Ed Koch: "Catholics ARE Under Persecution"

If you are Catholic and have of late felt that it is open season on us, you are not alone. Though if your read my diary you know that I feel as you do, we are joined also by Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York, who has declared that "continuing attacks" by the media on the Church and Benedict XVI have become manifestations of anti-Catholicism. The Jewish former mayor, who also served as a U.S. Congressman from 1969 to 1977 and is presently a political commentator, published his very objective statement in blog belonging to the Jerusalem Post.

He said: "The procession of articles on the same events are, in my opinion, no longer intended to inform, but simply to castigate." He further asserted that "many of those in the media who are pounding on the Church and the Pope today clearly do it with delight, and some with malice."

If you've been reading my blog these latter years, then you known how I stand before the scrutiny of Western Society over the precepts of the Catholic Faith. You already know that I believe in our taking responsibility over the choices we make and their consequences; even though most individuals try to shun the latter whilst retaining the former. You already know that I think we - as a Society of arrogant hedonists - have sought to make religion a convenience, but we neglected the fact that it is not so. Though we are not obliged to follow a particular religion, the religious precepts that guide it are not ours to change or modify to suit our own economies, conveniences, urges and desires. In this, Edward Koch seems to agree with me.

He added: "The reason, I believe, for the constant assaults is that there are many in the media, and some Catholics as well as many in the public, who object to and are incensed by positions the Church holds, including opposition to all abortions, opposition to gay sex and same-sex marriage, retention of celibacy rules for priests, exclusion of women from the clergy, opposition to birth control measures involving condoms and prescription drugs and opposition to civil divorce." Who can dispute those claims? Not I, for this is indeed the very same comments I have been making here for the past years.

We live in a Society that has degraded its values of honour, family and charity into greed, corruption and consumerism. To that end, we - as a Society - found the need to attack and destroy that which impeded the progress of our conveniences. We dismantled values and beliefs to make them suitable to our socioeconomic ends. Yet, in our collective blindness, we have forgotten that the Catholic Faith is not the Church's property to meddle with. Our Faith was entrusted to the Church to be guarded and proclaimed with fielty, not liberalism. Hence, the Church is most assuredly not a democracy. It cannot be.

Though the politician offered evidence that he does not personally agree with the Catholic position on these issues, Ed Koch seems to agree with this assessment when he mentions that the Church "has a right to hold these views in accordance with its religious beliefs." He went further to declare: "Orthodox Jews, like the Roman Catholic Church, can demand absolute obedience to religious rules. Those declining to adhere are free to leave." He went on to deliver: "My good friend, Cardinal John O'Connor, once said, 'The Church is not a salad bar, from which to pick and choose what pleases you.' The Church has the right to demand fulfillment of all of its religious obligations by its parishioners, and indeed a right to espouse its beliefs generally."

Koch offered his belief that "the Roman Catholic Church is a force for good in the world, not evil." As well, he said, "the existence of 1 billion, 130 million Catholics worldwide is important to the peace and prosperity of the planet. (...) Of course, the media should report to the public any new facts bearing upon the issue of child molestation," held Koch, "but its objectivity and credibility are damaged when the New York Times declines to publish an op-ed offered by New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan on the issue of anti-Catholicism and offers instead to publish a letter to the editor, which is much shorter and less prominent than an op-ed.(...)Enough is enough," he affirmed. Koch continued: "Yes, terrible acts were committed by members of the Catholic clergy. The Church has paid billions to victims in the United States and will pay millions, perhaps billions, more to other such victims around the world. It is trying desperately to atone for its past by its admissions and changes in procedures for dealing with pedophile priests." What more can be expected by a Society that is itself also guilty of the same offenses?

I could go on, but I fear it is painful to feel that so much antagonism could be aimed at this, that is my Church and simultaneously the largest humanitarian and charitable organisation in the planet. Inconvenient as we may be to consumerism, I can say that - at least for my part - we will continue to uphold our Faith in all its beauty and in defence of life, ethics and moral values that make us freer persons than the supposed liberalism that is preeched by radical captalists and their consumerism.

If you are interested, the full text of former mayor Ed Koch can be found here: http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/koch/entry/he_that_is_without_sin