This is a continuation of Yesterday's post on American Catholicism isn't the Norm. This is Sherry
Weddell speaking:
I think having a multi party system does affect the dynamics entirely. Our CSI Australian director, Clara, is a policy advisor for the ONLY Australia MP who is completely pro-life. He is the first such MP in many years so the absolutist American position of refusing communion to anone who votes for a politician who supports abortion has simply been impossible. And yet, all Australian adults are legally required to vote (no abstention possible!). Even now, only members of this MP's constituency can cast a vote for someone who does completely reject abortion. Catholics see abortion as part of a spectrum of life issues which include immigration (which is a burning national issue) because of the appalling, sometimes life-threatening conditions many immigrants are forced to live in once they reach Australia. The orthodox Catholic position in Australia would be very like Cardinal Bernadine's "seamless garment" which some in the US regard as simply a way to "duck" the abortion issue. The "abortion outweighs every other issue in your moral political calculus and therefore you can only vote for one party" stance is uniquely American. Would this stance dissolve if we had a truly pro-life party (even if small) as in Australia which, because of the political system, could actually have real influence in national decisions? Since most Catholic countries have parliamentary systems and many have historic Catholic political parties, it doesn't look as though this is going to be an issue for most Catholics. We need to remember that US Catholics only make up 6-7% of the Body Catholic. The vast majority of Catholics have political alternatives that we don't have.
I think having a multi party system does affect the dynamics entirely. Our CSI Australian director, Clara, is a policy advisor for the ONLY Australia MP who is completely pro-life. He is the first such MP in many years so the absolutist American position of refusing communion to anone who votes for a politician who supports abortion has simply been impossible. And yet, all Australian adults are legally required to vote (no abstention possible!). Even now, only members of this MP's constituency can cast a vote for someone who does completely reject abortion. Catholics see abortion as part of a spectrum of life issues which include immigration (which is a burning national issue) because of the appalling, sometimes life-threatening conditions many immigrants are forced to live in once they reach Australia. The orthodox Catholic position in Australia would be very like Cardinal Bernadine's "seamless garment" which some in the US regard as simply a way to "duck" the abortion issue. The "abortion outweighs every other issue in your moral political calculus and therefore you can only vote for one party" stance is uniquely American. Would this stance dissolve if we had a truly pro-life party (even if small) as in Australia which, because of the political system, could actually have real influence in national decisions? Since most Catholic countries have parliamentary systems and many have historic Catholic political parties, it doesn't look as though this is going to be an issue for most Catholics. We need to remember that US Catholics only make up 6-7% of the Body Catholic. The vast majority of Catholics have political alternatives that we don't have.
