The Catholic bishops of Florida recently issued a statement praising Governor Ron DeSantis’s signing of legislation for a 15-week abortion ban. Their statement said in part, “We applaud his approval of this historic law . . . We also commend Florida’s legislative leaders and especially bill sponsors . . . The bishops of Florida remain committed to supporting mothers in need during their pregnancies through parishes and other ministries, and the network of pregnancy centers across Florida.”
My Bishop, Gregory Parkes, also directed all pastors in the Diocese of St. Petersburg to read the following prayer to “defeat Florida’s Abortion Amendment” in their Masses.
Ever-living God, you give life and desire a future for all your children. Take hold of our nation, state, and community and awaken in every heart awe for the gift of life. Send your Spirit to strengthen us with wisdom and fortitude as we defend mothers and children in Florida from laws that disregard their health and safety.
Mary and Joseph trusted in you and welcomed Jesus into our broken world. God Almighty, we ask their intercession to protect the preborn and their mothers, and to guide all parents in raising their children. May they help us build a civilization of love by upholding the sacredness of life and accompanying pregnant women in need. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The bishops’ action was courageous because it will surely be attacked as a breach of the “wall” between Church and State. Such branding lacked merit in the past and it does so now. Religious leaders not only have a right to speak out on moral issues—they also have an obligation to do so, one rooted in biblical history and commanded by God Himself.
But I must add this note to my praise of the bishops—their bold statements and related prayers from the pulpit are overdue, as are statements from their counterparts around the country. In recent years, numerous other moral and spiritual issues have plagued our country. The bishops’ guidance has been desperately needed in these matters. Yet they have generally remained silent about them. Unfortunately, their silence has left Catholics and others more vulnerable to false narratives and dangerous social, cultural, and political developments.
My hope is that the Florida bishops’ courage will extend beyond abortion to other pressing moral and spiritual issues raised by cultural trends and political programs, and that other American bishops will follow their lead. To that end, I respectfully suggest four issues to be addressed and the prayers that might be offered from the pulpit concerning them. In each case I employ the same basic format, and where appropriate the same phrasing, used by the Florida bishops.
Education
Ever-living God, you have blessed humankind with rational minds and the capacity to separate truth from falsehood. good from evil, wisdom from foolishness. However, because Original Sin has left us vulnerable to error, that capacity must be developed by learning to reason soundly. Parents have delegated responsibility for this learning to educators. Unfortunately, rather than teaching students how to think, many educators tell students what to think; that is, to propagandize them. This violates parental trust and prevents young people from developing their God-given abilities. Lord, send Your Spirit to guide parents and educators in developing young minds.
Mary and Joseph trusted in you and welcomed Jesus into our broken world. God Almighty, we ask their intercession to safeguard young people from those who would deny them effective use of your gift of rationality. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Journalism
Ever-living God, you embedded in human nature the desire for truth. Journalism in his country has long honored that desire by separating fact from opinion. Today many journalists mix biased opinion with fact, making truth hard to determine, and discussion frustrating at best. Send your Spirit to strengthen our people’s love of truth and inspire journalists to aid in its pursuit.
Mary and Joseph trusted in you and welcomed Jesus and his teachings into our broken world. God Almighty, we ask their intercession to guide us in seeking, discerning, and living by the truths those teachings convey. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Gender Transitioning
Ever-living God, you give life and form to each of your children. Take hold of our nation, state, and community and awaken in every heart appreciation of those gifts. Send Your Spirit to strengthen us to support parents in their efforts to raise their children according to Your will.
Mary and Joseph trusted in you and welcomed Jesus into our broken world. God Almighty, we ask their intercession to protect all children and prevent other agencies from usurping the primary role You have entrusted parents with. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen
Migration
Ever-living God, you give life to all people and desire health, safety, and respect for each of them. Your Son commanded us to love others and care for those in need. Our country has responded to that message by providing financial and other aid, including legal admission of migrants. Sadly, many corrupt officials diverted the money and supplies from those in need to themselves. As a result, poverty remained. Our government then opened the country’s borders to illegal migrants. Though well-intentioned, this has not overcome poverty in other countries but instead created a crisis in this country. Heavenly Father, send your Spirit to help our leaders address poverty in ways that allow the poor to remain in their homelands and prosper rather than migrate.
Mary and Joseph trusted in you and welcomed Jesus into our broken world. God Almighty, we ask their intercession to turn those who take advantage of the poor into champions of their cause, and to inspire those who are already trying to overcome poverty to do so more wisely and effectively.
These issues are just a few of the many that challenge Americans today. A close look at the prayers I have suggested will make clear that they offer religious perspectives on moral matters in the context of prayer. They do not give political advice or mention political parties or candidates. If Catholic bishops and the priests in their dioceses express these prayers from their pulpits, they will not only be acting within their rights, but more importantly carrying out their obligations to God and their parishioners.
It is tragic that Catholic bishops (and other Christian leaders) have failed to give their parishioners the guidance that they need in timely moral matters, especially when they have done so out of obedience to an erroneous secular principle. I pray they will find the courage to correct this mistake.
Copyright © 2024 by Vincent Ryan Ruggiero. All rights reserved.
