The term “Cafeteria Catholic” was coined time ago to describe Catholics who pick and choose which Church teachings to espouse and which ones to reject. I remember seeing a t-shirt when Pope Benedict XVI was elected that read “the cafeteria is now closed” with a large picture of Cardinal Ratzinger. This meant no more picking and choosing from among Catholic teachings, it’s either all or nothing.
The well-known American author and political activist George Weigel has always presented himself as a faithful Catholic, far from being a Cafeteria Catholic. He is best known for his biography of John Paul II and more recently for his political opinions which tend to be conservative.
This week Weigel has become a Cafeteria Catholic, putting political ideology before the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Commenting on the Mass Cardinal Sean O’Malley celebrated at the border in Nogales, Arizona, Weigel said, “It’s not clear to me how holding Mass in these circumstances can be anything other than politicized.” He added, “To turn the Mass into an act of essentially political theater is something I thought we had gotten over in the Church, no matter how noble the cause might be.”
Unfortunately many faithful Catholics who would not consider themselves Cafeteria Catholics share Weigel’s opinion, and by doing so become Cafeteria Catholics. My question for them would be the following: How about the Mass held each year at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC before the March for Life which calls for the repeal of Roe v. Wade? Would Weigel call this a politicization of the Mass? Of course not, he would call it standing up for Gospel values. How about the Masses and events held in the past two years calling for religious freedom? I wouldn’t consider the Mass my own bishop celebrated in Savannah at Forsyth Park a politicization of the Mass, but rather a moment where he stood up for Gospel values.
It is inconsistent to dismiss the bishop’s teaching on immigration reform and to accept all other teachings. The bishops don’t run a cafeteria. Political agendas must be subservient to Church teaching, whether its convenient or inconvenient.
Weigel continued by stating that “it’s not clear to me that the principles behind a Catholic approach to immigration reform have been well articulated at all.” Weigel must not have read any of the various documents published by the United States Bishops on immigration reform. Weigel must not have watched the news report from when Pope Francis traveled to Lampedusa to speak against the suffering and injustices immigrants suffer.
Unfortunately Weigel has done what he criticizes others of doing, he has put his political agenda before the teachings of the Gospel. He has picked which Church teachings to support and which not to support. I am disappointed with George Weigel.
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