I've been saving this article for the right moment.
I think that on election-eve that moment is now, so here you are.
I attend Sunday mass at St.Michael's in Stillwater.
A couple weeks ago the following essay was included in the
Sunday bulletin as part of Father Fritz's Fanciful Flourishes.
"Over the past few weeks we have been listening to the news reports about the controversy across the border in Wisconsin. The agenda stated by the Governor is the difficult task of balancing the state's budget. The method of achieving that goal is to restrict or even completely rescind the collective bargaining rights of those who are paid through that [Wisconsin's] state budget. The method proposed has met with strong opposition including senators in hiding, out of state, and protesters taking over the state capitol. Even this passed weekend's bus tours around the state trying to garner support for the governor's position were met with noisy protesters."
"As I have listened to the increasing rhetoric on both sides of the issue, I was surprised at the seeming silence of the Catholic bishops of Wisconsin. I never heard one news item on tv or radio, either locally or nationally, that even suggested that the bishops had made any comment. The Pioneer Press has been equally silent. [I don't get the Tribune, so I don't know what they put in print.] Thankfully, this past week's edition of The Catholic Spirit gave the Bishops a voice. Back on Wednesday, February 16th, too late for the previous of The Catholic Spirit, the Archbishop of Milwaukee spoke out [saying]: 'Hard times do not nullify the moral obligation each of us has to respect the legitimate rights of workers,' Archbishop Listecki said. 'Every Union, like every other economic actor, is called to work for the common good, to make sacrifices when required, and to adjust to new economic realities. However, it is equally a mistake to marginalize or dismiss Unions as impediments to economic growth.'"
"The Archbishop's words are in keeping with the long tradition of church teaching about the dignity of work and the rights of workers. That teaching goes back over 100 years with the Encyclical, Rerum Novarum,' the 40th anniversary Encyclical 'Quadragesimo Anno,' the 1981 Encyclical 'Laborem Exercenes' from Pope John Paul II and the most recent Encyclical of Benedict XVI, 'Caritas In Veritate.' Of interest, the Catholic News Service reported that the Chairman of the US Bishop's Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton, California, gave his public support on February 24th. Shortly after, the Catholic Labor Network released a letter it sent to Wisconsin lawmakers echoing the same viewpoint. And in a column for his diocesan newspaper, Bishop Robert Morlino of Madison, called for civility in the debate, urging common ground be reached on what is fair for both sides. Yet, from what I have seen or heard, none of this has been part of the news reports."
"The controversy in Wisconsin is not just a budget or financial issue. [According to reports, the Unions had already agreed to accept the sharing of costs proposed by the Governor.] It is not simply Republican vs. Democrat vs. Independent vs. Tea Party. The problem is the proposed treatment of workers, and that is a moral issue. As Catholic Christians we see it as an important part of our overall Respect for Life. Just as we pray daily for the conversion of those who work in the abortion industry or promote euthanasia, let us pray for the leaders in Wisconsin, and all leaders for that matter, that they may listen to the Holy Spirit to uphold the dignity of work and the appropriate rights of workers."
God loves you!
-Father Fitz
Remember what we
are voting for tomorrow.
