With all the talk during the Conclave about a pope from the United States, I’m sure President Obama breathed a sigh of relief when that did not happen, especially since Timothy Cardinal Dolan had given him more than a few headaches about his unconstitutional (and unjust) contraceptive coverage mandate. I imagine he was also excited to learn about Pope Francis’ commitment to social justice. I’ve always been skeptical about relations between the Obama Administration and the Vatican, given his pro-choice agenda, his alliances with numerous traitors who call themselves “Catholics”, and especially so with the aforementioned mandate.
After Pope Francis was elected, President Obama tweeted: “I look forward to working with His Holiness to advance peace, security, and dignity for our fellow human beings.” Before I continue, I will say that a man who has targeted and killed American citizens without due process of law, forces employers against their consciences, and voted against protection for children born alive after botched abortions for the sole purpose of protecting Roe v. Wade is in no position to speak of “peace, security, and dignity.”
When President Obama was a US senator living in Chicago, he attended Trinity United Church of Christ, which is deeply rooted in liberation theology (often described as “Christianized Marxism”) and defends itself with Luke 4:18-19. It’s no secret that President Obama believes in wealth redistribution and in “collective salvation”, essentially believing he’s on a mission from God and must save everyone else in order to save himself. Indeed there are some Scripture passages that seem to support a socialistic philosophy, such as Acts 4:35.
However, the Catholic Church teaches that social justice encompasses much more than economic factors. CCC 1928-42 outlines Christian responsibilities to society. In CCC 2425, the Church condemns the atheistic philosophies of modern communism and socialism as well as individualistic capitalism where profits are safeguarded over people. Can a socialist government be just? Yes, so long as Marxism is not involved. Can a republic be unjust? Yes, if the rights and freedom of citizens are not respected. Social justice means that the common good is provided for and human rights are not infringed upon.
Let’s talk briefly about wealth. John 10:10 tells us that Jesus came so we might have life and have it more abundantly. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul writes that “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…” If Christ lives in us and teaches us to be honest and hard-working, I believe Jesus would rejoice with us in our financial well-being so long as we also remember that “…the LOVE of money is the root of all evils…” (1 Timothy 6:10) and use our wealth to glorify God (read Matthew 25:14-30). Further, we must allow Christ to move our hearts with compassion for the least among us that we should share our blessings with them through our charities.
I think a prime example of how wealth can be used to glorify God is Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan, who has said he wants to die broke, having sold Domino’s in 1998 for a billion dollars intending to use the money to spread the Gospel. Even before then, however, he was already at work doing so. After meeting Pope John Paul II in 1987, he founded Legatus, which is Latin for “ambassador”. The organization is dedicated to the evangelization of Catholic business leaders and executives. He has also dedicated a great deal of his finances to pro-life causes, the Thomas More Law Center, and founding Ave Maria University. You can read more about it here.
One student wrote in our college newspaper that “broader life issues” justify supporting Obama. When it comes to matters of life, our thoughts are most immediately directed towards the most direct threats to human life, i.e., abortion. In my last entry, I argued that contraception is the greatest evil we face because of all that has happened since it was legalized. Contraception may not pose as direct a threat to human life, but like abortion, it is a choice. One can choose whether or not to contracept or have an abortion and therefore expose themselves (or others) to the dangers and consequences of such. One does not choose the family into which they were born or the circumstances in which the family found itself between the moments of conception through birth.
We are told in the Gospels that we would always have the poor with us, but we have a responsibility to them all the same. However, social justice encompasses much more than economics. Also included in social justice is the defense of the most basic human rights, chief among them being life and religious liberty. Only when those are protected can one be in position to build a just society.