Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: January 31, 2021
I have to admit that the past few weeks have been an emotional roller coaster for me, and I’ll bet for you as well. The low point of course was on January 6, when the rioting mob supporting the previous president attempted to overthrow the government of the United States. What type of dictatorship might have been installed in its place remains unknown, since their disorganized illegal efforts failed in the face of our country’s swift defense of our democracy. But for a while at least, it was horrifying.
Therefore, the ultimately peaceful transfer of power and inauguration of President Biden on January 20 was a high point. This cemented the fact that we are governed by the Constitution, and that governmental change and decisions that our leadership make happen in accord with it. While the pace of democracy is sometimes slow, since we may have to wait for a future election to greatly influence events yet to come, this gives the electorate time to evaluate matters and decide what is best. As a country, we need to be confident that our system of government permits the best decisions to be determined by constitutional leadership, one put in place by a knowledgeable, properly-motivated electorate. That’s the best way to ensure a professional and competent leadership at every level of government.
But there is much still to be concerned with. While there are no perfect people, even Catholics – trust me, I hear confessions all the time! – it flabbergasts me that President Biden and so many others in both the Congress and the Executive Branch do not work to eliminate the tragedy of legalized abortion in the country. While much of the Democrat party’s political emphasis is on caring for persons in need – something quite in line with Catholic values – the unborn are the most in need of something essential, life itself. It is an illogical and completely immoral position to hold that others’ desires – to make life “easier” for themselves or to benefit financially – somehow outweigh babies’ very lives. The psychological and emotional harm – and usually devastating guilt! – suffered by those who mistakenly choose to terminate the life of their child are also things that a caring society tries to eliminate as well.
There are also other strange, indeed wholly wrong ideas circulating these days, like the proposal to allow biological males to masquerade as females (and vice-versa) wherever they wish, including even in restrooms and in sporting events for example. It makes no sense to me. A caring society does not discriminate unjustly, and while we’re not perfect yet, significant progress has been made. We know that racism cannot be tolerated, for example, and that persons of different sexual orientation and those of disparate economic status still must enjoy the right of equal treatment in secular law. But some differentiation can be proper – between sexes, between minors and adults, and between persons of different legal status, to name but a few examples – for “the common good” in general outweighs individual circumstance.
Notice that I’m not calling for mean-spiritedness in opposing the wrong decisions of anyone. Real progress begins with frank discussions, however, and a sharing of truth as this is known. Imperfect ideas held by intelligent people ought to yield to better ones, if we can bring effective, respectful persuasion to bear. Maybe I’m naïve about this, but deep down I hope that the new executive administration and the Congress can work together, choosing the best of all proposals for the future. I certainly wish that the bitter partisanship of recent times gives way to a more traditional willingness to work together for the good of everyone.
Those of you who know me (and who’ve read my column here in The Carpenter for a dozen years now) recognize my reticence at discussing any “political” topic publicly. Priests are responsible for guiding folks to holiness, however, and some mistaken political stances are just not holy. They have to be pointed out.
In the Lord,
Fr. Paul Counce
