The high-profile basketball coach at a prominent Catholic University made his way into the news some time ago by professing his support for abortion. The local bishop called for the school to discipline the coach in the interest of protecting the school’s reputation as a Catholic institution. The issue was sensationalized by the press. A concerted attempt was made to paint the bishop as a pariah.
The bishop, by defending Catholic teaching, was merely doing what he is supposed to do. At the same time, three secular journalists felt they were doing what they were supposed to do, namely, vilify anyone who stands up for life. The most noteworthy criticism came from a sportswriter, one who should be familiar with basketball referees blowing their whistle whenever they observe foul play. In the vernacular of sports, the bishop was doing nothing more than blowing the whistle when he observed scandalous behaviour.
The secular world presumes to hold to a higher moral standard than the Catholic Church. Whereas Catholic teaching is stringent in upholding moral values, drawing a fine line between right and wrong, the secular world is more forgiving and gives people greater latitude. In a word, the secular world is more “charitable.” And so, one sportswriter felt he was being high-minded when he penned the following sentence in his criticism of the bishop:
This is the famously polarizing local Catholic leader who seems to believe that anyone who doesn’t march in lockstep with his ultraconservative views on the world is going to hell in a handbasket.
A good bishop, then, especially on the topic of abortion, is supposed to be a silent bishop. He is akin to the classroom child who raises his hand for permission to speak and is denied the privilege. Shut up and go back to your chancery! The Book of Wisdom advises us to “show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved…rebuke temerity” (Wis. 12:15,17).
Christ was, we might say, “polarizing” in separating the sheep from the wolves, the faithful from the unfaithful, good from evil. He opposes everyone joining the ranks of Satan where, allegedly, there would be no division. Yet He was just and merciful and would most assuredly not send everyone to hell for following Him. “Lockstep” creates the image of a “chain gang” wherein no one has any freedom of movement. The appropriate image for the Church is the Mystical Body wherein each person enjoys freedom uncompromised. It represents not homogeneity, but diversity within unity.
The fact that the sportswriter who defended the coach could present his reckless vituperation as if it were a cogent argument is not without importance. The vilification of pro-lifers has reached the point in which their being misunderstood and abused seems acceptable. It is a war in which one side is the aggressor and the other is the victim. And war brings out the worst in people. The bishop’s enemy presumes that he is in lockstep with the secular world.
The local bishop would not be intimidated. He has accepted the challenge to “rebuke temerity” as recommended by the Book of Wisdom. And he will continue to work fearlessly on behalf of both logic and life. He has a message for all who defend life. It is one that encourages them to prevail, especially at a time when they are being slandered. The truth is their ally, not an unblemished reputation.
Should a basketball coach be allowed to slander the Catholic school that pays his salary with impunity? This is hardly a serious question. Nonetheless, the answer is not unequivocal. “Yes” says the secular world; “No” says the Catholic Church. The struggle goes on. The value of life is lost in the mayhem. Pro-choice advocates are awarded an impunity that is given to few, if any others. They write their own rules and live by their own deceits. Abortion should not be discussed for it violates social etiquette. If only all those pro-life advocates could be silent! But to their credit, they persist and will not be mowed over by irresponsible rhetoric. They have a duty both to themselves as well as to others.
Photo by Raúl Mermans García on Unsplash
