"No soul left behind"

I took advantage of Rick’s recommendation and read John Breen’s and Michael Scaperlanda’s new article. It made me do a lot of thinking and praying about those who enter public life, particularly those called to legislative, administrative, and judicial responsibilities. After reading John’s and Michael’s draft, I concentrated on a couple of phrases: “freedom of the autonomous self” as modified by a word the authors sometimes used (“exaggeration”) and the “disorder of liberty run amok.” I wondered if I had witnessed any of this during the past week watching segments of those asking questions during Judge Alito’s confirmation hearings. I have reached one conclusion regarding the role of pastors and bishops in my reflection: there is a great deal of work to be done teaching those members of the Catholic community, or who say they are a part of it, who turn to the exaggerated freedom of the autonomous self and promote a world where order and “liberty run amok” seem compatible. A great deal could be said here about legal reasoning and the rule of law, but I shall defer until my presentation at the St. John’s symposium in March. Here I shall focus on the pastoral duties of those with teaching responsibility in the Church. There is a lot of work to do if this past week’s broadcasting of the Alito hearings is a reliable gauge. I may be in a minority, but I saw some prominent Catholics conduct themselves in often questionable ways. I wonder about their souls. Will the human law insulate them from the divine law? I wonder some more. But, if there is any legitimate concern emerging from my reaction, it has a clear solution: the teaching of the Church and the duty to see that it is properly understood by its members, the People of God. I was struck with a peculiar coincidence as I watched a group of people, many professing to be Catholic, who legislated a law a few years ago commonly known as “No Child Left Behind.” From what I witnessed on the web video streaming of the Judiciary Committee proceedings, I saw several souls responsible for the promulgation of that law putting into question their own future… and I thought, no soul should be left behind, either. Pastors and bishops who are in charge of the care of these souls have a lot of work ahead of them if no soul is to be left behind.   RJA sj