New Orleans Archbishop Alfred Hughes refused to attend a ceremony honoring U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu and her family on the grounds that the senator is not sufficiently anti-abortion.
Loyola University, a Catholic institution in New Orleans bestowed upon the Landrieu family a collective honorary doctorate for its record of public service. The honorees the Senator, her brother, Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu and their father, former New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu. The Landrieus are a Catholic family.
From the AP:
Archbishop Alfred Hughes said he had told Loyola's president, the Rev. Kevin Wildes, of his disappointment over the honor and indirectly criticized the abortion stance of the senator and her brother.You can't fault the archbishop for his unwillingness to attend the Loyola ceremony. If he believes that a person's life and record of service are defined by one's position on abortion-rights, then his refusal to attend is a conscientious act. Nobody would want him to behave hypocritically.
"Not all members of the family have been faithful to the church's teaching regarding public policy," Hughes said in a statement.
He added that he would boycott commencement because he didn't want to "confuse the faithful" by giving the "impression that it is appropriate to include in an honor anyone who dissents publicly from Church teaching."
But this episode illustrates the need to remain vigilant about the political influence of religious conservatives. For many of these people, all of reality is filtered through the prism of their narrow range of interests.
To abortion opponents, nothing matters but abortion. Oh, you fed some hungry people today? You helped to clothe the naked? You fought for justice? Good for you. Now, how many unborn babies did you help to murder today, huh?
By contrast, it matters not at all how corrupt, inept or dangerous a politician is if he or she is, if only rhetorically, anti-abortion. What's that you say? President Bush exalts the wealthy and powerful over the poor and the oppressed? He has turned American government over to pimps, thugs and thieves? He contrived reasons to lead his nation into an immoral, illegal war? So what? He says believes in a Culture of Life!"
It is the same with gay rights as it is with abortion-rights. For the religious conservative, there is no room for compromise.
Religious fervor has its place. Church is that place. Government is not that place. We must never stop fighting the theocratization American government.
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