The intrinsic good of human life is an unchangeable truth – thank goodness for the bishops who recognise it
This past week, during the General Assembly of the U.S. Bishops, one bishop insisted that defending innocent life in the womb was not a “preeminent priority.” Rather, he implied the issue needs to be balanced against a wide range of important issues to which the Holy Father gives greater priority. It was a relativizing objection that was firmly corrected by his brother bishops. Archbishop Chaput objected, “I am against anyone saying that our stating that [abortion] is preeminent is contrary to the teaching of the pope, because that isn’t true. It sets up an artificial battle between the bishops’ conference of the United States and the Holy Father which isn’t true…I don’t like the argument Bishop McElroy used, because it isn’t true.”
The pushback was precisely on the question of truth, and the bishops applauded it. While but a brief exchange, it was revealing. It was a sign of growing dissatisfaction among bishops with an odd array of attempts to relativize certain moral truths which touch the deposit of faith.
Whether it’s German bishops advocating for changes in Church teaching, or laymen and priests doing the same on Twitter, there is a palpable sense that some powerful churchmen would like to see all the categories shifted to better fit with the world around us. This is not the first time. ….
