The Catholic Quandary

In this election season American Roman Catholics are faced with several options, as are all Americans, in their choice for the presidency. I speak of Catholics who follow the general teachings of The Church when it comes to moral issues such as abortion, gay rights, etc.

For those Catholics, regardless of party affiliation but again following the widely accepted teaching of The Church, there are only two options: Mr. Cruz and Mr. Trump. And there certainly is an asterisk regarding Mr. Trump. Yes, there are smaller parties and other candidates, like Mr. Kasich, but they do not realistically have a chance at election to the presidency at this time.

Why are Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Sanders disqualified? Well, to state the obvious, they belong to a party that as a matter of course opposes traditional Catholic views on a plethora of subjects. Thus, lie down with socialist dogs, get fleas. Not that I have anything inherently against canines. Though I do have something against an elected official, Mr. Sanders, who proudly displayed in his office the flag of one of the most murderous regimes in history, the Soviet Union. A Roman Catholic who enthusiastically supports Mr. Sanders may want to question many things, amongst them should be their ideological and spiritual compatibility with the Roman Catholic faith.

Mr. Cruz offers an appealing option, as he is in line with most Catholic ideals, though those who subscribe to the social gospel of Dorothy Day may find his reliance on the free market troubling. By the grace of God, I am not so afflicted and find vigorous application of free market principles not only an empirical, but a moral imperative.

And thus we come to Mr. Trump.

His success in the free market is popularly supposed. But how much of that success was through cronyism and political corruption, as opposed to making new and/or better products and services?

His social views are problematic, as they seem to regularly change and lack intellectual consistency. Example? He claims to be pro-life, though says his sister, a judge with decidedly pro-abortion views, would make a good choice for the Supreme Court. His views on immigration are hardline and seem to conflict with many church teachings on compassion and certainly conflict with the message of the Holy See of Pope Francis. Whether his views on immigration are opposed by a majority of Catholic voters will be, and has been, decided at the ballot box.

However a matter not open to plebiscite is Mr. Trump’s loudly proclaimed views and subsequent actions on marriage, fidelity, and related issues. In short, his character. For if we follow the Reaganesque aphorism that “character matters”, Mr. Trump is found wanting.

He seems to see women predominately as property for use as sexual objects. He’s bragged about his infidelities and theorized about dating his own daughter. Now, while fabulous grist for the maw of the 24/7 news cycle, these views are not exactly in keeping with the spirit or the doctrine of The Church.

Yes, it’s very possible much of this is schtick and many who know Mr. Trump privately say he is not at all like the reality show character he seems to embody.

But there is responsibility of a national leader to speak and act with a modicum of prudence and decorum. His views and temperament affect the zeitgeist and the national conversation, as we saw so clearly during the administration of President Clinton. That seems to make the choice of Mr. Trump, again, highly problematic.

As Americans who thankfully live in a free country of no state religion, we are free to support and vote for any candidate of our choosing. Nevertheless, as Roman Catholics there are others factors extant.

In regards to those factors, may we choose wisely.