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The political season in the United States will begin in earnest Jan. 3, with the Iowa caucuses. A lot of questions remain, however.
Who will be the Republican Party nominee to face off against President Barack Obama? Who will secure the slot of vice president? What will be the key moments at the respective party conventions? And, in November, who will be the next U.S. president?
What should Catholic voters be most concerned about? For Carl Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus and a former adviser to President Ronald Reagan, it’s important to see what the U.S. bishops are most concerned about — and, at this time, judging from a slew of public statements, their greatest concern is about religious liberty.
Anderson spoke with the Register shortly before Christmas.
What key issues should be in the minds of Catholic voters as the 2012 election looms?
The insightful Catholic voter will pay close attention to what the bishops are saying. One of their principal concerns is reflected in the establishment of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty.
No. 1: The establishment of an ad hoc committee indicates a pressing, strong concern because it’s outside the ordinary procedural model.
No. 2: The [U.S. bishops’] conference has just gone through a restructuring in which they consolidated and got rid of a number of committees. So the tendency of the conference is to streamline greater efficiencies, making the size of the staff into a manageable, efficient model. So this is going against the recent trend, which means they see it as an extremely important issue.
So, if Catholics want to know what’s really important, they ought to consult the bishops. They are acting in a way that suggests religious liberty is a very important concern to them. And I think if you look at what’s happening in, maybe, the last two years, it is very significant.
We’ve always had some organizations that have sought to exclude religious organizations from public life or exclude religious influence in the public square. What appears to be happening now is that the effort has got the power behind it of the federal government on more and more occasions, and it’s being done in areas that are difficult for the public to understand.
It’s being done very subtly?
Very subtly and on some very technical and legal points like the “ministerial exception,” like the “conscience-clause exception.”
We’re going to have a conscience-clause exception, but nobody can qualify, or very few. We’re going to have a conscience-clause exception for Catholic hospitals and institutions, except almost none will be able to qualify.
Hill-Burton [a 1946 law designed to provide grants and guaranteed loans to improve the nation’s hospitals] funding requires that anyone taking Hill-Burton money from the government provides services to indigent people in their emergency-care facilities when they show up and say, “I cannot afford care, but I need care.”
At the same time, the conscience-clause exception for Catholic hospitals says if you treat a significant number of non-Catholics you don’t qualify for the exemption. So it’s almost a Catch-22; but it’s hard to look at the way these formulations are being drafted without concluding that it is being done in a way to make it very, very difficult for Catholic institutions to qualify.
Many Catholics greeted President Obama’s statement at the University of Notre Dame, when he talked about respect for each other’s positions, needing to have reasonable conscience-clause protection, as going in a different direction to the way his administration appears to be going in. So I would say this is the most important issue now — because it affects the life of the Church to live the Catholic way of life.
Now we can also talk about other important issues to Catholics: the protection of the defense of marriage, the protection of the right to life, in terms of both the question of abortion and the question of doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia. But, in a sense, those issues — I’m not saying they’re equally important — affect issues of justice or ethics, whereas religious liberty affects the ability of the Church to exist and Catholics to live their faith.
It’s the fundamental human right on which others depend.
Yes, I think the question of religious liberty is the first right in the Bill of Rights — and it’s the first because, without that kind of protection, all the other protections seem to be secondary: freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, freedom of speech.
If we don’t have the freedom of conscience and religion, what does it mean to have freedom of the press? So I think that is the most important issue. These other two issues are most important as well.
Yet it’s not much of an electoral issue, with much of the election talk focusing instead on the economy.
This is the perennial question. Because people who don’t want the election to be decided on moral issues such as the right to life always say: “Well, it’s the economy, stupid.” And for the vast majority of people, maybe it is the economy. But if an election is decided by 2%-3% of the electoral vote, working at the margins can make a significant difference to the outcome of the election. So it’s maybe a “Which comes first? The chicken or the egg?” question.
But the fact that it’s not an electoral issue per se doesn’t mean it’s not an important electoral issue for a decisive minority of voters. And, traditionally, the number of voters for whom the pro-life position is decisive is two to three times greater than those who say the pro-choice position is decisive. So, we’ll see, but it’s also up to Catholics to speak out and say this is an important issue to us: “Religious liberty is an important issue — how do you feel about it?”
It needs to be given a higher profile.
Yes, if you look at the [election] cycle we’re in now, .. we basically have the Republican primaries and Republican candidates, who virtually all agree on the pro-life issue. And I think if you ask them about the importance of religious liberty, they’ll tell you they all virtually agree on that.
President Obama doesn’t have a primary opposition, and he’s not going to have a primary opposition on those issues anyway. So, at this point of the cycle, it may not be an issue, because there’s no distinctive element.
But as we get into the fall, and there is a difference between the candidates, I think you’ll see this surface more, because then there’ll be more attention to these issues.
Edward Pentin is the Register’s Rome correspondent.
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If that’s the case, then why is Supreme *STILL* turning a blind eye to those brother Knight politicians that will gladly toe the party line (specifically Democrats) and accept the platform of abortion? I’d say cleaning house of those that would wantonly ignore a fundamental teaching of the Church, especially as a qualification to BE a Knight requires fidelity with the Church and its teachings, is a far more important issue to address before even thinking of tackling the broader issue of religious liberty.
I agree with Jacob. Supreme has to get serious with these cateria catholic politicians. For years, State conventions try to pass resolutions to have these “members” removed. These resolutions are defeated because someone from Supreme says we cannot have such a resolution due to first amendment.
The Second Principle on Principles of Morality states, “Every human being, even a child in the mother’s womb has a right to life directly from God and not from the parents or from any society or authority. Hence there is no man, no human authority, no science, no medical, eugenic, social, economic or moral ‘indication’ that can offer or produce a valid juridical title to a direct deliberate disposal of an innocent human life; that is to say, a disposal that aims at its destruction whether as an end or as a means to another end, which is, perhaps, in no way unlawful in itself.” Pius XII, Allocution to Large Families, November 26, 1951.
Their vote to support sbortion in direct violation of this second principle. The are no longer shielded by the first amendment and free speech. Since they are in direct violation of this teaching, how can they state they are agree with the teaching of Holy Mother Church. They should be removed from membership forwith.
I whole heartily agree with Jacob and Steven.
“Now we can also talk about other important issues to Catholics: the protection of the defense of marriage, the protection of the right to life, in terms of both the question of abortion and the question of doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia.”
Why in the above statement does our Supreme Knight, Carl Anderson, not mention the death penalty? I’ve written to Supreme asking for the Knights stance on this subject but have never received a reply. I’ve had the same problem when requesting information on suspending a Brother Knight for being a Mason.
Jacob and Steven took the word right out of my mouth. Life is the number one issue. Without LIFE no other issue is relevant.
As a FORMER knights of Columbus Fourth degree, I refuse to belong to a group that speaks out of both sides of it mouth.
On one hand you need to be a Faithful practicing Catholic of good standing to join, but if you happen to be a anti-life politician, Supreme see’s no reason to kick you out. My local council is great, however I will no longer associate myself with this hypocritical organization.
Errant Knight: The Scandal of Prochoice Knights - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0069DE0VC
Gentlemen: I will not dispute that there are bad people in the Knights of Columbus; those that we would call CINOs (Catholics In Name Only). And I am not trying to dummy down your arguments. But Jesus talks about, in a parable, about how the wheat and the weeds must co-exist until the end so as not to damage the wheat.
From 2006 thru 2010 the Knights of Columbus have given an excess of 745 million dollars to a multitude of very charitable causes; including being the first organization to help out in Haiti after the devastating earthquake. They are Knights are still helping there today by providing free of charge prosthesis limbs to children who lost their own limbs as a result of that disaster.
And members of the Knights of Columbus have volunteered over 345 million hours to worthy causes in that same time frame (2006 - 2010).
They need good, strong Catholic men in the organization to help those who fail to exercise their faith correctly. Or at the very least, overshadow their evil with the good that the faithful can do. I’d be willing to bet that for every Knight who doesn’t hold true to the Catholic faith in basic morals, there are at least a hundred men who do.
Give me an organization that has credentials as good as or better than these. And also tell me what organization out there does not have its bad weeds. The answer is there are NONE.
I’m just a lowly person from the Midwest and I am proud to be a Knight; in spite of the fact that there are Knights in the organization who do not follow the Catholic faith well. If I find them, I will try to teach them. Otherwise, I will let the Lord take care of it.
Bob, don’t you see what the problem is? There are way too many Catholics who would prefer to look the other way than address the issue. You try to justify it internally by saying “look at the numbers”. The problem is at the National level. The Knights do many great things, however when I volunteer time and money to a supposed Catholic organization then hear a Politician who votes to support public funding of abortion and birth control say he is a “brother Knight”, and hear his council is told by Supreme that they can not reprimand him, well that is completely unacceptable. If our Bishops will not correct these misguided politicians, I feel it is our duty as Lay Catholics to do it. Should we just sit by “because the Knights do many good things” and allow this individual to put his soul in jeopardy? It is our duty to help this person understand his sins, change his ways, and repent before he is lost to the Evil one. No amount of “good” can justify turning a blind eye to even one lost sheep.
I now volunteer my time and money in other ways that don’t make me question what I am doing.
In the Parable of the weeds and the wheat, the field is the world –not the Knights of Columbus. Just because the Knights do good, much good, does not mean that the Knights should not weed out those that set a bad example. The argument that all organizations have bad members therefore we should not do anything doesn’t hold any water either. “Work as if everything depended on us and pray as if everything depended on God.“
I strongly agree gentlemen ! “Supreme” collects over a million dollars a year for his supposed leadership skills. The dues paying Knights across the world have no say in who gets to be “Supreme” ? He is surrounded by like thinking cronies who also collect outrageous salaries. He definitely speaks with a forked tongue ! I also was a 4th Degree Knight. “Supreme” & the Conn. crew answer to no one & seldom if ever respond to the concerns of loyal Knights. I asked them to address the gay-marriage vote in N.Y., pushed through by a supposed Catholic Gov. which only passed because 2 (TWO) Politician Knights voted for it. Of course I was ignored. After waiting over two months for a response I resigned. The men in my council knew nothing of this abomination until I brought it to their attention. Other Catholic media would not print anything against “Supreme” ?????? Those two supposed Catholic Knights should have been publicly & promptly ejected. To make it even more disgusting, they both were bribed by the mayor of N.Y. City, money meant more to them than their faith ! You have much teaching to do BOB, start with “Supreme” !!!!!
If Mr. Andereson wants to do something effective on this subject he should End the two decades old attempt by the national leadership of the K. Of C. to prevent the state and local K.Of C. from expelling pro abortion-Homosexual liberal politicians.The National leadership have ammended By Laws over the last 20 years to PREVENT these Liberal hypocrites from being expelled from the K. of C. which is why I will NOT join and why many others have not continued their membership in this organization.
I am a 4Th Degree Knight and strongly feel those men that are not Practical Catholics and publicly support ideals that are not in-line with The Holly See should be suspended from our order. On the other hand I will continue to be a Knight and continue to fight to have Supreme take a stance in removing these non-practical catholics (small c is intentional).
Vivat Jesus.
Mark Bergman, you sound like a quitter. If there is a member of your local council who takes a public anti-life stance, there are procedures you can follow to have your council petition Supreme to remove this person from the Knights.
I don’t think I sound like a quitter as I’m going forward with this whole thing and will do so publicly at this years NH Knights of Columbus State Convention!
Jimmy V: That then would be anyone who voted for the party of death ! All supreme cares about is collecting your assessments & selling insurance. They will not terminate members as that would lower the potential amount of funds they gather annually. Your just wasting your time attempting to comply with the paperwork road blocks they have instituted. You have no say in who makes the rules & you never will. A Parish Men’s Club is a much better local tool to do charitable tasks & support worthy causes.
@Jim,
Good for you Jim! We need to stop being cowards of tolerance in the name of evil in our midst, and start acting like husbands and fathers. Dave
@ EDWARD PENTIN,
Can you please take these concerns to the supreme and publish a response??
A response to Jimmy V.. The problem is that the leadership(K of C) over the last 20 years has made it difficult if not impossible to kick out any wayward pro Abortion-Homosexual liberal politicians. .They hide behind the do nothing bishops who talk endlessly and do nothing for decades.That is why so called Catholic gov.such as Malloy of Ct. Coumo of NY and Brown of Cal. are disgraces to the faith.
Edward, good idea and I will do so.
God Bless,
Jim <><
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