Politics

Fr. Peter-Michael Preble has this article published recently on Ethics Daily. Fr. Peter blogs at Shepherd of Souls, and Fr. Peter-Michael Preble. He hosts the Shepherd of Souls podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.

Fr. Peter-Michael Preble

One day I came across a section of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans (13:1-7), and it caused me to pause and really think about it. What are our duties to the state?

According to Paul, we have the following obligations:

1. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities

2. Whoever resists authority resists the ordinance of God

3. Those who resist will bring judgment upon themselves

4. Do what is good and you will have praise

5. You must be subject

6. Pay taxes

7. Render therefore to all their due
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Finally the resistance is starting. Note the final paragraphs. Cardinal George Pell is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney. Emphasis mine.

By + Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, 29 August 2010

Democracy is alive and well in Australia. Democratic processes are robust and generally followed with good humour.

I voted at Sydney Town Hall, taking whatever cards were offered. One Sex Party volunteer ignored me politely and resolutely although their next distributor smiled and said that I probably didn’t need their material. I cheerfully agreed. Afterwards I went to say a prayer in St. Andrew’s Cathedral, which I do once in a while, but it was closed.

The electioneering was a long, hard and often negative slog and many were tired of it by the end. To the dismay of the commentariat both leaders, formidable politicians, avoided catastrophe and were well matched.
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“New York state and its Port Authority officials need to hang their heads in shame,” says George Patsourakos, on his blog Theology and Society. Patsourakos, a regular commentator on the AOI blog writes:

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center — attacks by extremist Muslims — resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent Americans. Nevertheless, New York state and Port Authority officials are seriously considering building a mosque at this very site. To even consider having a mosque at this site shows a heartless and unsympathetic attitude and disrespect by these officials toward the innocent victims who were killed there on 9/11 by Muslim terrorists. Having a mosque at Ground Zero is a very similar situation to having a Nazi Monument next to the Holocaust Museum. Both of these ideas should be put to rest, because they are an insult to their victims.

Meanwhile, New York officials have shown little or no interest in rebuilding St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church — a 300-member church that was destroyed in the 9/11 attacks. The World Trade Center site’s owner says a deal to help rebuild St. Nicholas Church was offered and rejected by leaders of the church, over money and other issues.

Read the entire post on the Theology and Society blog.