The Church is not Partisan


By: Raney Johnson, Diocese of Shreveport

“The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives.” – G.K. Chesterton

In early October, Pope Francis named 17 new cardinals to be elevated on November 19. Three of the new cardinals are from the U.S. (Bishop Kevin Farrell, Archbishop Joseph Tobin and Archbishop Blase Cupich). Upon learning of these new appointments by Pope Francis, I immediately felt excited. Throughout the beginning of the year, I anxiously awaited the Holy Father’s announcement of new cardinals, but it never happened. I never would have expected him to announce new cardinals at the end of the year. However, my excitement of the announcement, especially of the three new cardinals from the U.S., was soon met with disappointment.

The moment I went online to find news stories detailing the announcement by Pope Francis, almost every article detailed the progressive shift that was coming to the Church in America. Each story I glimpsed over contained some comment about Pope Francis’s nomination of more like minded cardinals who would seek to overthrow the ideologies of the cardinals nominated by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and St. Pope John Paul II.

Some articles welcomed this supposed new progressive swing in the hierarchy of the American Church but others decried it. I quickly became upset with the media’s imposition of American political ideology on Pope Francis’ new cardinal appointments. Of course, I was already familiar with the media doing this to Pope Francis and the Catholic Church, since almost every story about the Pope since his election has contrasted his Progressive new ideas with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s Conservative old ideas. I guess I expected something different with the announcement of three new cardinals from the U.S. Maybe I thought it would create a sense of unity among the Church in America because of the Holy Father honoring us with three cardinal appointments from our country.

I will admit that one article held my view when it stated that the three new appointments were the end of a dry period of no new cardinal appointments in the U.S. However, every other article battled the Progressive new cardinals with the Conservative old cardinals.

“And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” (NABRE Mk 3:25)

The words of Jesus must mean nothing to the journalist in America. I think some would like to see the Church be divided into the same factions that divide the many other aspects of American life – political, economic, social, etc. – yet, the bishops in America take the words of Jesus to their hearts. There might be differences among the bishops, but they would all agree that the Church does not fall into factions. In Part 1 of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility the bishops write, “The Church is involved in the political process but is not partisan,” and “The Church is principled but not ideological.”

The bishops do not bend to the political ideologies of America. I am reminded of Cardinal Timothy Dolan sitting in the middle of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump at the Al Smith Dinner in October. There Cardinal Dolan was in the middle of two candidates, one Progressive and one Conservative, in the midst of a heated campaign. That is the Church in America, in the middle of all the ideologies that divided us to always point us back to Jesus Christ.

The words of St. Paul are so important in understanding the Church, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female [there is neither Progressive nor Conservative]; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (NABRE Gal 3:28). Truly the Church in America is one in Christ despite the fact that others display it as a house divide. I look forward to seeing Pope Francis elevate three new cardinals from the U.S. on Nov. 19, and I will be sure not to read any articles that day.


About the Author: Raney Johnson, Diocese of Shreveport


Raney Johnson is a seminarian from the Diocese of Shreveport. He is in his second year of Pre-theology at Notre Dame Seminary studying philosophy.


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