Sister Joan Chittister standing with Holy Mother Church?

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I recommend that you use the Catechism of the Catholic Church as your guide. Remember, Nestorius was the patriarch of Constantinople and he went astray. When you see someone contradict the teaching authority of the Catholic Church ignore them.
 
Neglecting the needs of the poor is sinful.
Taking care of the needs of the poor in a particular way using the Catholic principle of subsidiarity is good.
Using good prudential judgment to take care of a need in the best way possible is good.
Using politics to scandalize others who don’t do things the way you do and to distort their actions is sinful.

And of course failing to speak out against, or to publicly advocate for, the murder of innocents is heinously evil, intrinsically so.
Unfortunately, Sr Joan does not seem to be on the side of good in this stew of issues. Not for me to say if she is a “good” Catholic or not. I’m not even sure if I’m a good Catholic.

Subsidiarity:
[1883] Socialization also presents dangers. Excessive intervention by the state can threaten personal freedom and initiative. The teaching of the Church has elaborated the principle of subsidiarity , according to which "a community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather should support it in case of need and help to co- ordinate its activity with the activities of the rest of society, always with a view to the common good."7

[1884] God has not willed to reserve to himself all exercise of power. He entrusts to every creature the functions it is capable of performing, according to the capacities of its own nature. This mode of governance ought to be followed in social life. The way God acts in governing the world, which bears witness to such great regard for human freedom, should inspire the wisdom of those who govern human communities. They should behave as ministers of divine providence.

1885 The principle of subsidiarity is opposed to all forms of collectivism. It sets limits for state intervention. It aims at harmonizing the relationships between individuals and societies. It tends toward the establishment of true international order.
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If only every Christian was like that. I’m afraid some are less than perfect.
 
The prolife community that I know is radically oriented to helping the least among us.
They adopt children, work at food and clothing kitchens.
If someone casts that community in a distorted light for political purposes, is that the sin of scandal?
Or is it calumny.
 
I have personally dealt with people in my own community who are staunchly anti-abortion, yet are also against any type of spending on a safety net for the poor and who are also very pro-death penalty. So much so, that one of them wrote a commentary for our local paper that tried to say that the death penalty should not be considered a “pro-life issue”. I have read much by Sr. Joan, and have even heard her speak- it is this type of behavior that she is calling out.

I myself am what one would call a Conservative. I do not believe that the government can do a better job than the private sector in helping out with societies ills. However, to state that there is not a dichotomy of opinions regarding what is the best way to address these issues, that is pretty much drawn along political lines in the US, IMHO is sticking your head in the sand.
 
CilladeRoma said:
I have personally dealt with people in my own community who are staunchly anti-abortion, yet are also against any type of spending on a safety net for the poor and who are also very pro-death penalty. So much so, that one of them wrote a commentary for our local paper that tried to say that the death penalty should not be considered a “pro-life issue”. I have read much by Sr. Joan, and have even heard her speak- it is this type of behavior that she is calling out.

I myself am what one would call a Conservative. I do not believe that the government can do a better job than the private sector in helping out with societies ills. However, to state that there is not a dichotomy of opinions regarding what is the best way to address these issues, that is pretty much drawn along political lines in the US, IMHO is sticking your head in the sand.
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One type of political hacksmanship does not excuse another.
 
CilladeRoma said:
However, to state that there is not a dichotomy of opinions regarding what is the best way to address these issues, that is pretty much drawn along political lines in the US, IMHO is sticking your head in the sand.
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My point, different political opinions on how to best address these issues is not the same as one side wants to feed babies and the other side doesn’t. Saying that, and then associating the latter with people who opposed legalized abortions can only be done with one thing in mind: discrediting the pro-life cause.
 
I guess simply, compare what Sister says to what Catholic teaching actually is, point by point.

I don’t know much about this sister so I’ll make up a scenario. Say sister teaches that instead of going to Catholic Mass on a Sunday we could fulfill our obligation by having a picnic in the park. Sister would be wrong in that teaching. But because she is wrong in that area, wouldn’t mean she is wrong in all Church teachings. She might be mistaken, she might have learned it incorrectly.

I for one, was taught along the way somewhere that there was some type of dispensation for receiving communion at a funeral. I heard that anyone could receive at a funeral, even if not properly disposed. That was an incorrect idea non my part. I didn’t do it to go purposely against church teaching. I learned that in error.
 
I’m just glad that the issue at stake in our community isn’t abortion (at least, not this time), but the “failure of the Catholic Church to meet the needs of the poor.”

That’s an easy one to refute! One of the Catholic social services organizations in our city just won a public service award from a secular organization!!
 
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