Friday, November 07, 2008
THE POPE'S CONGRATULATIONS
I understand that this is the way politics is played. I understand that the loser is supposed to congratulate the winner in civil society. I understand that prayers offered for someone do not mean agreement with the person. I understand the value of keeping communication open.
At least my head understands these things. But my heart still feels betrayed by the words of the Pope, and it is certainly not the first time I have felt so betrayed. My heart says that if the man is worthy of calling down God's blessing upon him, that he was worthy of voting for. But, of course, a week ago he was not thought to be worthy of voting for, though I don't recall ever reading that Benedict said that he wasn't. Now he is the object of the Supreme Pontiff's congratulations and a message that calls him "a choice that unites".
How does one read such a statement? Are we now to be "united" with the Obama pro-abortion platform? Surely not, but that is what the words imply.
This is why I hate politics so much. The sand constantly shifts. There seems to be no commitment to truth but a large one to expediency and peace at any cost. And yet we see that a commitment to truth is what Benedict constantly preaches. With politics, I can never get it quite right. And now with religion, as it becomes an ever more prominent political issue, is starting to fall within the same category of confusion.
It is relatively easy to consign politics to irrelevancy. It becomes ever more easy to do this with religion as well when words like these come from the Pope. I feel as though it is necessary to stick my finger in the Vatican air every morning before blogging, to see which way the papal wind blows today. For a pope who vehemently opposes relativism, he sets some strange examples.
