CNA Staff, Jun 19, 2020 / 03:00 pm (CNA).- After an Arizona bishop expressed concern about political organizations engaging with local parishes, the leader of one such group said some perceptions about his organization do not square with the facts.
Bishop Edward Weisenburger wrote to priests of the Tucson diocese earlier this month, reflecting on the upcoming election season.
The bishop’s email, obtained by CNA, said that two pastors in the diocese had been approached by local members of a Wisconsin-based group called CatholicVote. They reportedly “wanted to connect with the parish and/or local Councils of the Knights of the Columbus.”
No political organization, the bishop said, can “be allowed to meet or advertise on parish property. Likewise, they may not share their communications through any parish or Catholic-sponsored entities in the Diocese of Tucson.”
“In short,” political organizations “may not be on our property,” Weisenburger wrote.
A representative of Weisenburger’s office confirmed the email to CNA, but declined to answer further questions.
Brian Burch, CatholicVote president, told CNA he respects Weisenburger’s concerns and decision. But in Arizona, he said, there might have been some misunderstanding about his organization’s work.
“Our program does not include any activities on church property or the use of church resources,” he said.
Burch said it his organization has “thousands of volunteers” and it is possible that some “may indeed have contacted their local pastor or parish priest in order to solicit their participation in encouraging Catholics in their parish to register to vote, or to vote.”
“However, there has never been any directive or recommendation that volunteers request or seek parish data files or lists — or that they engage in any partisan activity on parish property, or with parish staff,” he added.
“Our program is designed to operate entirely as a lay-organized effort, independent of church property and resources, and without the participation of pastors, priests, or diocesan staff.”
“We understand many bishops and pastors have concerns over the prohibition of political activities by tax-exempt entities, and we respect their concerns. They have nothing to fear from our work,” Burch said.
CatholicVote is organized as a lobbying organization and both a related political action committee and 501(c)(3) non-profit. Burch told CNA the group aims “to achieve historic turnout among Catholics in the upcoming November election.”
In particular, Burch said, the group is “focused on turning out every active (practicing) Catholic voter.”
CatholicVote says it is non-partisan and aims to encourage voter registration and voting among practicing Catholics.
“These voters, according to polling, are likely to vote for pro-life candidates, which no doubt frustrates some so-called progressives,” Burch told CNA.
Still, the group’s own platform is not completely aligned with either major party platform.
On its website, a section entitled “what we believe” notes the importance of “a culture that celebrates life,” says that “marriage is between one mane and one woman,” notes that “we are all called to help the poor,” calls for environmental stewardship, and adds that says that “the death penalty is an unnecessary legal penalty in the developed world.”
The group, however, in Facebook and web posts, regularly promotes decisions or policies of President Donald Trump and other Republican lawmakers, and regularly criticizes Democratic lawmakers.
CatholicVote has run social media posts and spoken in favor of Democratic Congressman Dan Lipinski, regarded as one of the last pro-life Democrats in Congress.
And while the group has sometimes been characterized as a Trump campaign operation, Burch said that’s not accurate.
In a 2016 column, Burch explained that “CatholicVote members have been clear: secure as many commitments from Trump as possible” on issues that matter to Catholics.
“If he has any hope of getting elected, he needs our votes, and we must work constructively in a very imperfect situation to advance our ideals as best as we can.”
As to 2020, Burch said CatholicVote will likely offer an endorsement, but it hasn’t yet.
“As of today Catholic Vote has not yet formally endorsed a candidate for 2020. As you know we did not endorse Donald Trump (nor Hillary) in 2016. We have however been very outspoken supporters of Trump policies, and critics of Biden. It’s fair to presume that we likely will endorse the President soon, even if some of our programs, especially our field efforts, continue to focus exclusively on turnout.”
Some aspects of the group’s efforts, like mobile targeting initiatives that allowed CatholicVote to target ads to mobile users who had attended a church in the months prior, have been criticized in Catholic circles. Mobile targeting technology has become commonplace in modern political advocacy, but some Catholics criticized it as invasive.
Burch has said technology is a way of helping Catholics get organized, and helping pro-life advocates compete in political races.
“Our priority now is reaching out and encouraging as many Catholic voters as possible to vote,” he told CNA.
The CatholicVote leader told CNA that the organization’s mission is appropriate to the vocation of lay Catholics.
“Politics is the responsibility of the laity. We have always honored and will continue to respect the limits of what churches and priests are permitted to do under existing law. While church officials cannot engage in certain political activities, there are no such restrictions for lay Catholics operating outside of Church property,” Burch said.
“We do not operate as an organization claiming to authoritatively teach the Faith. We have never claimed to speak on behalf of any bishop or the United States Conference of Bishops and explicitly disclaim any such role. Our work is focused on public policy and law, and encouraging Catholics to live out their Faith in public life,” he said.
In his email to priests, Weisenburger criticized CatholicVote’s name, noting “it is against canon law to use the word ‘Catholic’ in an organization that is not sponsored by the Church.”
The bishop’s remark apparently is a reference to canon 300, which deals with associations erected under the auspices of canon law. Of those groups, the canon says that “No association is to assume the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority.”
Burch told CNA that “we have consulted canonists on the question of our name, and there is a diversity of opinion as to whether the particular canon even applies.”
“There are hundreds of organizations that use the name ‘Catholic’ in their work without formal approval, including some like the National Catholic Reporter who have been explicitly told to cease using the name but chose instead to ignore it,” Burch added. In 1968, the National Catholic Reporter was directed by Bishop Charles Helmsing of Kansas City to remove the word ‘Catholic’ from its name, and did not comply.
In any case, Burch said that CatholicVote has made efforts to work with bishops, and build relationships with them.
“When we incorporated in Madison, Wisconsin, we met personally with the Bishop and presented our mission and work. He was careful to distinguish between our unique role as laypersons and his leadership as bishop. He wanted to ensure that our work was faithful to church teaching and that we make clear that we were not speaking in his name or any other bishop. He approved of our work admitting that the need for formal canonical approval was uncertain. We have never published or advocated anything that we understand to be in violation of the teachings of the Church. If anyone can show me otherwise, we’d be happy to correct the error,” Burch told CNA.
While Burch told CNA he understands there have been misperceptions about CatholicVote’s work, “there is no confusion among anyone that has actually spoken with us. Unfortunately, in some cases, false information has been spread to try and harm our efforts. We would hope that those who have concerns about our work would seek understanding first.”
Burch also told CNA that ahead of a contentious election year, he hopes more clerics will also encourage lay political activity.
“I believe it is not only appropriate, but essential that pastors and priests encourage their parishioners to register and to vote. According to our research, as much as 30% or more of most parishes include voters that are not registered, or are infrequent voters. Given the stakes of this election, every pastor in America should be preaching on the importance of Catholic participation in our electoral process,” Burch said.
“You don’t need to be partisan, or endorse any candidates, to remind Catholics of this moral duty,” he added.
“With the likelihood of many parishes and schools closing, our charities under attack, our social service programs being shut down, and public policies that take direct aim at the Church itself, you would think our bishops and priests might muster the courage to at least ask people to vote?”
Weisenburger himself has a record of encouraging Catholics to vote, and offering guidance for the voting booth.
In a video released ahead of the 2016 election, the bishop told Catholics it is “essential that we have judges who respect the right to life and marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman, and who will protect religious freedom and rights of conscience.”
In his 2020 email to priests, Weisenburger affirmed his committment to forming Catholics to vote.
“Our task as ministers of the Gospel is to preach the Gospel and the values that flow from it. Many of our Church’s teachings on ethics, morality, and justice pertain to the common good and therefore are rightly known as political issues. It is our task to speak to the issues and thus to help form correctly the conscience of our people. Likewise, we are to urge them to appropriate political involvement and especially to exercise their right to vote. Experience has taught that we are quite capable of influencing the common good by influencing the conscience of our people. This does not require us to take a partisan stand,” the bishop wrote.
[…]
[Sen Roger] Marshall said in a statement that he didn’t think we would need legislation to tell us that there are only two sexes, male and female, but here we are’. Law has a foundation, in its barest but required sense is Natural Law. Natural Law is not discovered in books, it’s arrived at by common sense and right reason conviction in the observation of human acts, whether conscience tells us they are good or evil, right or wrong.
Law cannot be beholden to scattered whims, individual desires counter to what has been recognized clearly indicated biologically in the human form. There is no right for a man to decide to be a woman and invade women’s locker rooms and bathrooms, and participate in women’s sports. They have the unfortunate right to adapt themselves to disordered behavior, they have no right whatsoever to impose their perverted predilections on an ordered society.
Law references justice, what is just and right. What is just and good is common to our human nature because of that intelligible law within us.
There are sports where men and women compete together. The best example I can think of is figure skating.
There are various sexualities competing at all levels of the sport, especially in the Adult level, which generally consists of adults who were never close to being “champions” on the National, International, and World stages of the sport, but enjoyed the sport and even passed the most advanced figure skating tests to achieve a high level (e.g., Junior, Senior) in the sport, and as adults, wish to continue the sport they love.
My late husband participated in Adult figure skating in the ice dance discipline for many years, and he knew and was friends with quite a few “trans” skaters. But these folks did not compete on a public stage where they were seen on TV or other media–they do the sport because they love the sport, and if they win a medal, every other adult is happy for them. No money or endorsement deals are at stake–it’s just grown-ups having fun with a sport that they love and working on their skills with other adults.
At the “elite” levels of figure skating that we see on TV- it is rare for trans people to compete in the demanding sport of figure skating and advance in the sport. Our current U.S. champion, Amber Glenn, identifies as “pansexual”, which means romantic or other attraction to all genders. But biologically, she is a woman and competes against other biological women, and she doesn’t always win. (Most figure skaters don’t always win!)
At this time in U.S. history, figure skating does not enjoy the tremendous popularity that it used to benefit from. I think the current judging system has confused and alienated many fans, who loved the “6.0” system. It’s really hard to chant, “210.46, 210.46!! (the score that Ms. Glenn earned to win the National Championship last season!
But my two adult daughters still compete in the discipline of synchronized skating, and this discipline allows men and women of all sexualities to compete on teams TOGETHER. For the most part, synchro teams are mainly female, but our National Champions, the Haydenettes, have enjoyed having men on their teams for decades now. There’s no advantage to having men on a synchro team.
I wish the sport could become popular again. The loss of sponsors (and their funding) is hurting the sport. Please give it a chance!
Certainly correct regards sports in which a man and woman are a team in which mutual talent is enhanced. It’s when men and women are pitted physically against eachother that’s at issue.
Figure skating, especially male female pairs is a favorite. The male and the female compliment the uniqueness of their opposite gifts.
Mrs. Sharon, with respect do we need to adopt newspeak verbiage like “sexuality”? We’re either male or female. I’m uninterested in what anyone is attracted to romantically whether it’s animal, vegetable, or mineral. If folks are suffering from sexual confusion then that’s a private conversation between them & their therapist or spiritual advisor.
Yes, mrscracker, it’s not incumbent upon the rest of us to accommodate aberrant behavior or lifestyles.
Thank you Tyler for highlighting this legislation in a very well written article. I hope I’m wrong but I’m thinking the dems will opose this bill.
Absolutely astounding we have come to the point of needing to define male and female legally. Akin to coming to the point of having to define cat and dog legally. We can treat both cats and dogs with compassion and love, regardless of the personalities they have, but somehow need a law to make sure that cats are not allowed in dog shows and vice versa, and people are not forced to pay for veterinarian care to convert a cat to a dog and vice versa. I mean, for heavens sake, I have to go in via the dog door with my dog to the Vet, and stay on the dog side, so as not to upset the cat side, and vice versa. I know we are talking about humans, and mean no disrespect at all, but I am just making the point that we, as humans, can treat everyone with the love and compassion they are born deserving as children of God, and have grown ill from trying to distort that love and compassion into being forced to accept cats into dog shows and dogs onto cat litter areas etc. All because a cat insists on being called a dog and a dog insists on being called a cat.
The sea saw whimsinesss of gender legislation is the product of a society without a common morality. A win today is a loss tomorrow. The only way out is for the Church to teach the truth and for the Holy Spirit to open minds and hearts to be receptive to the truth , and to apply it to their lives. Changing laws is only a temporary quick fix. Changing the signs on bathroom doors does not change the people who use them.
Necessary, but a sad day when “man and woman” are objectified as “male and female”…
Adam named everything, except God–the unspoken Word. And, about the woman Eve, Genesis gives us two different stories, one where she is created after Adam, and one where they are created simultaneously. About the “Original Unity of [binary and complementary] Man and Woman,” we have the opening sessions of St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body; Catechesis on the Book of Genesis” (1979-1980).
In a footnote, about simultaneity, partly this: “The original text states: ‘God created man (ha-adam–a collective noun: ‘humanity’?), in his own image: in the image of God he created him (zakar–masculine) and female (uneqebah–feminine) he created them’ [Gn. 1:27].”
In a later footnote, this: “It is interesting to note that for the ancient Sumerians the cuneiform sign to indicate the noun ‘rib’ coincided with the one used to indicate the word life’. As for the Yahwist narrative, according to a certain interpretation of Genesis 2:21, God rather covers the rib with flesh (instead of closing up its place with flesh) and in this way ‘makes’ the woman, who comes from the ‘flesh and bones’ of the first man (male).” Following comes a discussion of both original sin and original innocence, and nuptiality.
But, hey, if a member of the United States Supreme Court cannot define a “woman” at all, then maybe in our brainstem culture we have to start with clarity about markings on bathroom doors and membership on athletic teams (our new religion). A sad day in all of human history, possibly even dwarfing the political events of January 6, 2021.
I pray that this bill becomes law. May the Holy Spirit awaken the hearts and minds of legislators to return to common sense and normalcy. Gender self-identity is ludicrous. Mother nature has given us our gender identity. To deny that, is to deny the workings of God and his established gender identities. To think otherwise is foolish.
The debate about such a bill ought to be . . . interesting. Assuming it ever gets out of committee, it may force legislators to take a stand. If it passes, let’s hope the Supreme Court upholds it, despite one Justice having declared that she can’t define “woman.”
God’s laws like “love your neighbor” never change, but man’s laws need to change to correct chaos in the land. It is the responsibility of Congress to write laws to correct chaos—like chaos at the southern border. But remember human biology can be complicated—-there are documented cases of little girls developing a penis at the age of 6 years old. Let us always treat everyone with love and compassion.
Biology regarding male and female is not complicated. And your “documented cases” is just another hoax. Treating others with love and compassion must always include honesty. Lying to people about biological reality is neither loving nor compassionate.
The bill proposed by Senator Marshall, MD, is written with superb clarity on the topic. Many people, including leaders in the Church, could gain much needed wisdom from thoughtfully reading the bill that lucidly promotes the fundamental God-provided biological reality of 2 and only 2 sexes of male and female.
The Senator’s excellent bill can be found at https://www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/KIN2463023.pdf
Make a copy and share it with priests, relatives, friends, colleagues, and others.
Not a hoax, Tom
Not at all convincing, Gerald.
If you wish to demonstrate that your claim is not another hoax (or just absurd) as I believe it is, and that I and others should accept your claim, all you need do is provide specific references to the documented evidence you claim exists so I and others can check the documented evidence, or you can reference specific reports or articles about the claim and the evidence supporting it that also feature checkable references. Otherwise, it remains just a nonsense claim you made up that disrespects the truth.
And for your own sake, it’s time to put up or shut up to avoid making sinfully false claims.
Gerald, there are all sorts of complicated anomalies & birth defects, but at the end of the day biological human gender is binary. Period.
About “specific references to the documented evidence,” take the complicated science of human exposure to Endocrine Disruptive Compounds (EDCs) and the effects on human health and even fetal development.
The emerging science of EDCs leads to the question whether fetal exposure can even disrupt what happens (or doesn’t happen) when the fetal brain develops sexually while bodily development of the fetus/child is normally delayed two months, but then is maybe chemically disrupted. From the science, here are two reader-friendly links:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7073082/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4762757/
Think the deformed Thalidamide Babies of the late 1960s, caused by the actual marketing of a tranquilizer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalidomide_scandal
Regarding the more unknowing and indeliberate exposure to a very wide range of ubiquitous EDCs, the correct and moral response for the birth-victims of such chemical poisoning is environmental prevention, and corrective therapy if possible, but not further surgical and chemical mutilation. As an industrial culture are we possibly poisoning our children without even knowing it? The marketing of Mifepristone might be only the tip of the iceberg.
In any event, the binary (and un-disrupted) sexuality of the human person should not be further deformed by a radically secularist and morals-challenged medical-industrial complex. And, here, let’s tread lightly when tempted to counsel readers to “shut up to avoid making sinfully false claims.”
My advice is to help people avoid sin when they are seriously misleading people, especially when they double down, because unlike softer-minded people, I care about the harm that can be done by such serious misleading to both the person doing the misleading and others who may be led astray. Another version of fraternal correction is to advise to “tread lightly” in more snowflake fashion when pointing out such things, but only after rambling on about other things completely off point as if the rambling adds weight to the snowflake admonition.
Lastly, let’s tread lightly when leaving out essential elements (“time to put up or….”) of what someone has written in order to purposely mischaracterize what was written as that is also quite sinful.
Tom Flounders.
Appreciate you sharing this Bill information, author Mr. Tyler Arnold, and the discussion following. Appreciate Fr/Dr Peter M’s Reason of Natural Law and its sanity as it’s God’s perfect Order.
Motives I’m always looking for in dissension. Lending credibility to Our Lady of Fatima’s prophecies: Russia spread its errors of atheistic Communism to China-and now obvious are their motives destroying arch rivals (non-threatening) Putin’s Russia (via NATO alliances) &the free world (esp. the United States of America).
Heard a recent article that men (our future soldiers) have 50 percent less testosterone now than men had a few decades ago ( resulting from toxins/chemicals, etc.). Poisoning our food supply; putting lead in manufactured goods shipped here, etc.; remaking/approving even fake Catholic Clergy!- allowed by liberal Francis 🙁 ; Covid Hoax to tank our Capitalism and “needed” paper ballot hoax to elect Biden (paid off millions $ by whom? o, right, China)!
Then there are movements-‘wrongs which will appear right’ in end times: Feminism; Black Lives Matter, Gender fluidity, etc. to divide (& then conquer).We’ve been targeted (but so are Israel and holy people).
Seems end times New Testament last few Books our reality today. (As a persecuted Catholic from within, [I believe] Cardinal Burke asserted something to the effect of ‘that we’re in end times now’ also within the last couple of years). Impetus for Advent penances for conversion/reversion, 🙏Rosaries and Divine Mercy Chaplets
Heard Planned Parenthood (aka “Banned Parenthood”- another author’s term) is-not only butchering our BABIES once conceived. Their dens of death are making “filthy lucre” from transgendering/carving up our YOUTH- sterilizing them before they conceive! 🙁 and all the while FUNDING DEMONCRATS’ coffers! 🙁