Stephen Riddle Responds

Posted on May 18, 2004 in Mailbox Morals & Ethics

It is increasingly hard for American Catholics on the Left. Even if they do support the church’s stand on abortion, they often find it falling short when it comes to applying the pro-life stand broadly, to issues such as war and the death penalty, when standing up to those who advocate these. Last Friday, in my Roundup, I confronted Stephen Riddle for his support of his bishop’s decision to deny communion to vocal advocates of decriminalized abortion: But what about the death penalty and torture? I asked.

Stephen sent along this response which he has graciously allowed me to reprint:

You ask a very good question on your round-up and
wisely limit comments on so broad-ranging a post. In
point of fact, the very question you ask contributes
to my entire uneasiness regarding this action. I
think you’ve pinpointed the problem–the action is
incomplete–it chooses something the Church regards as
the central ill of our time and anathematizes it.
However other things–torture, also universally
condemned, and capital punishment (for which an
exacting loophole) seem to be glossed over both by the
Church officials and some of those in the pew.

Moreover, the amazing crime of pursuing, prosecuting,
and aggressively defending what strikes me as an
overtly unjust war on the basis of lies fed to the
American people is [not] also condemned enough. (Although to
give him credit Pope John Paul II did rail against
this before the war was ever undertaken.)

So, your point is well taken and as I said, may get at
the root of the uneasiness I profess with respect to
the action. Thank you so much for your question. . . .

I respect Stephen’s thoughtful perspective. I also am willing to print other points of view on this issue. Alas, the abortion question attracts unthinking extremists on both sides. For this reason, I ask that you send your responses to me via email. This is the second email of this kind that I have posted and will gladly post other well-written letters from others. Agreement with me is not a perequisite: I ask only for civility and your own experiences.