Eucharistic politics (Bread for the Journey 13)

 

The Eucharist is inherently political - U.S. Catholic

While in Dublin visiting a family member, I took some time, today, to meet up with a local politician in Leinster House - the State parliament.  Our discussion ranged over many topics including, briefly, the role of faith in a struggle for justice and the integrity of creation.
It is rare - nowadays in Ireland - for anyone in public life to talk openly about their faith; it is a type of taboo.  At the same time, we rarely hear about politics in the Sunday sermon at mass.  It seems to be a case of 'whatever you say about that say nothing'.  Time was when clerics and bishops weighed on a wide range of moral and ethical issues from the pulpit. In the decades following Vatican 2, the Catholic bishops in Ireland spoke frequently and at some length on issues such as poverty, inequality and homelessness. In more recent times, the late Pope Francis placed particular emphasis on climate justice. 

Today, in Ireland at least, the rich wisdom of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is a well kept secret.  Many of the latter day key board warriors who confuse the gospel with ethnic nationalism have either never taken CST on board or they have wilfully interpreted it to their own ends.

Christian churches including the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland were historically aligned to particular political forces if not formally part of the state as in the case of the latter up to 1870.  We have heard about many heroic Christians who acted and spoke in defence of the poor and oppressed. Saint Oscar Romero, while celebrating mass in El Salvador in 1980 was assassinated by a right-wing death squad.  He literally made the offering of himself at the altar in the person of Christ for others.  

The mass is always for the others - those on the margins, those who seek, those who are excluded, those who turn up.  It is always for the others who torture, kill, lie and steal because Christ's blood was shed for these too that they might turn from evil and be saved. The Church is not a political party and its mission is not a political programme. However, it is communion of love at the heart of the world seeking to defend the poor and the voiceless, free the oppressed and speak truth to power. In this sense, it is political and we are called to be active members of society working to promote human dignity and the common good.  To hear the word of God and to take, break, give and receive the bread of life is to be transformed into the likeness of Christ who offered himself in the world and for the world. 

When we see a proliferation of disinformation, abuse of human rights and the rise in a new imperialism we must speak out and act.  We must live out our mass and witness to Christ in the market place and in the political sphere as appropriate.