Why Do Some Catholics Keep Misrepresenting the Church View on Iraq

Is It Ignorance or Intentional?

Deal Hudson had a very good read over at Insidecatholic.com called Can Obama Use Iraq to Win the Catholic Vote?

I think it is a very good read and I encourage you to read it. What struck me was the first comment to his piece that I hear endless variations of each day I delve into Catholic Political land. The commenter says(note the bolding is all mine)

Mr. Hudson, What's Your Problem
with the Catholic position on the war in Iraq? I understand that "Evangelicals and Catholics Together" support the war, but the Catholic position is supposed to transcend nativist, knee-jerk affirmations in favor of the Church's teaching. And the Church proscribes preventive war. Which this was. Your support of the Iraq war shows that the confluence of ex-evangelical converts to Catholicism with the tenets of their former faith has had its deleterious effects on the Catholic Church in the United States. American Catholicism is not some home-grown product whose members are supposed to support Republican initiatives automatically and without recourse to the mandates of their faith. The tortous reasoning that you, Richard John Neuhaus, and George Weigel have had to use in order to justify your support of the war shows me that you have no justifiable answers for such support, at least none that are based on your "Catholic" faith.

And let me remind you, Mr. Hudson, evangelicals do not have a consistent "life ethic." Catholics preceded them in their opposition to abortion (although many evangelicals still practice abortion). Evangelicals still officially permit contraception and divorce and euthanasia. And many of them are Republicans. So please stop the construction of a divide that does not really exist between Democrats and Republicans on life issues. It's dishonest.

So much here. First, this line of horrid Converts bringing their Evangelical baggage over is getting old and indeed offensive. If it is true present facts, studies, etc. I can present Catholic converts that have different views on Iraq. Also I think we all have baggage form being sons and daughters of Adam. Also the line about Evangelicals is a tad misleading. I don't know many leading Evangelical groups that support officially permit Euthanasia. Also lets be honest here. Some very Catholic States were the first to have the most liberal abortion laws. Also to say the least many Catholics worldwide sadly go against Church Teaching on abortion, birth control and other things. It is true that Catholics were often the foundation of the pro-life movement. However the reasons for that are complicated. They also differed by region.

As to Iraq. Note this poster does what many other Catholics do wither through intention or by sheer ignorance. That is they mix the Church looking not kindly on the start of the War with the issue of what the USA should do now. One gets the impression(that is false) that it is Pope' Benedict's public opinion that he wants all US troops out of Iraq now!! That he favors the Hillary or Obama plan. Well as they say "Link?".

The Roman Italian based Catholic journalist Sandro Magister had a very thought provoking piece a few days ago called L'America di Benedetto XVI, modello per l'Europa cattolica. To to see the English version of the article go to The America of Benedict XVI, a Model for Catholic Europe. It is not just about Iraq and it is a piece that I am surprised has not gotten more play in the Blogsphere over here in the USA, As to Iraq he states

With this pope, the United States is no longer held up for scolding by the Vatican authorities. Until a few decades ago, it was tasked with being the temple of Calvinist capitalism, of social Darwinism, of the electric chair, with a hair trigger in every corner of the world. Today these paradigms seem to have been set aside to a great extent. The Church of Rome vigorously contested the military attack on the Iraq of Saddam Hussein. Even Benedict XVI. But it is not now pressing for the withdrawal of the soldiers. It wants them to remain there "on a peacekeeping mission," including the defense of the Christian minorities.

I am sure we will hear heads exploding as to this if anyone pays attention to it.. Wait that is not what the CW is that has been repeated a thousand times on blogs I link to tell me. Now does Benedict hold this view? Well to be fair this is one journalist. But he is not the only one I have been hearing say this. However , one might further look at recent history. It is true the Pope has made statements of despair over what is happening in Iraq. In the past two week A Holy Bishop and another priest were martyred in Iraq. The Holy Father is outraged no doubt by this and so am I. However, we have not even heard below the radar sounds that the Vatican or even the Iraqi Catholic Church( Are they not important) favor a withdrawal of U.S forces that might leave such a vacuum as to cause genocide!!!

We keep hearing how from certain Catholics that Pope Benedict is going to let "Bush" have it as to Iraq. In fact many Catholics have been asking the Pope to do it. However he has not done so. When Prime Minister Blair and President Bush visited the Vatican last year within a short time period of each other it was Blair that got the most public rebuke. Remember when the Holy Father said: "Miracles hard to come by in Britain" to Tony Blair. That was just in public. What was said in private was worse we heard in the reports. This to a new convert!!! Bush had a smooth visit for the most part.

A few weeks ago the new United States Envoy to the Holy See presented herself to the Holy Father. Did the Pope go out of his way to go after the USA on Iraq? Nope, instead we heard quite a different tune. Go see the whole thing at To the new Ambassador of the United States of America to the Holy See (February 29, 2008) which is at the Vatican web site!!!

Now we here such fearsome predictions that the Holy Father will let Bush have it and say gosh darn get those US troops out of there. A huge ole scolding is coming down. Really? Based on what. I suspect in their private meetings the Pope is going to demand that Christians get more protection. However millions of Catholics that support the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops have convinced themselves by just sure repetition that what they think the Bishop of Rome thinks. Why? Well because I guess CNN says "the Church is against the War" so many times they do not research the facts themselves.

In the background is the latest American Catholic Bishops Statement on Iraq. By those that favorite immediate withdrawal there was a lot of promotion of this upcoming document. Then when it came out it almost seemed to vanish. Not a word from the usual suspects. Why? Well perhaps again it showed the Catholic viewpoint is a tad more sophisticated than the commenter to Deal Hudson and people like her would like to admit. Go read the whole thing here

They said in part:
We do not have specific competence in political, economic and military strategies and do not assess particular tactics, but we can, as teachers, share a moral tradition to help inform policy choices. Our Catholic teaching on war and peace offers hard questions, not easy answers. Our nation must now focus more on the ethics of exit than on the ethics of intervention.The grave moral concerns we and others raised prior to the war now give way to new moral questions. In the current situation the traditional principles of “noncombatant immunity” and “probability of success” suggest these questions: How can we minimize the further loss of human lives? What actions will do the most good and least harm? What elements of a responsible transition are attainable? How can they be achieved? What actions should be avoided? How can decision makers take into account both the realities and setbacks in Iraq and the likely human consequences of rapid withdrawal?.

It seems that many want to stay in a time warp. They want to pretend it is still the day before we entered Iraq. The Bishops are saying we are past that. We shall leave but there are questions on how we shall leave. Probability of Success? Goodness, I never hear that or much about the above when Catholic discuss the war.

In short it is not the Catholic Churches view that American troops need to withdrawal from Iraq per a scheme as envisioned by Obama or Hillary. If one wishes to hold that position fine. However, please quit proclaiming it is the Church position.

There was not much press regarding the visit of Vatican Sec of State came to the USA this past Summer. In this news Conference he was asked a question and gave a response:
The situation in Iraq – what would a moral withdrawal look like?
I refer back to the words of the Holy Father who said we’re in a very critical moment of this discussion. I don’t want to say we’re in a blind alley; nevertheless, it is a very complicated situation and that’s the position where we are at right now. Perhaps we can begin thinking about some round tables or discussions where people are brought together to discuss this at a regional and at an international level.I encourage all to search for a satisfactory solution in the Middle East.

Hmm, it appears that the Vatican Position or the Church's position is perhaps not the same as being broadcast ed.

In the end I support our continued involvement. Some might like Pilate might wish to wash their hands and if chaos results after too quick a withdrawal just say "It was Bushes Fault!!!" Sorry I don't personally intend to stand by and accept that. If people want to do it fine. Just please don't try to dress it up as some high minded Catholic or Christian morality while the rest of us have Supposed non Catholic views.