Courtney McGrailDear Editor, The dispute within Britain’s Labour Party over its ability to win the next (2020) general election is similar to the issues facing our bishops at the synod in Rome. In Britain, the argument seems to be that Labour must do whatever it has to do in order to become electable, a position rejected by its recently-elected leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who seems set on sticking to solid social principals and using that to attract voters. He clearly doesn’t see his Labour as being some kind of chameleon that should change its colours simply to gain power.
Meanwhile in Rome, and admittedly simplifying difficult issues, the argument seems to be how far the Church should bend in order to appear attractive to the swaying faithful and, indeed, how it should change established rules in order to win back those who have voted with their feet and left the flock.
Surely we all endorse the efforts of Pope Francis who, with feet even famous tightrope walker Philippe Petit would envy, is trying to walk a fine line by saying the ‘right’ things without betraying the most essential aspect of our faith: our adherence to doctrine.
But same-sex marriage, for example, is either right or wrong and being gay and Catholic is either fine or it’s not; there isn’t much wriggle room and the danger is that the more we, as a Church, try to change in order to accommodate those on the fringe, the more we stray from all that makes us Catholic.
I would argue that the key word is doctrine, not popularity. Using fresh wording to reflect changing values of society is one thing, but straying from doctrine is going too far.
Jeremy Corbyn said: “We’re going to be campaigning on issues of social justice and poverty, you will be seeing a lot of me.” Let’s hope that we see and hear a lot from our bishops once they are back from the synod on what being Catholic means – and what it does not.
Yours etc.,
Declan Rankin,
Donnycarney, Dublin 9.