In these few verses, we get to the heart of Catholic morality. Everything in this world is relativized. Every choice has meaning only in relation to eternity, and value only in relation to heaven. Thus eternal life — not money, fame, pleasure, or political office — is to be the determining factor in our decisions. Whatever leads to the Kingdom must be chosen. Whatever opposes it must be rejected — cut off.
The Chesterton Schools Network identifies several “hallmarks” of a Chesterton Academy: a focus on truth, goodness and beauty; a joyful learning environment; the Socratic seminar; the wit and wisdom of G.K. Chesterton; and more, according to the network website. The schools utilize a classical curriculum, combining a “broad, liberal arts education with a strong emphasis on the development of Christian virtues and an appreciation of beauty,” according to the network’s website. Three pillars provide an overall structure to this education: intellect, character and spirituality. These pillars help illustrate the fundamentally Catholic approach of the Chesterton Schools Network. The intellectual life is not to be separated from the spiritual life, nor from the development of character.
The Catholic Church has a number of old-fashioned teachings that, if implemented, would make all the educational difference in the world. I’m thinking of three in particular: (1) A child’s first and most important educational institution is the home and family. (2) Parents are the ultimate authorities regarding a child’s education. (3) A child has a right to grow up with two married parents.
It’s very painful for U.S. Catholics to observe this scandalous witness, carried out by only the second Catholic president in our nation’s history. We should pray fervently for a presidential change of heart about abortion. And pray that, if it doesn’t occur, the president at least will be willing to heed the guidance from our shepherds about the unfitness of Catholic politicians who support abortion to receive the Eucharist. God bless you!
It’s not that working to mitigate the effects of evil is wrong. Rather, it’s that the ethical framework of technocracy is utilitarian through and through. This means that whatever it takes to maximize pleasure and eliminate suffering must be done, regardless of whether the means are morally licit or the proposed solutions create far worse problems than the one being addressed. Embedded within this assumption is the mistaken belief that to suffer anything is contrary to human dignity.
When this firestorm over double-talking Catholic pols first surfaced, Cardinal Francis Arinze, the indomitable Nigerian and former prefect of the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, happened to be on a U.S. lecture tour. He was approached by a reporter and asked his opinion about the fracas. He responded, “Why are you asking me?” “Because you are the head of Catholic worship for the whole world.” “No, don’t ask me. If you have a parish school, go to the second-graders preparing for their First Holy Communion. Ask them if someone who wants to kill babies should receive Holy Communion. Ask them. They’ll tell you.” Indeed, ask a second-grader.
So what does the Church actually teach about vaccine mandates, including COVID-19 vaccine mandates? In the most recent official statement from the Vatican in December 2020, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith explicitly states, “Practical reason makes evident that vaccination is not, as a rule, a moral obligation and that, therefore, it must be voluntary.” It is not a moral obligation. It must be voluntary. Pretty clear-cut, no?
But for a Christian, that’s only part of the story. It’s good to note that, prior to the pandemic, more Americans, of all races and backgrounds, were participating in what St. John Paul II called the “universal workbench.” (Laborem exercens14) A lot of what redeems our lives from futility and meaninglessness involves the contributions we make as we earn our daily bread. Everyone, in whatever profession – construction workers, computer designers, medical personnel, teachers, law enforcement and the military, restaurant workers, delivery people, even our political leaders – may make honorable contributions to our society and the world
For Christians defeat is always just around the corner. Christian life is a battle against sin, temptation, and despair. Our true strength comes from the simple, yet so hard to live, commands of loving God and neighbor. A less violent future may lie in the hearts of men and women willing to organize their lives as God has commanded.