So numerous indeed and so powerful are the causes which serve to give a false bias to the judgment, that we, upon many occasions, see wise and good men on the wrong as well as on the right side of questions of the first magnitude to society. This circumstance, if duly attended to, would furnish a lesson of moderation to those who are ever so much persuaded of their being in the right in any controversy. And a further reason for caution, in this respect, might be drawn from the reflection that we are not always sure that those who advocate the truth are influenced by purer principles than their antagonists. – Publius
Like me, President-Elect Joe Biden is a bad Catholic. My Christian brother and I are imperfect practitioners of our common faith. We are both sinners, which means that we say and do things that are inconsistent with the beliefs we profess. Thus, I have no patience for those Catholics who refer to Biden as a “so-called” Catholic, or an “alleged” Catholic, or “Catholic in name only,” any more than I would have patience with someone who refers to me that way.
We cannot judge Biden’s personal religious devotion. We should not presume to do so. We must pray for him, as we must for ourselves: that he may grow in faithfulness and become a more consistent witness to the Gospel.
We can, however, make judgments about the moral opinions that Biden espouses and the policy positions that he proposes. Like a judge applying the law to the facts, we can examine those positions and policies in light of Catholic moral doctrine, to determine how relatively consistent they are with Church teaching. Having done so, we can and should challenge him in the spirit of fraternal correction to conform where he falls short.
Although Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris is not a Catholic, we can of course do the same for the positions and policies that she has advocated, for the Church’s views of these matters are rooted in publicly available reason and require no assent to the data of supernatural faith.
I did not vote for Biden, largely because of his position on abortion. I do know many faith-filled and prayerful Catholics who did, not because of his position on abortion, but despite it. Their typical rationale (aside from being rid of the odious incumbent) is that a Biden presidency will be consistent with other important life issues; that he will implement policies that will make it less likely that a woman with an “unwanted” pregnancy will see abortion as her only (or at least best) option. Thus, the reasoning continues, it is conceivable that a net reduction in abortions will result.
This is arguable, I suppose, but dubious. Even if this situation obtains, it does not change the fact that Biden’s position is not the old “personally-opposed-but” policy concession for an otherwise immoral act. Rather, he is an outspoken proponent of the moral legitimacy of abortion.
Biden is a deliberate and enthusiastic advocate of moral positions that are contrary to unequivocal Catholic moral teaching.
At a primary debate in February 2020, he declared, “It’s a woman’s right. Period.” At a later “town hall” session, when asked about the possibility that Roe v. Wade might be vacated by the Supreme Court, he answered that “the only responsible response [is] to pass legislation making Roe the law of the land.” Lest there be any ambiguity, he concluded, “That’s what I would do.” And, when the Supreme Court held that the Little Sisters of the Poor may not be forced to fund or facilitate contraception and abortion for their lay employees, Biden said that he was “disappointed” and that his administration would sue the religious order to restore the coercive mandate.
He has also made it clear that he will increase federal funding of Planned Parenthood, support repeal of the Hyde Amendment (which prohibits federal funds from paying directly for abortions), and suspend the Mexico City Policy (which prohibits international aid to NGOs that advocate abortion).
These are not examples of personal moral failure to which we all succumb. Rather, Biden is a deliberate and enthusiastic advocate of moral positions that are contrary to unequivocal Catholic moral teaching. He has no scruples about imposing these immoral positions on everyone else. Each of the policies outlined above will be funded by tax dollars for those of us (Catholic or otherwise), who find them repugnant.
We cannot—we must not—ignore or rationalize the moral positions he has taken that are contrary to that journey.
When it comes to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, we need only look to her long and consistent history of anti-religious bigotry to dispel any expectation of meaningful accommodation in any of these policies, let alone a change of tack. As attorney general of California, Harris waged war against Catholic institutions and individuals including conspiring with Planned Parenthood to pass bill-of-attainder legislation against a Catholic journalist. As a U.S. Senator, she has been a sponsor and advocate of the so-called “Do No Harm Act,” the express purpose of which is to eviscerate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and otherwise to repeal religious liberty exceptions to federal law and policy. She persistently misquotes the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as protecting only the freedom to “worship,” and will work to banish religious practice from the public square.
Catholics are pilgrims on a common journey with Joe Biden. We should continue to pray for him, intentionally and fervently. We cannot—we must not—ignore or rationalize the moral positions he has taken that are contrary to that journey. Just as it is our duty to pray for him, so it is our duty to call him to account for advocacy of moral doctrines that undermine our common faith, and work against them.
Kenneth Craycraft is a licensed attorney and the James J. Gardner Family Chair of Moral Theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and School of Theology, the seminary for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He holds the Ph.D. in theology from Boston College, and the J.D. from Duke University School of Law.
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