A Catholic Crash Course in American Politics, by Auguste Meyrat

Last year, Pope Francis complained that the American Catholic Church has become too political. Instead of preaching the true faith, he claimed, certain clergy will use their spiritual authority to tell congregations how to vote and even weaponize the sacraments to pressure politicians into adopting certain policies.

If only that were true. In reality, most priests today avoid politics, leaving most Catholics to decide public questions for themselves. This has led to a broad political divide among today’s Catholics, resulting in numerous clashes between progressives and conservatives in recent years.

In all likelihood, many of these political differences could be reconciled and many public scandals avoided if Catholics were better informed. They could find common ground with their brothers and sisters in Christ, vote for policies and politicians that follow Church teachings, and support initiatives that improve the material and spiritual well-being of all Americans. ….

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