June 15: A Model for Dissent

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is June 15th, and our story is A Model for Dissent. Catholics serving in the public square have wrestled with the extent to which their faith should influence their politics since America's founding. In the wake of Roe v. Wade and the legalization of abortion, however, that wrestling took on an even greater urgency.

This was evident in 1984, when New York's Catholic governor, Mario Cuomo, visited the University of Notre Dame. Cuomo, who was born on June 15, 1932, was a cradle Catholic, lifelong Democrat, and committed supporter of abortion rights. Many questioned how he could reconcile his faith and abortion politics. At Notre Dame, Cuomo attempted to answer that question. He explained.

Almost all Americans accept some religious values as a part of our public life. We are a religious people. Many of us descended from ancestors who came here expressly to live their religious faith free from coercion or repression. But we are also a people of many religions, with no established church, who hold different beliefs on many matters. Our public morality, then, the moral standards we maintain for everyone, not just the ones we insist on in our private lives, depends on a consensus view of right and wrong.

The values derived from religious belief will not, and should not, be accepted as part of the public morality unless they are shared by the pluralistic community at large. As a Catholic, I have accepted certain answers as the right ones for myself and my family. As a governor, however, I am involved in defining policies that determine other people's rights in these same areas of life and death.

Approval or rejection of legal restrictions on abortion should not be the exclusive litmus test of Catholic loyalty. We should understand that whether abortion is outlawed or not, our work has barely begun. The work of creating a society where the right to life doesn't end at the moment of birth.

Mario Cuomo recognized that faith belongs in public life, but he argued that laws should reflect only what society broadly agrees upon. For pro-lifers, this raises an important question. If the right to life is a fundamental human right, should it depend on consensus?

The unborn child's dignity does not come from public opinion, but from being created in the image of God. Building a culture of life requires both legal protection and compassionate support for mothers and families. Today, identify one concrete way you can support life. Pray for an expectant mother, donate to a pregnancy resource center, or have a respectful conversation about the dignity of every human person. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, June 16th, for another story of faith and courage in America.