Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone called for Christians to be the “moral conscience” of society during a Mass marking the end of a novena against an upcoming abortion bill.
From Aug. 3-11, Californian dioceses and archdioceses prayed a novena for the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe to defeat Senate Bill 24, which would require state college and university health centers to stock medication abortion pills.
In his homily for the 9:00 a.m. Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral, the archbishop spoke about the culture of death’s expression in society and how Christians can respond to it.
He began by citing a recent New York Times editorial that called for embracing the basic values that have historically glued American society together. “The idea is that by focusing on the common good we can retrieve a sense of public decency,” he said.
“This is a sentiment we can all agree with, certainly we’re here in church, certainly this is something we all here would agree with,” Archbishop Cordileone continued. “However, let’s think about that, let’s think about it deeply. Is it really possible to retrieve a sense of common decency when we consider what is going on in our country?”
Society not only tolerates abortion, he said, but celebrates its existence, heralding it as “as progress and a sign of an enlightened society.” The devastating effect of abortion on women who lacked the love, care and support to make a choice for life, the social indifference to their plight, he said, is masked.
“Can there really be a sense of common decency if this is the case? Perhaps at a superficial level, perhaps we can be polite to each other, but at a deeper level of shared values there is a crisis going on,” he said.
Christians should be “spiritually agile” and resistant to being fooled by popular fashions, political conventions, or cultural pressures. Instead, he said, how Christians should make the Gospel the foundation of their thinking and action in the world and “serve as the conscience of society,” which can only happen if they live their faith with integrity.
Full story at Catholic San Francisco.
Surely there CAN be a common sense of decency unless we pretend that abortion is the sine quo non of decency, which, as horrible as it may be, isn’t the guage by which we judge all decent words and actions. When a Bishop speaks out only about ONE of many kinds of indecency that we encounter in our world, he shouldn’t be surprised when society ignores his calls for decency about his one favorite issue. Either one speaks out about the racism, the homophobia, the sexism, the overly incarcerated, those denied asylum, those impoverished because of drug pushing pharmaceutical companies and those impoverished because of extortionistic tactics by banks, or one speaks out about abortion. Why need there be this division? Why doesn’t he speak out about ALL of these evils? To obtain a position of moral respect, one needs to tackle ALL of the evils, not just a single one. Especially, those that affect living alive extant human beings.
Perhaps the good Archbishop addressed this was because he knows the truth and that without life all other issues are meaningless. All issues stem from this anti-life violence against the least of our sisters/brothers. But some would argue that the evil of homosexuality should have been included because of the homo-fascist takeover of our institutions and schools. And I’ll add “race-baiting” by the unhinged, deranged left does need to be addressed also.
He does, but you are against him because he speaks out against so-called same-sex marriage, which can never be condoned as marriages are expected to be consummated and sodomy causes serious harm to the body sooner or later, and children have the right to both a mother and a father. The body is not constructed that way. Even an atheist knows that. It is very hypocritical when many people who rant and rave about the evils of smoking will turn around and condone such unhealthy behavior.
‘The Congress shall make no Law . . [First ammendment, US Constitution] .” America is, by choice, not a theocracy. Thus, others can adopt moral positions with which we do no agree. Yes, they have to answer to God.
I agree abortion is a moral wrong. However, I respect the secular right of others to choose a different course.
“I agree abortion is a moral wrong. However, I respect the secular right of others to choose a different course.”
So you would respect the secular right of others to own a slave, rape a woman or abuse a child? There is no right to kill another even though the so-called law says so. Remember Dred Scott?
Everyone who supported slavery was free; everyone who supports abortion is born. That’s how oppression works.
— Anonymous
YFC: absolutely agree with your post. The leaders of the Church should continue to speak out against abortion…and racism, homophobia, sexism and gender discrimination. It is what Jesus Christ would do if he were walking on earth today.