After hearing of yet another incident where a Catholic pastor refused to promote a belief or sanction a practice advocated by the Church on the grounds that it is a "conservative bandwagon issue," I've decided to clarify a few matters regarding the proper use of terminology. I myself am generally not a big fan of lectures, discussions, or commentaries about semantics; but in this particular case, it hits at the very heart of what it means to be Catholic, so I feel this to be necessary.
Generally speaking, when we hear someone speak of a "conservative Catholic" (whether such a person is spoken of in a good or bad way), the speaker is referring to someone who wants to hold fast to Catholic traditions and does not want to change either the doctrines or practices of the faith; and when we hear someone speak of a "liberal Catholic" (again, whether or not the application of the term is flattering), the speaker is referring to someone who wishes to change Catholic teachings and practices, sometimes for the sake of adapting to the customs and beliefs of the modern age, sometimes to justify personal beliefs and practices which are contradictory to Church teaching.
Now, having said that, let me state that the adjectives "conservative" and "liberal" do not properly apply to the noun "Catholic" when used in a religious context. The words "liberal" and "conservative" (especially in modern usage) refer specifically to political ideologies, and it should remain that way. I believe that it cheapens a person's religious beliefs to reduce them to mere political ideologies. As Catholics, we are called to develop fully-informed Catholic consciences and apply them to our political beliefs. However, we are not called to develop political ideologies and in turn have those ideologies determine how we worship God. I say this because while our political beliefs constitute only a part of who we are, Catholicism is (for those of us who are Catholic) our very identity.
Our Catholic beliefs are a reflection of our relationship with the 3 Persons of the Blessed Trinity, and that relationship should influence every aspect of our lives, from how we perform our duties at work to how we raise our children, and even to how we vote on Election Day. Everything we do must start with our religious beliefs and our relationship with God, because we are called to mold ourselves in the image of God as much as our fallen human nature will allow. If, on the other hand, we worship God based on our political ideologies, we fall into the trap of worshipping God on our terms rather than His. This, in turn, leads us to try and force God to conform to our way of thinking (in other words, of trying to recreate God in our own image). In doing this, we completely lose sight of God the Father, His revelation to us in the person of His Divine Son Jesus Christ, and the workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
The words "liberal" and "conservative," when used in a religious context, also tend to be confusing. When someone who claims to be Catholic (yet fails to adhere to Catholic doctrines) speaks disparagingly of "conservative Catholics," it obscures the underlying grievance that the speaker has with those he or she disagrees with. We're often led to the conclusion that the grievance with "conservative Catholics" is based on the fact that such people are rigid in their ways and more interested in the letter of the law (like the Pharisees of Jesus Christ's time) than they are in a loving relationship with God and man. More often than not, however, the grievance is really based on a difference in political and religious ideologies, and has little or nothing to do the with the perceived reason (which may be real or imagined) for the grievance.
Likewise, when someone who adheres to Church teaching speaks disparagingly of "liberal Catholics," they may envision people who dress like hippies and who are always angry at the Pope about something. Contrary to what this image may suggest, the grievance against "liberal Catholics" is not primarily based on personality conflicts or personal tastes, but is likewise based on religious ideology.
It's a badly-kept secret that I myself have been alternately denounced and applauded as a "conservative Catholic." However much this may stroke my ego, let me state that I reject that label! It is true that I am an orthodox Catholic who happens to be a political conservative. By orthodox I mean that I believe in and give internal assent to the teachings of the Catholic faith. It also means that I continually strive to learn more about my faith in order to develop a more informed Catholic conscience. And I proudly claim the title of orthodox Catholic before I claim any other, because it is my identity and it influences all of my actions (including going to confession and seeking to do penance on those occasions when I sin). People who disagree with me often speak of me as rigid and incapable of thinking for myself because of my adherence to Catholic doctrine. Of course, the implication is that such adherence is a bad thing, a notion which I find laughable. I do not see adherence to the Church's Magisterial teachings as "clinging to the old ways" or "refusing to get with the times." I see it as a virtue, and I reject the notion that "the times make the person." It is the actions of people which dictate the times (just like humanity's actions have molded all of recorded history), and it is the faith that makes the person. So the lack of morality and rampant dissent we are dealing with today stems primarily from a loss of faith
If the Catholic Church founded by Jesus Christ fails to conform to the times, then you should stop and ask yourself: is it the Church or the times which is at odds with the will of God? The Church does not now, never has, and never will change its teachings to accomodate humanity's weakness of will and inability to resist the temptation to sin; and it is precisely because the Church has not done this (and instead chosen to faithfully preserve the teachings of Jesus Christ, who calls us to turn away from sin rather than embrace it as modern society has done), that humanity still has the hope of salvation. So don't hate the Church for her "rigidity;" instead be grateful that she continues to uphold Jesus Christ as the ultimate standard for holiness!
It's also no secret that I am diametrically opposed to the beliefs of those who are improperly called "liberal Catholics," for which I am often labeled as "intolerant" (if it is "intolerant" to oppose the wickedness and snares of the Evil One, then I claim the title proudly!). It is the trademark of the so-called "liberal Catholic" to dissent from Church teaching, so I have taken to calling them "dissenters" or "dissidents." But since such individuals also call for changes in Church doctrine to conform to the times and their own ideologies, the term "progressive" has also been used for them (although it is highly questionable whether the accomplishment of their agendas would ever constitute any real "progress" in the true Christian sense of the word). And even though this is bound to offend certain readers, I will also mention that, in Catholic theology, those who are not orthodox are by definition "heretics," though it is obvious that the general usage of this term (while appropriate) would bear little fruit in trying to convert the hearts of such individuals.
In the end, I have found that the most appropriate term to use for individuals who do not adhere to Church teaching is "heterodox," which, like "heretic," is an antonym for "orthodox." But, as I mentioned earlier, "dissenter" or "dissident" is also appropriate. Regardless of whatever term is used, I believe that individuals who claim to be Catholic but dissent from Catholic teaching should be more forthcoming with their beliefs and their goals for the Church. It is wrong to call oneself a loyal Catholic while opposing the Church's teaching on abortion (as many so-called "Catholic" politicians have done, not to mention the apostate group "Catholics for a Free Choice"). It is dishonest to call one's self a loyal Catholic while continuing to insist that other issues definitively addressed by the Church, such as the Church's inability to ordain women and the ban on artificial contraception, are still open to debate (the greatest perpetrators of this are heterodox groups like Call to Action, FutureChurch, and the inappropriately-named Voice of the Faithful). It is likewise dishonest to refuse to promote an established Catholic belief or practice and to claim that this refusal is on the grounds that it is a "conservative" issue (as the pastor referred to at the beginning of this article did) when the truth is that the real source of the opposition is a rejection of Catholic teaching.
If one opposes what the Church teaches, they should be honest about it. Such individuals shouldn't muddle the issue with confusing labels while claiming that they are loyal Catholics, because they are not; and unsuspecting Catholics have a right to know that they are not. It is because these "Catholic" opponents of Church authority have been able to work their poison on the unsuspecting faithful that the Church has to deal with the lack of fidelity and scandalous behavior that are so rampant today.
We are told on numerous occasions in the Gospels to repent. Growing in humility to be able to overcome our pride and develop a more perfect contrition is the work of a lifetime. And whatever else we know about human nature, it is a fact that each and every one of us could use a lot less pride and a lot more humility in our lives. There is no humility in justifying sin (much less glorifying it). It is the height of pride. And I cannot begin to grasp, much less explain, just how much damage is caused to a person's soul every time we justify their sin and do not call them to repent. We often hear that it is not charitable to condemn sin, which implies that it IS charitable to condone it. Charity, the greatest of the virtues, is true Christian love; and it is not possible if it is not based on the truth. Sin, by its very nature, turns us away from God, who is Truth. Therefore, there is absolutely no charity in the condoning of sinful behavior, because sin is at its core a denial of the truth. And all of the dissent in the Church today is rooted in sin; or more specifically, in a denial of the fact that sin separates us from God and places our souls in peril.
First and foremost, we are called to pray for our separated brethren, that they (as well as the rest of us) may turn away from sin and embrace the truth. We are at the same time called to stop the spread of their errors, so that no more innocent souls will be lost to or corrupted by them. This job will be made easier in part if we did away with the use of the words "liberal" and "conservative" in a religious context, and started recognizing loyal and disloyal Catholics for what they really are.
Let's put an end to this semantic nonsense and learn to call a spade a spade.
"Conversion is a matter of a moment. Sanctification is the work of a
lifetime."
- St. Josemaria Escriva
"Truth is not determined by a majority vote."
- Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
