The Failure of The Church

In the past weeks significant events took place that confirms the Catholic Church has failed in bringing the message of Christ to me any longer. Instead the Church has become a right wing political action committee akin to the fanatical evangelicals of the Republican far right. Instead the Church has become the Pharisees like those who persecuted Christ in his final days.

Prior to the recent election there was a concerted effort by American Catholic Bishops to heavily influence the way Catholics should vote in the Presidential election. Locally here in Denver, Archbishop Charles Chaput publicly spoke out against candidates that professed a "pro-choice" viewpoint on the issue of abortion. He made sure to preface his remarks as those of a private citizen but knew without a doubt his views would have dramatic effect on Church members who strongly adhere to the direction of Church leaders.

Reports across the state and across the nation described priests cajoling their parishes to vote against Barack Obama for the singular issue of his abortion viewpoint. They described him as a "pro abortionist" despite his statements of great concern about reasons that led to abortion and his desire to reach out to both sides to prevent abortion situations from occurring.

It is not accident Chaput is also promoting a new book of his ultra conservative views that consider abortion the most "intrinsically evil" issue we face in our world today. Chaput has often consorted with the outgoing President Bush who is responsible for the egregious acts against Afghanistan and Iraq which have constantly proved to be without merit. His voice and those of most American Catholic bishops have been significantly silent about the millions affected by those wars.

At one point Archbishop Chaput argued to me some wars are morally justified with the implication Iraq was one of those wars. That was in answer to my protest when he endorsed Bush by default over a Catholic, John Kerry, for the same singular issue of abortion. A short time after the reelection of Bush there was a photo of Bush and Chaput smiling at one another during a White House breakfast for clergy. Bush was reaching out to Chaput with his hand on Chaput's thigh in a gesture of two "good ole boys" laughing it up. Photos can have lasting impressions, Archbishop.

The week after the election of Obama the American Catholic Bishops Conference declared they will strongly challenge (confront) the newly elected President over his abortion views. At the same time many of the Bishops implied and directly stated any Catholic voting for Obama should seek penance and not be given communion until that time. The mostly white male council of bishops has insinuated a vote for Obama was a mortal sin that should exclude the laity voting for him from the Eucharist.

For eight years this same body of Church leaders has given the criminal actions of Bush and Cheney a pass. They have consistently refused to speak out against the discredited wars started by Bush as long as he has consistently followed their agenda about abortion and fetal stem cell research. They have overlooked the illegal and immoral nature of the wars that have caused 1.5 million deaths according to the research of the medical journal, Lancet.

I've even heard of some of the Bishops defending their lack of action about the wars because the casualties were low in comparison with the deaths caused by abortions. Research on the numbers of abortions worldwide is highly unreliable, often over-inflated and often include spontaneous or "naturally caused" abortions such as miscarriages. The number of aborted fetuses is no doubt in the millions but the fanatical fringe groups declaring 40-50 million each year are simply doing more to harm their cause than help it. These figures are based on alleged research that lacks scientific principles. But, of course, like evangelical wings of the Christian churches other than Catholicism, science is considered witchcraft when convenient by all fanatics whether Catholic or Protestant.

It is now estimated one child five or under dies approximately every thirty seconds in the world for reasons that could have easily been avoided. Poverty, with poor water and poor nutrition is a major contributor to the approximately 9-10 million deaths of children under five each year.

If the Catholic priests were truthful, they would admit war throughout the world is the major driving force of poverty. The 1.5 million estimated killed in Iraq is the number of casualties from the military actions that took place. They don't account for the other millions of deaths caused from the poverty caused by the wars. And we need to keep in mind the number of children dying every thirty seconds from the causes of poverty and other preventable reasons is children five and under. The numbers of ages five through 18 would also have to be in the millions.

Many questions beg to be asked. Where are the Catholic bishops in the face of this genocide of the world's live birthed children? Why have they failed so often to condemn the wars of America and all other nations? Where are the fanatics of "pro-life" to be outraged about the men and women of government responsible for starting and carrying out the wars creating the deaths of so many?

Another less prominent event occurred last week that also demonstrates the misogyny and out of touch arrogance of the Church leadership. Roy Bourgeois, a Catholic priest and Vietnam veteran who was wounded in action during his time in Vietnam, was sent a letter threatening excommunication from the Church by the Vatican. His sin was sending a letter to the Church leadership demanding justice for the women of the Catholic Church by allowing women who felt a calling to become ordained as priests.

Father Bourgeois is no stranger to issues of justice. He is one of the founders of the annual School of Americas protest at Fort Benning, GA. Those protests are centered on the American military providing training to Latin American troops of dictators and tyrants to take back to their nations to use against peasants and any who object to the often American sponsored oppression. The Contras had many of their troops trained at this facility. For fifteen years the protest has grown to the many thousands. Many of the protestors are concerned individual clergy (certainly not Catholic hierarchy)and many have been arrested with severe prison sentences imposed during the eight years of Bush and Cheney. Father Bourgeois has been imprisoned for his own acts of non-violent civil disobedience against the American military exporting terrorism to nations of oppressed peoples.

There is no doubt Bourgeois will not be swayed by the Vatican's senseless mandate nor the Church by a simple priest demanding justice for women. He logically and righteously points out in a time of priest shortages all over the world the stubborn misogynists in charge of the Church continue to oppress women without reason. He points out thousands of male priests have shamed the priesthood as pedophiles or sexual abusers of Church members who see them as leaders. The opposition to the ordination of women is a shameful legacy by church leaders to subjugate women and lacks merit based on the teachings of Christ.

One other event created by religious zealots is the shameful oppression of gay members of society. The Mormon Church alone spent over 70 million dollars to prevent loving couples of the same sex from marrying and obtaining the same benefits of other couples in the area of health care and pensions in a California ballot issue. The Catholic Church also spoke out strongly against the "gay marriage" issue, as it has so often in other places.

Intolerance, hatefulness, sexism and even overt racism seems to have become the Catholic catechism. They seem to have turned their backs on the radical and rebellious nature of Jesus Christ who stormed the temple to chase the money changers and constantly stood up against the "establishment".

Christ was not a bureaucrat such as Charles Chaput or the current American Bishops Council. Or even the Pope. Christ was a rebel who chose to hang out with thieves, whores and tax collectors who most of "good" society scorned and rebuffed.

Would Christ be sitting in the streets of a Fort Benning or at a rally against illegal wars? Many of us concerned Catholics believe He would. Many of us concerned Catholics feel our Church no longer represents us, however. We don't want the leadership of our Church dictating we vote for tyrants and criminals like Bush or McCain simply because they "say" they oppose abortion.

It seems very curious the feelings these politicians express for the right to life only go so far as to curry favor with religious zealots but don't extend to the children of Iraq, Afghanistan and so many other poor nations. It seems illogical the Church wants to deny people who love one another a basic right to express that love while turning a calloused eye to the militarism that pervades this nation.

Sadly, the Catholic Church has become the modern day Pharisees caught up in rules and rituals while losing its soul and humanity. It fails to ask every day what Christ would truly want and seems more intent enforcing rules on the laity to succumb to the power and politics of the Church.

I for one reject the Church as it is today. I voted for Obama and I have no need of penance for that act, even as I wish I had a better choice than the Democrats or Republicans. And I will take communion until self-righteous priests deny it. When that happens I will not meekly stand by to accept the dictates of a Church that has become out of touch with morality and Christ.


Wm. Terry Leichner, RN

Denver VVAW member

Combat vet, disgruntled and dismayed Catholic