with friends like these...
By Phil Lawler (bio - articles - send a comment) | February 18, 2011 5:48 PM
No major Western European leader in recent years has been a more stalwart ally of the Roman Catholic Church than Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Berlusconi's stands against euthanasia, living wills, in-vitro fertilization and domestic partnerships have put his country in line with Catholic teaching, and out of sync with all other major countries in the region, including traditionally Catholic Spain.
Pause for a moment and think about that line-up of political issues. A generation ago, no practical politician seeking election in a predominantly Catholic country would dare to support homosexuality activity or mercy killing. (And the RNS story doesn’t even mention abortion!) Now Berlusconi stands out because he does not endorse those causes. In fact it’s an understatement to say that he stands out; he stands alone among the leaders of the powerful Western countries that were once collectively known as “Christendom.”
Although I cannot readily explain how Europe moved so far, so fast, away from the precepts of Catholic social teaching, I can make two observations that I think are undeniable:
- Whatever Church leaders have been doing to influence political opinions in Europe over the past 40 years, it hasn’t been working. It’s time—past time—for a major change in strategy.
- If the political strategy of Church leaders in Europe doesn’t change soon, it will be too late to matter.
|
An appeal from our founder, Dr. Jeffrey Mirus: Dear reader: If you found the information on this page helpful in your pursuit of a better Catholic life, please support our work with a donation. Your donation will help us reach five million Truth-seeking readers worldwide this year. Thank you! |
Easter Campaign: Progress toward our Spring 2013 goal ($34,555 to go):
$80,000.00
$45,444.82
43%
57%
|
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
