Stephen P. White

You don’t need a well-developed theory of justice to be appalled or outraged by real injustices – for example, by police brutality or the killing of George Floyd. But you need it to see clearly what has brought our communities and country to this state of affairs.

Perhaps one problem with our conversations about race is that we want to have things both ways – to heal as one without accepting any responsibility for a whole. We want to proclaim ourselves one people, but without taking responsibility for the parts to which we do not wish to belong.

The intransigence of our political divisions, even between and among Catholics, is a good place to begin thinking about the importance of truly Catholic education for both the Church and the nation.

Those of us who have benefitted so greatly from John Paul II’s accomplishments – and from his intercession now – ought to be equally willing to learn from his failings, too. It would be a pity if we were not so willing. We have nothing to lose and much to gain from the truth.

The actions of the media, lawyers, and victims’ advocacy groups have sometimes been, taken in isolation, very damaging to the Church. But the actions of these same groups have often, over the long term, been a strong force moving the Church in the right direction.

For too long the Church reflexively stood with those it was “easy” to believe and “easy” to defend: accused priests. For that we are still paying the price, though the greater price was paid in the suffering of victims. Justice demands better.

One of the underappreciated realities of the abuse crisis is that a sizable portion of priests who are accused are neither manifestly guilty nor demonstrably innocent. And this creates a thorny problem for both priests and bishops.

The Church is sometimes better prepared to deal with sinners than she is to help those hurt and wounded by sin.

Christ’s Body is not made more perfect by ignoring the wounds it bears, nor by forgetting how they got there.

Abortion is the preeminent threat to the common good in our country. It is prudence, under the guidance of the Church, which tells us so – and which places corresponding demands on our consciences.

Catholic bishops are charged with forming the consciences of the faithful so they can carry out their responsibilities as citizens in service to justice and the common good. This requires an understanding of what the Church teaches, but it also requires both bishops and the faithful to understand the complex circumstances in which citizens must exercise their moral judgment.

The best thing Catholics can do to transform our politics is to become saints. The best thing their shepherds can do is to lead them there by example.