Archbishop of Santa Fe: “passing this budget would be a moral failure”
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Sunday’s opinion section in the New Mexican brought a strong statement from John Wester, the Archbishop of Santa Fe. The piece was published earlier in other publications. Here’s an ungated version.
I’m surprised that I haven’t seen it noted anywhere, but I guess the Catholic Church no longer holds the power it once did. Wester leaves no doubt as to where he stands:
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a budget reconciliation bill that is contrary to Catholic social teaching. The bill is now waiting to be debated in the Senate. It should be strongly opposed.
Moreover, the church and the bishops of the United States should lead the way in speaking against this bill and calling on Catholics to work for its defeat. Because of its overall effects on those who are most in need, passing this budget would be a moral failure for American society as a whole. Unless the church opposes it in the clearest possible terms, we will squander the credibility of our witness to the Gospel and Christ’s command to care for the “least of these.”
This bill violates several principles of Catholic social teaching. The first is the preferential option for the poor, which teaches that the most vulnerable should claim the attention and assistance of the rest of the society. The second is the principle of solidarity, in which all people are interconnected and the powerful should be advocates for the marginalized of society. And perhaps the most important principle is the advancement of the common good, so that all members of society are given a chance to thrive and become full members of the community.
As passed by the House of Representatives, this bill forsakes the most vulnerable among us, widens both the economic and human gap between the rich and poor, and ignores the common good to benefit only the wealthiest in our country.
What would be the human costs of this bill? It is likely that millions will fall into poverty, leaving them to rely on churches and private charities, such as Catholic Charities, to survive. More people will go without health care, at least until they arrive at the emergency room, when their condition becomes critical. Immigrant families, many of whom sit in the pews at Mass every Sunday, will be separated, traumatizing children.