Outside Influence

From Andrew Sullivan, another commentary on the Catholic hierarchy's attempts to dictate American domestic policy. Quoting Bob Novak:

At Yankee Stadium, Benedict spoke of the "inalienable dignity and rights" of "the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother's womb." In parishes across the country, the faithful hear their priests echo the Holy Father's words. Those professions ring hollow when pro-choice politicians are honored as they were during the pope's visit.

I"m not surprised to see Novak espousing this position, but then, I've had little respect for him as an observer and commentator for a long time now -- he proved himself long ago to be one of those blindered conservatives who just doesn't get it. On the face of it, this seems simple: should the hierarchy in the U.S. adhere to doctrine? Fine. I have no problem with that -- it's their church. Sullivan, it appears, sees it in that scale, but disagrees:

The politicization of the sacraments is a sad part of Catholic Christianism: the slow removal of any political space for dissent or conscience. Benedict is down with this, but he has a little too much sense to enforce it as ruthlessly as the theocons would want. He is now a pastor, thank goodness.

There's a lot more to it if you pursue the question: Should the hierarchy try to use dogma to influence the votes of legislators and the policy positions of executive office-holders? Mmmm -- that's a different issues completely. It is, ultimately, an attempt to force American civil law into the mold of Catholic moral teachings, and aside from the fact that the moral rectitude of the hierarchy is a joke anyway, it's also an attempt to subvert the basic institutions and mechanisms of American democracy. I get the sense that Benedict doesn't really like the idea of freedom, unless it's the right of everyone to be free to do what he says. No thank you.

Of course, Benedict is on record as declaring that separation of church and state is a "myth," so we shouldn't be surprised at that. Nor is it surprising that American theocons will agree with him -- after all, they want a Biblical state anyway. (I almost wish they would win, just so we could see the bloodletting among the various factions as they fought for control -- I mean, the idea of the cult of Satan allied with a bunch of godless heretics is pretty amusing -- but the consequences for real Americans are too distressing.)

This is not a position from which Benedict is likely to retreat -- after all, he thinks the Church should be in control of government anyway, but American Catholics have a long history of independence -- which is probably one reason there's never been an American pope -- and my own take is that the religious right is on the wane. It would be interesting to see an American politician tell Benedict to stuff it. Maybe disappear a few high-ranking prelates under the Patriot Act.