We have belonged to a Catholic parish outside Miami for many years. The pastor is a basically decent man whom I asked a few weeks ago about bringing in materials from Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. I had seen materials from a right-wing group called "Catholic Answers" in the back of the church, and I was looking for equal time.
I forwarded the info to the pastor, who didn't reply. About 10 days ago, while we were at the altar as part of a ceremony that will lead to my son's Confirmation, he quietly apologized for not having gotten back to me. He mentioned getting materials from the Archbishop.
Yesterday, there were scores of copies of a pamphlet from National Right to Life available at the church. It was similar to this pamphlet, except it was 2-sided. On one side, it expressly told people to vote for McPalin (instead of, I guess, a 3d party) b/c they're the pro-life candidates who can win.
To make matters worse, there were similar "pro-life" fliers from the RNC placed inside the doorhandles of cars while we were at Mass. I spoke to a law partner who attended an earlier Mass, and he told me that he found 1 on his car as well. He started taking them off of neighboring cars before despairing of the effort.
I have no idea whether the car leafleters received permission for their acitivities. I do know that it would've been almost impossible for them to have conducted this activity at 5 or 6 different Masses w/o detection. Obviously, the NRLC fliers were distributed w/ permission. My guess is that they may've been issued at the direction of the Archbishop.
I'm a long-standing Cafeteria Catholic who has long had numerous issues w/ the institutional Church. I'm still upset about these latest developments a day later. In fact, I'm arguably more upset now than I was then, largely b/c my attempts to level the playing field a little were rebuffed.
What bothers me most of all is the monomaniacal focus on 1 issue that leads the Church to make common cause w/ a party whose core philosophies so clearly violate Gospel teachings. Let's say "life" issues trump all other considerations. How many people have died thus far in a war of choice in Iraq, and how many more will die if McCain is elected? How many will die if McCain carries out his promise to wage additional wars? How many Americans die every year b/c they can't afford proper health care?
Is preventing torture as important as "life" issues are? I have yet to ever hear any member of the American hierarchy rage against the express abrogation of 2 centuries of the US avoiding the use of torture. Should that issue not be considered by Catholics when they choose a candidate?
One might think that, for reasons of pure self-interest, the Church might reconsider its position. The odds of our economy sliding into a Depression would be visibly greater under McCain than they would be under Obama. The constant stream of fundraising appeals to which Catholics are subjected will be impossible to fulfill if the economy goes in the toilet. I suspect that it is becoming more difficult to fulfill them now.
What's even more interesting here is that this approach has placed the Church clearly at odds w/ its parishoners. As a current Pew Poll notes, Obama leads among white Catholics 49-41. Pew ascribes this fairly dramatic recent shift to the worsening economic situation. As I noted yesterday that situation partially explains my racist GOP cousin's willingness to vote for Obama*.
In short, the institutional Church is skating on thin ice w/ its tax exemption, it is siding w/ a party that has always worshipped Mammon, it is alienating itself from its own constituency, and it is alienating itself from a party that will likely win decisive across the board majorities tomorrow. It is not often that one sees an organization willingly pursue such a lose/lose/lose/lose scenario.
*I believe that my cousin is still a reasonably observant Catholic.