More Catholics should embrace the ‘consistent ethic of life’ philosophy.
By Fr. Vince McCarthy

The Catholic faith has been in this country for more than 500 years now. We are, by far, the largest Christian denomination in this nation, and our Catholic educational system, from kindergartens to universities, is second to none.

We are well represented in Congress, and we participate in all aspects of American life from the entertainment industry to military defense. So why is it, with all of our accomplishments, that the Catholic Church in the United States does not have a greater effect on this nation’s moral and political life?

A number of us who live and work here along the U.S.-Mexico border have discussed this issue recently. Our conclusion is that we Catholics, instead of standing united, often fall divided.

For example, just try to get those of us who vehemently oppose abortion to join in the fight against the death penalty. Or challenge death-penalty opponents to support our brethren of the Pax Christi movement in their battle against all wars. And where is our voice about the plight of the migrant, the rise in unemployment and the homelessness in our country?

Fr. Vince McCarthy (in red shirt) and others gathered outside an El Paso, Texas, abortion clinic to protest the killing of innocent lives.

But despite all this, a small but growing number of faithful Catholics have caught on to the devil’s trick of divide and conquer. You meet them at all kinds of gatherings: pro-life rallies, war protests, death-penalty vigils and whenever and wherever our world leaders gather to mismanage this business of globalization.

I am pleased that I have met a few of these folks here in Juárez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas. They are few in number, but they are deeply committed to the consistent ethic of life principle. We talk and share our understanding of Eileen Egan’s “seamless garment” ethic, Cardinal Joseph Bernadine’s “consistent ethic of life,” and Pope John Paul II’s encyclical letter, “The Gospel of Life.”

We also pray that this movement will grow in the United States so that we Catholics, truly united in our faith, will someday have a profound influence on the moral and political life of the United States.