When I was going through the RCIA process, I was very much drawn by the beauty, the intellectual rigor and the consistency of Catholic teaching, but there were several things that I found challenging to understand and accept. Top of the list were the finer points related to the Eucharist and Transubstantiation.
I was not alone in this, and it isn’t a struggle unique to converts. A 2019 Pew poll suggested that only about a third of Americans who identify as Catholic believe in the Real Presence.
I read a lot. I prayed. Ultimately, where I found the answer was the same place that many have found it – the text of John 6, specifically the Bread of Life discourse. To set the scene, Jesus is talking about what it takes to get to Heaven, and everyone is excited – they all want it. But as he continues to speak, they grumble and question him, shocked and disbelieving that he is suddenly talking about actually eating his flesh and drinking his blood.
These were verses that I’d never really heard or seen in my previous faith experiences, and while it was helpful to me to read, you can see how uncomfortable many of the disciples were. Finally, we learn that many disciples responded, “This saying is too hard, who can accept it?” Soon after, we learn that “many” left. It turns out that this has always been challenging as a concept.
The discourse really captured my imagination, and to this day I sometimes wonder what I would have done if I were there. On one hand, I’d like to believe that if I were there in the presence of Christ, following Him, hearing Him teach, witnessing His miracles (or meeting those who had), that I’d stay there through the end. I’d like to think I’d be one of the people staying through until the end. On the other, I am drawn to the known, the logical and the rational. I can identify with anyone who heard something so shocking and contrary to their beliefs that they just walked away.
I have been speaking a lot lately to churches and groups about both the Dobbs decision and engagement in the political process as a faithful (and pro-life) Catholic. If you have not yet read the USCCB’s recent document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” (or FCFC), it is worth getting a copy and reviewing it this election season (find it at: bit.ly/USCCBcitizenship).
While FCFC covers a multitude of issues, it is perhaps most notable for bringing clarity to the discussion on engagement in the political process specifically in an area where there is much tension – opposing intentionally induced abortion and euthanasia vs following personal conscience. The FCFC explains that a well-formed conscience is a matter of a desire for the good, an investigation of the facts and prayerful discernment. As the text continues, the bishops explicitly note that this idea of following our conscience is not a substitution or justification for following our partisan preferences or personal interests, but is something that is “shaped by the moral convictions of well-formed consciences and focused on the dignity of every human being, the pursuit of the common good, and the protection of the weak and vulnerable” (⸹14). They continue that this is how God reveals the truth to us: by calling us to do what is good and shun what is evil (⸹17). They also establish a distinction between those things which “we must never do, as individuals or as a society, because they are always incompatible with love of God and neighbor,” with the prime example of intrinsic evil – the taking of innocent human life by abortion or euthanasia (⸹22).
The FCFC is quick to note that simply opposing evil is not enough; we are called also to do good. Thus, we have a “moral imperative” to respond to other issues for the good of neighbor and we need to have concern for things like feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, housing the homeless, providing for education and dignified work, ensuring justice, ending discrimination, and caring for the environment. The FCFC is quick to distinguish this type of work as things that are “universally binding on our consciences and may be legitimately fulfilled by a variety of means.”
Taken together, it is an unequivocal statement. It establishes certain categories like abortion that must always be opposed, while acknowledging that how to accomplish other moral imperatives can be up for debate. So, some advocates may work to feed the hungry by distributing food at a foodbank or a meal ministry, others may raise money or donate food for that purpose, still others may work to create or advocate for good-paying jobs and stable family structures, and some may advocate for legislative action or spending to support safety net programs. There is a legitimate role for each of these in our personal lives, and they make reasonable debates and distinctions for those in elective office.
So how do we exercise our consciences in an increasingly divided, complex and partisan political world? I do not pretend that partisan politics do not exist, or do I pretend that any one party has a monopoly on living out our faith.
But we must not lose sight of the fact that exercising our consciences means opposing laws, policies, and candidate positions that violate the dignity of human life. It means recognizing that sometimes we will encounter situations or teachings that conflict with our own desires, challenge our lived experiences, contradict our wishes to fit in with the culture, or frustrate our efforts to engage difficult situations with what seems like a “compassionate” response.
I do not want anyone to misunderstand or skew my words and think that I am elevating opposing abortion to the level of a sacrament. I would argue instead that the Eucharist is the antidote to abortion. Consider, for a moment the shouted mantra of “My Body, My Choice,” verses the saving words, “This is my Body…”
We must acknowledge the social and political tension that exists for many, including Catholics, when it comes to abortion and politics, a tension that is exceptionally obvious as we enter both this first Respect Life month and political season post-Dobbs. If you or someone you love is struggling to understand, accept, or embrace the pro-life position, if it is becoming your hard saying that you think you cannot accept, before you walk away, remember this: Being faithful can be difficult during many of the seasons of our lives; election season is no different. The Church, in her wisdom, has given us a roadmap: embrace good, shun evil, grow in your knowledge of faith and virtue, examine the issues carefully, and reflect prayerfully on what is happening in the world around us. Perhaps spend a few hours these next weeks before the Blessed Sacrament and invite your imagination to consider the discourse.
Beth Vanderkooi is the executive director of Greater Columbus Right to Life
