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Cafeteria Catholics

by James Reza

Tue, Oct 21, 2008, 04:06 PM

Our pastor recently lost his stepmother and returned to attend and officiate
at her funeral services in Chicago. While there the congregation was told
that he decided to take his overdue vacation and thus stayed an extra two
weeks visiting family and friends. Taking over our pastor¹s priestly chores
was a priest (Father Carmen Mele) whom I have had many run-ins before on
various topics such as bilingual education, illegal immigration, and believe
it or not, Bingo!

Though Father Mele and I vented our disagreements on Tarrant County¹s
Catholic diocese newspaper (North Texas Catholic), I had never met him
personally. Having read Father Mele¹s published articles on the North Texas
Catholic newspaper, I concluded that he was extremely liberal. And thus, I
asked the editor of the newspaper, who was a friend, if I could rebuttal
Father Mele¹s opinion pieces. Given the OK to rebuttal Father Mele¹s
opinion pieces, Father and I soon engaged on a battle of words and
differences of opinions on many topics, which included politics, religion,
education, gambling, and Lord know what else. I remember friends asking me
how I had the gall to argue with a priest. I 'd respond to my friends that
when a man of the cloth was giving me instructions about biblical teachings,
my Catholic faith, and Christ¹s teachings, he had my utmost respect and
undivided attention. However, if a priest or any other religious clergyman,
was trying to ram down my throat their own non-religious agendas, they were
fair game in my opinion in the arena of freethinking and discussion.

In his first mass while substituting for our pastor (Father Tom), Father
Mele soon gave way to his liberal philosophy. Though he gave a wonderful
homily on the gospel of that particular Sunday, he soon spiced it with his
own political rhetoric concerning global warming and the environment. I
remember asking myself, ³What in the world does global warming and the
environment have to do with today¹s gospel?² To which I answered
³Nothing!²
to my own question. Then it dawned on me that Father Mele was and always
will be a leftist liberal priest.

On his second week of celebrating mass at our parish of St. Paul, Father
Mele again gave a wonderful homily of that particular Sunday¹s gospel. But,
he soon floored me when he said he was going to make a political statement
that Bishop Kevin Vann of our diocese instructed him to give. He went on to
tell the congregation that in this year¹s Presidential election, Catholics
should vote for a candidate or other politicians seeking political office
who do not support abortion. Folks, I was stunned. I could not believe
Father Mele in his heart really wanted to make such a statement. However,
and somewhat grudgingly I might add, he did as his boss, and in his case,
Bishop Vann, instructed him to do.

Still shell shocked from Father Mele¹s political statement, I inwardly
started laughing. The reason being is that many Catholics in my parish are
Democrats and could give a hill of beans of who the Bishop, or for that
matter, a priest, would suggest to them who to vote for because of the
abortion issue. Many Catholics, myself included, are what you call
Cafeteria Catholics. We go down the line of political servings and put on
our plates that what we like or dislike in the arena of politics, while
disregarding our church teachings. Folks, like so many of you, I have to
confess that I am a sinner. And yes, though I hate to think about it, I
might end up when my life is over in hell. However, it won¹t be because I
voted for politicians, largely Democrats, who believe in murdering the most
innocent and defenseless in our society, the unborn, and destroying the
sanctity of marriage by allowing men to marry men and women to marry women.
It will probably be due to my drinking, fooling around when I play music,
and not following in Christ¹s footsteps. Having said that, I still try, but
maybe not as hard as I should, to be good to my family and to my fellow man.

I¹ll never forget my dad, who always bragged about so and so being Catholic.
³Son, did you know that Roger Staubach is Catholic?² ³Yes dad, I do,² I¹d
respond. ³But dad, did you know that Adolph Hitler and Al Capone were also
Catholics?² Yes ladies and gentlemen, there are good and bad in almost all
religions.

Finally, this past week our pastor, Father Tom, returned from Chicago and
reluctantly I might add, reiterated Bishop Vann¹s anti Catholic voter
support to politicians who condone and support abortion. Unsurprisingly to
me, Father Tom remarked that he didn¹t like the Republican Vice President
candidate, Gov. Palin, and wish he could write in his choice for President.
He then went on to tell the congregation that an elderly nun he knew was
going to vote for Senator Obama. Folks, what in world can I expect from my
pastor who is from Senator Obama¹s turf, Chicago? Need I say more?

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