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Monday 7 November 2016

Father George W. Rutler on voting for a flawed vs. evil candidate and a homily on Cyrus vs. Antiochus

FROM THE PASTOR
October 30, 2016
by Fr. George W. Rutler

Image result for father george rutler
   Exactly eight years ago I wrote a column titled “The One We Were Waiting For” in which I referred to a book by Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson, The Lord of the World. That dystopian novel has been cited by Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis said he has read it several times. The protagonist, if one can apply that term to an Anti-Christ, imposed a new world religion with Man himself as god.  His one foe was Christianity, which he thwarted in part by using “compromised Catholics and compliant priests to persuade timid Catholics.”

   Since then, that program has been realized in our time, to an extent beyond the warnings of the most dire pessimists. Our federal government has intimidated religious orders and churches, challenging religious freedom. The institution of the family has been re-defined, and sexual identity has been Gnosticized to the point of mocking biology. Assisted suicide is spreading, abortions since 1973 have reached a total equal to the population of Italy, and sexually transmitted diseases are at a record high. Objective journalism has died, justice has been corrupted, racial bitterness ruins cities, entertainment is degraded, knowledge of the liberal arts spirals downwards, and authentically Catholic universities have all but vanished. A weak and confused foreign policy has encouraged aggressor nations and terrorism, while metastasized immigration is destroying remnant western cultures, and genocide is slaughtering Christian populations. The cynical promise of economic prosperity is mocked by the lowest rate of labor participation in forty years, an unprecedented number of people on food stamps and welfare assistance, and the largest disparity in wealth in over a century.

   In his own grim days, Saint Augustine warned against nostalgia: “The past times that you think were good, are good because they are not yours here and now.” The present time, however, might try even his confidence. Sands blow over the ruins of churches he knew in North Africa where the Cross is virtually forbidden. By a blessed irony, a new church is opened every day in formerly Communist Russia, while churches in our own formerly Christian nation are being closed daily. For those who bought into the seductions of politicians’ false hopes, there is the counsel of Walt Kelly’s character Pogo: “It’s always darkest before it goes pitch black.”

   It is incorrect to say that the coming election poses a choice between two evils. For ethical and aesthetic reasons, there may be some bad in certain candidates, but badness consists in doing bad things. Evil is different: it is the deliberate destruction of truth, virtue and holiness.

   While one may pragmatically vote for a flawed candidate, one may not vote for anyone who advocates and enables unmitigatedly evil acts, and that includes abortion. “In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to 'take part in a propaganda campaign in favor of such a law, or vote for it'" (Evangelium Vitae, 73).

   At one party’s convention, the name of God was excluded from its platform and a woman who boasted of having aborted her child was applauded. It is a grave sin, requiring sacramental confession and penance, to become an accomplice in objective evil by voting for anyone who encourages it, for that imperils the nation and destroys the soul.

   It is also the duty of the clergy to make this clear and not to shrink, under the pretense of charity, from explaining the Church's censures. Wolves in sheep’s clothing are dangerous, but worse are wolves in shepherd’s clothing. While the evils foreseen eight years ago were realized, worse would come if those affronts to human dignity were endorsed again. In the most adverse prospect, God forbid, there might not be another free election, and soon Catholics would arrive at shuttered churches and vacant altars. The illusion of indifference cannot long be perpetuated by lame jokes and synthetic laughter at banquets, for there is handwriting on the wall.       





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6 comments:

Ana Milan said...

Great as always to hear from Fr. Rutler who never fails to give clear & authoritative teaching on topics of the day many clerics avoid speaking about. We need men of courage like Fr.Rutler who adhere to Christ's instruction to 'go & teach all nations' even under the toughest conditions. I trust the US Catholics will be guided as to how to vote to-norrow. They cannot complain if they fail in their duty to vote for life.

BillyHW said...

Why can't we have a pope with such wisdom?

TLM said...

How I LOVE Fr. Rutler!! Thanks for this! He is truly the voice of true Catholic REASON, ALWAYS!! I will go to any length to hear or read him, my very favorite Priest in the world!! Hope this article has wide exposure among Catholics everywhere in the U.S.

Tomorrow is D Day......PRAY FOR OUR COUNTRY PLEASE!! H and I voted early, but with PAPER ballots. (safer) They are still to some extent skewing the poll numbers having it a VERY close race as reported in the main stream media, but others are saying Trump is doing MUCH better than she is in real numbers, AND in early voting. People have to keep in mind that according to Wiki Leaks, the media and the Clinton campaign are in collusion....BIG TIME! He had a rally yesterday where there were almost 10,000 people there. I pray God that people are waking up.

Our Lady of America PRAY FOR US!!

susan said...

I had the great and high privilege of meeting him in person and shaking his hand....holiness....just plain holiness.

Peter Lamb said...

What a great sermon!

Eirene said...

What an outstanding priest is Father George Rutler.
Despite having been treated abominably by his Archbishop, he maintains a truly Christian equilibrium and discernment. May Almighty God strengthen him in the massive task ahead of him and all right thinking Christians!