Cafeteria Catholics

The 2013 Time Person of the Year

I disagree with the Catholic Church about some fundamental doctrines (which is why I never considered joining it), but I do admire the Catholic Church for its consistency. Its views on same-sex relationships, transgenderism, abortion, and capital punishment are all principled, if unpopular. And certainly Pope Francis' views on "unfettered capitalism" as the "new colonialism" and instigator of climate change haven't endeared himself to political conservatives.

Earlier this month the Church published a declaration of "Dignitas Infinita" (on the infinite dignity of individual human beings) that unifies the Church's teachings. It's a salutary effort, and what does seem clear after its publication is there's a point at which one can go overboard in picking out the teachings that one agrees with and rejecting others that don't suit one's preferences. In other words Pope Francis shuts down cafeteria Catholism: [bold added]

On an Easter Sunday appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Cardinal Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington, lamented that President Biden is a “cafeteria Catholic” who “picks and chooses dimensions of the faith to highlight while ignoring or even contradicting other parts.”

This week the Vatican published a “declaration” from its doctrinal office titled “Dignitas Infinita,” or “infinite dignity,” in which Pope Francis strongly affirmed the “inherent” dignity of every human being and identified a list of assaults against it: abortion, surrogate childbearing, euthanasia, capital punishment, poverty, war, the travails of migrants, human trafficking, sexual abuse, marginalization of the disabled and digital violence.

Unusually for Pope Francis, the text quotes extensively from his predecessors—the title is a phrase used by St. John Paul II—demonstrating that concerns for human dignity inform all of Catholic teaching and can’t be neatly aligned with a conservative or liberal political agenda. Mr. Biden likes Pope Francis on immigration but not abortion. He thinks the pontiff is bringing him a menu. Pope Francis, for his part, thinks the president mistakes table d’hôte for à la carte.

Much of the media paid attention to the document’s language on gender theory, which Pope Francis has previously called “the ugliest danger” today. The text was unambiguous: “Therefore, all attempts to obscure reference to the ineliminable sexual difference between man and woman are to be rejected.” That’s broad and would seem to cover not only medical interventions but the use of language, including forms of address and prayers.

Frankly, I don't see why Catholics, or any Christians for that matter, don't leave their church and find one that's more agreeable to their sense of right and wrong. There are plenty of denominations to choose from. But if one chooses to stay, pipe down and let your fellow church members worship in peace.