c. 2007 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) So what is it with Catholics and politics?

Or, more to the point, what is it with the Catholic bishops and Rudolph Giuliani?

Catholic politicians from both parties _ John Kerry in 2004 and now, Giuliani in 2007 _ face media scrutiny that most candidates get to avoid. They are assumed to be either faithful Catholics who will do the bishops’ bidding, or defiant dissidents who are looking to pick a fight. It’s one or the other.

The trouble is, such an either-or distinction misses the wide gray area in the middle, and its an unfair choice that’s not foisted upon other candidates, even Mitt Romney in his Mormonism.

Are the bishops and Giuliani being dragged by the media into a war over abortion? Yes. Who’s to blame? Take your pick.

Blame the bishops (or, at least, some of them) for singling out high-profile politicians while failing to do the basic teaching necessary on abortion.

Blame pols like Giuliani for wanting to have it both ways: saying they are personally opposed to abortion but then sending a check _ six of them, actually _ to Planned Parenthood.

And blame the media for playing “gotcha” with Catholic politicians and throwing pols and prelates into the ring to watch them duke it out.

Giuliani’s latest critic is Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, who four years ago told Kerry to stay away from the Communion rail in his archdiocese. This spring, Burke wrote a dense scholarly article parsing the requirements for administering Communion to persons known not to be “in communion” with the Catholic Church.

The media jumped on that, trying to get Burke to say he would deny Communion to Giuliani. He did not, and the language here is important: “If the question is about a Catholic who is publicly espousing positions contrary to the moral law, and I know that person knows it, yes I would (deny Communion).”

There are lots of lawyerly qualifications there _ Burke is, after all, a respected canon lawyer and sits on the Vatican’s Supreme Court. He went to explain that, “To me, you have to be certain a person realizes he is persisting in a serious public sin.”

When asked about Burke, the avuncular Giuliani replied, “Archbishops have a right to their opinion, you know. There is freedom of religion in this country.”

Yes, Mr. Mayor, but Catholic teaching on abortion is not a matter of mere “opinion.” Shame on you for trying to liken this to some sort of Gallup Poll.

Giuliani seems to come from the Mario Cuomo school of “personally opposed” Catholic politicians. The way it works is politicians are allowed to keep their religious convictions private, hold their nose and support the law of the land. To do otherwise would play into the hands of those who say Catholic pols are tethered by a direct line to Rome.

It’s important to remember, though, that Burke isn’t the only lawyer in this battle. Giuliani is a former federal prosecutor and says he believes that life begins “at the moment of live birth.” Follow the thinking here:

1. The fetus in the womb is not yet a viable human life.

2. A human has to be alive to be murdered.

3. If the fetus is not a viable human life, it can’t be murdered, even through abortion.

4. No murder, no problem. Next issue, please.

So what is really going on here? Truthfully, I think think the media are playing “get the Catholic,” and using the bishops to spark an ugly fight that everyone can watch.

If you are a Catholic politician, the media assume you either (a) have no mind or (b) cannot “stand up to Rome.” If you do stand up to Rome, you must be a vocal supporter of abortion and embryonic stem cell research.

On the flip side, if you’re a Catholic politician who does not support abortion and/or embryonic stem cell research, you are (a) a shill for the bishops, (b) a raging fundamentalist, (c) stupid or (d) all of the above.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the Republicans had an identifiable pro-life Catholic candidate? Sure, but at this point, the only major presidential candidate who seems to espouse Catholic values is a Mormon.

So long as the media manipulate what the public knows about abortion and the bishops, Giuliani’s potential problems at the altar rail will obscure the other issues of the day.

We need serious discussion about life issues, not shrouded anti-Catholicism enabled by the media.

(Phyllis Zagano is senior research associate-in-residence at Hofstra University and author of several books in Catholic Studies.)

KRE/LF END ZAGANO

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