Pastoral Message: Low Sunday 1997

PASTORAL LETTER OF BISHOP CORMAC MURPHY-O'CONNOR

To be read at all Masses ON 6th APRIL, LOW SUNDAY, 1997

My dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,

One of my favourite pieces of music is Franz Schubert's 'The Unfinished Symphony' so called because the composer did not live to complete it. The symphony consists of strong and beautiful central themes on which Schubert builds variations of a considerable diversity. What I want to talk to you about today is a kind of `unfinished symphony', namely, the Church's social teaching. It is a symphony because it is built on very basic themes which are the foundation of all the other variations which develop from it. It is 'unfinished' because it is constantly being composed as the Church moves to new challenges and seeks to promote its message of good news to the world in which it lives. Such is the case in Britain today as our country approaches a General Election. Let me lay before you some of the basic principles and teachings of the Church as she seeks, yet again, to apply the values of the Gospel to the problems of our age and help all people to play an active part in building a just and compassionate society.

The foundation of all Catholic social teaching is quite clearly the dignity of the human person. No other value in our teaching has become so clear and apparent as the respect and honour that must be given to the human person at all stages from conception to natural death. How strange, that in our society where the rights of individuals are so publicly affirmed, that the rights of the weakest and most vulnerable are increasingly ignored and denied. In particular, we should raise our voices in protest against the destruction of life in the womb and the casual manner in which our society has accepted the evil of abortion. No wonder that the Church is deeply involved in the pro-life movement and all policies that favour the advancement of persons so that they can live dignified lives.

The second theme I would like to underline is the family. It seems to me that there is a cultural onslaught against the family in our society which increasingly undermines stability and the healthy upbringing of children. The overall test of any political policy is ultimately whether it supports and promotes family life. As I write this I also look and speak to you, mothers and fathers of families, and pray that there will be a renewed commitment to support the family so that today, even amidst so many difficulties, the family will always remain the guardian and sanctuary of life.

The third theme that I wish to underline is what may be called the 'option for the poor'. People who are poor and vulnerable have always had a special place in Catholic teaching. A brother of mine, who died some years ago, was a priest who, among his many other gifts, was a marvellous prison chaplain. He laughed with prisoners, helped their families, supported them in such a way that, even though everyone else seemed against them, they knew he was on their side. Because he was on their side they dared to hope that God was on their side. This, essentially, is what we mean when we talk about a preferential option for the poor. Jesus himself said, "In as much as you did it to the least of my brothers and sisters you did it to me". (Mt. 25:40). The poor, the marginalised, the prisoners, all those adrift in the community, are not a burden - they are our brothers and sisters with whom we share a common humanity. How easy it is to forget that, notwithstanding our comparative affluence, we too are poor - poor because we are sinful, poor because we are weak, poor because we cannot live without the gifts of God. We too need to realise that God is on our side.

The fourth and final theme could perhaps be best termed, 'the promotion of the common good'. Catholic social teaching has always accepted that there is a balance to be kept between the rights of the individual and the needs of society as such. It upholds both values and understands that one value cannot be validly maintained without the other, regardless of any difficulties involved. A true flourishing of the individual will enhance the good of the whole community. Yet the very phrase 'common good' is close to the traditional term, 'common `weal' or `wealth'. This implies that every individual has a duty to participate in promoting the welfare of the whole community. Indeed, there may come a point in a particular society where the gap between the very wealthy and those who are without begins to undermine the common good. Jesus in the Gospels repeatedly warns us about the dangers of over-attachment to material riches and that these dangers apply not only to the individual but to the community as a whole. We need to recognise, quite simply, that we are all responsible for one another. This applies in local situations of town and country but also globally. Successive Popes have constantly referred to the disparity of wealth amongst the various sectors of this world, especially between the Northern and Southern hemispheres. A wealthy society, if it is greedy and does not share its resources with the poorest nations, is not a good society.

What I have said so far is part of a recent document published by the Bishops' Conference on the Church's Social teaching, aptly entitled: `The Common Good'. I hope you will acquire, read, and discuss with others what it contains. Together with our fellow Christians you now have an opportunity to raise these and other issues with your prospective parliamentary candidates and so play your part in shaping the political process. As a fellow Christian it is, of course, not for me to suggest the candidates for whom you should vote in the General Election: each of us has a conscientious decision to make. However, as your Bishop, I would be failing in my duty if I were not to lay before you some of the central themes of the Church's social teaching. These will provide a background to your own thoughts and aspirations as you prepare to exercise your democratic right as a British citizen. They will remind you that you have your part to play in finishing the symphony of the Church's social teaching as you reflect on the decisions you will make in the coming weeks.

Finally, I end on a more profound reflection, namely, that the future of humanity does not depend on political decisions, however important they may seem at the time. Our future, as individuals and as a country, depends on a conversion of mind and heart to the will and the mind of God made manifest for us Christians in the presence and the teaching of our risen Lord. May the words of Jesus in today's gospel ring in our ears: 'Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so am I sending you'. (John 20:21).

May the Risen Lord bless you all, and with my kind wishes and prayers,

Yours devotedly in Christ,

Rt. Rev. Cormac Murphy-O'Connor
Bishop of Arundel and Brighton.