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Speaking Out in Albany
The bishops of New York State sat down with Gov. Eliot Spitzer for the first time this past week. The bishops presented their case for a more just and humane society. The governor politely listened and said he would take their positions under advisement.
We note two particularly thorny issues which we have with Gov. Spitzer. One is his proposal for financially assisting families who choose to send their children to private and parochial schools. The other is his funding for embryonic stem-cell research.
His proposal to give some assistance to parents of children in private schools, such as Catholic schools, is welcome acknowledgment of the needs of our parents. But the governor’s proposal may not be enough to make a difference. The proposal is for a $1,000 benefit but Cardinal Egan properly pointed out that the real benefit to parents becomes far less when other factors weigh in.
On stem-cell funding, Gov. Spitzer’s proposal has been far too generous in encouraging research on embryonic stem cells and human cloning. That would involve an immoral abuse of human life at its earliest stages. No funds should be allocated for such a disregard for the sacredness of human life.
We repeat that there is no scientific data showing that embryonic stem-cell research would help alleviate any kind of sickness or disease. The real aid to the scientific community involves stem-cell research on properties such as the blood from an umbilical cord, which has shown great potential in making scientific progress. Our decision should be not to play God by creating life simply for the sake of research.
We salute our bishops for traveling to Albany and sitting down with the governor and the lieutenant governor, as well as for organizing the lobby day which took place the day after that meeting. Diocesan leaders and Catholics from the pews went to the State Capitol and individually spoke with their senators and Assembly members about their concerns for the State’s future and their insistence on a moral framework with which to make such decisions.
We urge all parishioners to log onto the website of the New York State Catholic Conference (www.nyscatholic.org) and to register as a member of its public policy network. Email transmissions will keep you informed about pending legislation as well as the Church’s positions on the proposals. It also will help you communicate your thoughts and messages to your representatives.
Glorious St. Patrick
The life of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland whose feast is today, is obscured by legends. But underlying all the stories is the saga of a remarkable man who was born most likely in Western England or today’s Scotland, sold as a slave as a young boy, lived the rigors of the life of a slave until he escaped to England. He then moved by extraordinary signs, returned to Ireland, was sent to France as a Christian and there was ordained and consecrated as a bishop (although such promotions were far less formalized than today) and then returned to Ireland where he lived the life of a missionary spreading his vibrant faith in Christ.
He lived among the small settlements that resembled monasteries more than towns or cities. He was known for a life of austerity and strength.
The story of Christian Ireland takes off from there. It’s the the story of a land known for its beauty but subject to political oppression and deprivation. The first Irish who gained prominence in the United States were from the North of England and were fleeing prejudice and oppression. Their hard time in Ireland made them prime candidates to escape to America where they became leaders in the American Revolutionary War. The great influx of Irish to America came in the mid-19th century when a weak potato crop in Ireland was commandeered by the British and starving immigrants from the Emerald Isle fled here. From starving immigrants the Irish grew and developed to their prosperous place in today’s society.
These brief broad strokes, well-known as they are, provide a backdrop for today’s celebrations, including the St. Patrick’s Day parades which have grown from humble beginnings to today’s spectacle in Manhattan with neighborhoods repeating the pageantry on different weekends.
“Today, everyone is Irish” has become the popular slogan. There’s some wisdom in that because the Irish story is very much the American story, the story of immigrants and success. It is everyone’s story regardless of skin color or language spoken. It is everyone’s story because it is such a success story, a call to the poor to believe in themselves and seek out opportunity, a call to those who have attained prosperity to remember their origins and, indeed, those along the way who did not nor could not escape poverty and disadvantage.
The Irish made huge contributions to the Church and to society because they always remembered from whence they came. They feel a common bond with the oppressed and those deemed less worthy. Irish social servants, clergy and public officials are at their best when they stand shoulder to shoulder with the newly oppressed of their own day.
Like St. Patrick, the Irish in America were born of humble origin. They’re at their best when they follow St. Patrick’s lead and remain steadfast in the faith and ready to serve their fellow men and women.
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