Speaking The Gospel

John Allen ("Think Again: The Catholic Church," November/December 2008) makes a number of provocative arguments in addressing popular myths about Catholicism. Three of his observations, in particular, warrant more attention from international policymakers.

First, that far from "shrinking," the Catholic Church is actually in a period of enormous growth, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Second, the "official positions of the church" are not simply "conservative"; the church consistently defends human life and dignity. Third, the church serves poor people throughout the developing world through its "vast network of schools, hospitals, and social service centers."

What lesson should foreign-policy practitioners and policymakers draw from these observations? They should view the Catholic Church as a potential ally and resource. Catholic social teaching provides a moral framework for addressing the toughest global challenges, and the on-the-ground experience of the church can contribute to finding policies that work more effectively.

The recent reauthorization of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is a good example. The church worked on a bipartisan effort to expand the plan’s funding and expand its reach through a "conscience clause" that permits religious institutions to participate in HIV/ AIDS prevention, care, and treatment without violating their moral principles. The church also supported provisions that promote monogamy and other behaviors that research shows are highly effective in reducing HIV infection rates.

Hopefully, world leaders will see past the caricature and view the Catholic Church as a powerful ally in building a world of greater justice and peace.

— Stephen M. Colecchi
Director of the Office
of International Justice and Peace
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Washington, D.C.

John Allen replies:

Stephen Colecchi is part of a remarkable brain trust at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops working to bring the Catholic Church’s teaching and human capital to bear on pressing social issues in ways that defy conventional partisan ideology. I can only say "amen" to his hope that international policymakers will pay greater heed.

Of course, the "caricature" of the church to which Colecchi refers is not entirely the fault of secular commentators. On a wide range of issues, the church itself has not always been effective in communicating its desire for "a world of greater justice and peace" or in mobilizing its resources to achieve it.

As Pope Benedict XVI has said, too often the world knows what the church is against, but not what it’s for. This challenge will become steeper in the United States under the Barack Obama administration, as differences between church and state over "life issues," especially abortion, may complicate the effort to find common ground in other areas. Both sides will need to look beyond caricatures, and one hopes that talented Catholic professionals such as Colecchi will lead the way — not just in calling upon politicians to think in new ways, but Catholics, too.