By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Father Richard Perozich, a priest of the Diocese of San Diego, has published a hard-hitting letter to Catholics in which he explains what our role must be in the public square if we can ever hope to bring about real change to society.
Father Perozich’s letter, which appears on Matt Abbott’s popular Renew America website, calls upon Catholics to use the forum of politics to bring about the change in 2010 that failed to materialize after the 2008 election.
“Catholics, even though we live in a country and are citizens of that country, have a higher calling and responsibility to God and to our neighbor to promote God’s truth even when others hate it, reject it, and hate us for proclaiming it. We are citizens in an earthly realm, but more importantly we are citizens of the new kingdom of heaven with Jesus as the Lord, His laws as our prime way of life, and called to live them and to promote them even to unbelievers.”
He points to the words of St. Paul in 3 Galatians who chastised the faithful for allowing non-believers to silence the truth. “Oh stupid Galatians!” St. Paul cries. “Who has bewitched you?”
Father Perozich says the same thing to Catholics who sheepishly keep quiet and vote for men and women who promote evil.
“O stupid Catholics, who has bewitched you? We easily go over to pagan ideas, putting aside our faith, our truth, in order to accommodate the evil of people who will not accommodate us! To promote their ideas they attack us personally calling us the far right, ultra-conservative, bigoted, homophobic, hate mongers, holy rollers, and other epithets. This silences many Catholics. It only emboldens me, and it should embolden you also to promote your faith.”
The core issue in this and every election is life, he says, and warns against casting a compromise vote.
“An elite class has assumed power in the United States, transcending political parties. They claim to know more than the people the elites represent. They do not. Their interest is keeping their positions in which they earn upwards of $200,000 with a health plan that is not part of the new one passed for the rest of us. They plan the destruction of the military, the silence of the churches and free voices, the destruction of children, embryos. They simply cannot stay in power. I have voted for some of them despite their mixed policies.
“But enough! I refuse to cast a vote for anyone who supports abortion, sexual confusion to be forced in the military, marriage, school curricula, or any other societal aspect, cloning, embryonic stem cell research, or euthanasia. I am a Catholic. I am a citizen of the kingdom of God and will promote that kingdom in all parts of my life.”
He warns politicians that they will no longer get his vote “just so your opponent will not get into office. If you do not represent me, you do not have my vote. I don’t want your government money. I don’t want your ideas of equality, fairness, and justice. I don’t want your health care. I am not a prostitute who sells my vote for temporal benefits.
“I am checking your voting records through various organizations which monitor your voting. If you do not promote life from the moment of conception to natural death, chastity and sexual distinctions, traditional marriage, respect for embryos in science, then you will not get my vote. You do not belong in political office. Teachers who sheepishly follow their corrupt unions do not belong in the classrooms. Clergy who follow non- Christian teaching do not belong in the pulpit.”
Real change, he says, is repentance from sin, conversion to God, and reparation of the damage by following the Commandments without relativizing them.
“Hope and change did not come in 2008,” he concludes. “I’m going to do my part to see that it does in 2010.”
Click here to view the entire letter.
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