All politics are local…

Some years ago, Rep. Tip O’Neill suggested that all politics are local. This observation came from a man who was not only a powerful national legislator but also a leader of Congress and Speaker of the House of Representatives. Over the past several weeks several MOJ contributors have discussed a number of issues that involve the important question of church/state relations on the national front. Some of the issues discussed in these postings have addressed abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and marriage. One catalyst for these discussions has been the nationally televised debates of Democratic and Republican candidates for the Presidency.

But tomorrow, Thursday, June 14, politics of great importance will take place on a local level. The General Court of Massachusetts (the state legislature) is scheduled to take up the important question of the state constitutional convention concerning the amendment to the Massachusetts constitution that would define marriage as the union between one many and one woman. [HERE] The four Catholic bishops of Massachusetts have spoken on this issue a number of times including on June 12. [HERE] However, a number of prominent members of the legislature who are either Catholic or represent areas of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with large Catholic majorities have taken the approach that religious belief cannot trump public duty. An example of their position is reported [HERE].

I am inclined to think that many legislators will look for ways to avoid the vote tomorrow so as to postpone this important matter for another day. But should the vote proceed and thereby allow the issue to go to a popular referendum, the citizens of Massachusetts will most likely decide the matter. But, if the legislature deems the proposed amendment “discriminatory” and refuses the public referendum, the bishops of Massachusetts, who have been exercising their pastoral and teaching duties on this issue, will have another duty to perform: what must they do about the legislators who claim membership in the Church but defy its teachings?

At this late hour there is one thing that those of us who are not Massachusetts legislators (and lobbyists) can do: we can once again pray for courage and wisdom in our bishops as they exercise their pastoral and teaching office. Let us also pray for the fidelity of our Catholic legislators for whom matters of faith may or may not be convenient, depending on the political issue that rests before them. It is interesting that some Catholic legislators can profess strong adherence to the faith when the issues in a debate involve education, poverty, or immigration; however, it is equally interesting when they assert that their faith cannot “interfere” with their public duties when abortion “rights,” the public funding of embryonic stem cell research, or the definition of marriage is at stake. RJA sj