Abortion has long sat in the middle of a three-street ecclesial intersection, namely, those of Sin, Crime, and Sanction. The meeting of any two of these factors would make for a perilous perch but the confluence of all three is fraught with opportunities for confusion. At the risk of serious over-simplification, let me sketch the … Read more
In the course of this discussion of the norms governing Catholic political behavior (see C. Wolfe, Can a Catholic Be Elected President, May, 1983; E. Peters, The Forbidden and the Inevitable, July, 1983; C. Wolfe, Professor Wolfe Replies, August, 1983; and K. Long, The Limits of the Law: Remarks on Edward Peters, September, 1983) some … Read more
Catholics may often have to tolerate compromise in regard even to fundamental principles. For example, in our pluralistic (and increasingly secular) society, any attempt in the foreseeable future to abolish completely divorce or even (God forgives us) abortion seems to me impractical, and Catholics may have to fight for compromises that can be justified only … Read more