Charles J. Chaput, archbishop of the Catholic archdiocese of Denver, has written a new book titled: Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life. I've seen Hugh Hewitt blog about it, and now there is a very interesting interview posted at NRO. You can read the entire interview here. This is particularly important for Catholics--who the book was written for--as well as other believers like me, especially in an election year.
Here are a few of my favorite take-aways from the interview:
On citizenship and morality:
Archbishop Chaput: "Politics is the exercise of power. Citizenship implicates us in the morality of how that power is used. So citizenship is serious business."
On war and abortion:
Lopez: Whenever I write about Catholics and abortion, I am immediately asked, “What about war? What about the death penalty?” What about them? Can a Catholic vote for Senator “Surge”? We have killed people in Iraq, after all.
Archbishop Chaput: I’ve written and spoken against the death penalty for more than 30 years. And along with most other American bishops, I opposed our intervention in Iraq. But these issues are different in kind, not merely degree, from the violence involved in abortion. Anyone rooted in Scripture and Catholic tradition will understand the distinction if he or she reasons honestly. Genocide, euthanasia, abortion, and deliberately targeting civilians in war — these things are always grievously wrong. But in Catholic thought, war and capital punishment can be morally legitimate under certain carefully defined circumstances. Abortion is never morally justified.
And last, but not least, and probably most importantly:
Lopez: How relevant is Thomas More today in answering the previous question?
Archbishop Chaput: Like Chesterton said many decades ago, Thomas More is always relevant. He’s never been more relevant than he is right now.
Well, thank you very much--I didn't know All These Things was getting that much air time!
Still relevant,
Thomas More
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