it would be fine, most particularly to those who are finding it hard to conceive. But I know from the confessional, the other two problems, especially contraception, are far more widespread.

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