ONE OF MY HEROES FOR "CHOOSING TO STAY"

Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin S.J.

1881-1955

BORN IN FRANCE

DIED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

There seems to be a lot of discouragement going around, not only about the leadership of our country, but also about the leadership of our Church in this country. What discourages me most is that the leadership of our Church in this country helped elect the present political leadership of our country. 

Because of their "failure to convince" people of our moral position on one issue, they have turned to our political system as a way to "force" people to accept our moral position. It seems to me that they may have been entrapped by the third temptation in the story of Jesus in the desert as he was discerning the direction of his ministry. Jesus rejected cozying up political power, but rather called for radical personal conversion! For that reason, I accept our moral position, but I simply reject their means to reach it! Consequentialism, a perennial favorite moral heresy, for anyone not fully up to speed on basic principles of Catholic moral teaching, is the belief that good ends justify evil means. Despite the fact that this notion has been condemned ever since Paul wrote Romans 3:8, some Catholics, deeply believe it anyway. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear:(#1789) "One may never do evil so that good may result from it." My only hope is that Pope Leo will be able to find more truly effective spiritual leaders, people able to convince others of our moral positions without having to cozy up to politicians who seek to use our faith for their political ends. 

Even though it is tempting some days to leave our Church and even our country, I have decided to stay with both, to the bitter end if necessary! One of my heroes, in this area of my life, is Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit and a scientist. Because of his new ideas, he was silenced by Rome in 1926. He was urged by many to leave, not only the Jesuits, but also the Church. He decided rather to "go on to the end and with a smile if possible." Why? He said, "When I took my vows I committed myself. To break them would be an offense against honor." "One must work from within," he said. "Those who leave no longer have any influence."

I am a Christian - a Catholic Christian! As a Catholic Christian, I am committed to the Catholic Church, warts and all, but I roundly reject "Christian Nationalism!" As an American Catholic, I can proudly say that "I am consciously Christian, deliberately Catholic and unapologetically ecumenical and interfaith!" As one Baptist Minister said recently, “I’m greatly concerned about uniting church and state because it has never gone well for the church. It turns faith into just a political tool and ultimately drives people away.” When will we ever learn from history? As the American philosopher George Santayana, said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it!"