April 21, 2005
The
Church Picks Its Ashcroft for Pope
A Progressive
American Catholic Worker Response to the Rise of Ratsinger
By
BILL QUIGLEY
Within
minutes of the media announcement that Cardinal Ratizinger was
selected Pope Benedict - I refuse to call a process whereby less
than 1% of 1% can vote an election - I received an email asking
if I was going to switch churches or wait to be excommunicated!
My friends laughed and said “A progressive American Catholic
is now a double oxymoron!”
The
first Pope joke is already racing around Rome. When gregarious
and generous Pope John XXIII was made pope, his first words were
“Be not afraid!” Now when Pope Benedict is sworn in
his first words will be “Be afraid! Be very afraid!”
For
those of you who are not Catholic, selecting Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
as Pope is a lot like selecting Attorney General John Ashcroft
as President. Ratzinger has been the enforcer of orthodoxy for
years. No women priests. No gay unions. No questioning authority.
Fall in line.
As
a progressive American Catholic I feel uncomfortably out of place
- both in country and in church. While the last Pope spoke passionately
about poverty and peace and solidarity - these principles were
undercut by the practices of protection of the all-male clerical
hierarchy.
Likewise,
we have a president who speaks boldly about freedom and democracy
and opportunity - yet these same principles are undercut by practices
of global military and economic domination and widespread denial
of social and human rights at home and abroad.
Yet
I, and millions of others, are not leaving - country or church.
Millions refused to give up and go to Canada when our current
fundamentalist president was elected.
And
we millions are not leaving the catholic church just because the
fundamentalists have assumed power there as well.
Our
church and our country have wandered far away from the principles
of respect and justice and equality that are supposed to be the
foundations of each. Yet, we will not leave.
It
is time to stand and struggle for the soul of church and country
- and, I am afraid, more frequently than I would like, to struggle
with both our church and country to force them to stand consistently
for their principles.
If
our country will not stand up for justice for civilians in Iraq,
prisoners here and abroad, a living wage, racial justice, quality
public schools, fair healthcare, and reigning in national and
international corporate power - then it is up to us to do it.
Our country is the one of Harriet Tubman, Patrick Henry, Eleanor
Roosevelt, Cesar Chavez, and Martin Luther King. They inspire
us and they give us hope to push forward in these times.
If
our church will not stand up for women leaders, accountability
for abuses, democracy in our institutions, healthy sexuality,
equality for people of all orientations, and real respect for
all life - including the born - then it is up to us to do it.
Our church is the one of Archbishop Oscar Romero, Joan of Arc,
Philip Berrigan, Dorothy Day and Francis of Assisi. They inspire
us and give us hope to push forward in these times.
Benedict
and George - we are not leaving. It is our church and our country.
We are going to stay and struggle for the soul of both, with love
and justice for all.
Bill
Quigley is a lifelong Irish Catholic U.S.citizen who
teaches at Loyola University New OrleansSchool of Law. His email
is quigley@loyno.edu