Christian Witness, Current Events, Perspective, Political,

Of deacons, polls, and charity

The Buffalo News has featured two reports over the past two days regarding a R.C. deacon who publicly reproved Congressman Brian Higgins from the ambo (pulpit) last Sunday.

From today’s report: Deacon hailed for pulpit blast at Higgins

The Buffalo Regional Right to Life Committee on Wednesday hailed a deacon who criticized Rep. Brian Higgins during Sunday Mass in St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.

Deacon Tom McDonnell’s rebuke of the Buffalo Democrat for voting for federal funding for embryonic stem cell research led Higgins to walk out of the church during his sermon.

“God bless the deacon a thousand times. He did his job. If every bishop, every clergy member of all faiths did their jobs, we wouldn’t have the shedding of innocent life in our country,” said Stacey Vogel of the Buffalo Regional Right to Life Committee.

The anti-abortion group’s position was in stark contrast with the phone calls and e-mails at Higgins’ Buffalo and Washington offices, which were running in his favor by a nearly 4 to 1 ratio, according to a staff member.

According to the latest polls people deem the earth to be flat – therefore it must be.

Higgins said his relationship with St. Thomas Aquinas Church, where he was baptized and married, is “very deep, very meaningful and very long.” He apologized earlier for the congregation’s having to be subjected to criticism of him during the morning Mass.

“The lesson here is that the Catholic Church has enough problems and should take greater care before allowing nonpriests to use the church as a forum to advance what clearly was a political agenda,” Higgins said…

Based on his long and loving relationship with the Church he has stepped to the fore in opposing attacks on human life… oops, maybe not.

Also, I see that he has taken a strong interest in his faith and that he has been properly catechized. See, there’s priests and non-priests, that’s about all there is to my faith. Also, life is a subjective good and no one can tell me what to do, unless of course they let Senator Clinton or some other womyn preach – and I’ll make an exception for Michael J. Fox.

All this being said, I do believe the deacon was wrong for the following reasons:

  • The deacon is not the pastor. Mr. Higgins’ pastor is the Rev. Art Smith, and as pastor this responsibility falls to him. The problem with some deacons (me especially) is that we want to step-up and fill-in wherever and whenever we see something lacking. We are not the answer. We need to be more humble, more in tune with our ministry, and this is a good reminder of that fact.
  • The homily serves two purposes, cracking open the scriptures in such a way so as to edify and teach all the people you minister to, and as a call to apply that scripture to our everyday lives. It is not an occasion for political showmanship or the airing of one’s personal grievances, regardless of how in-tune those grievances are with Church teaching.
  • Charity, scripture, and Catholic polity demand that one reprove one’s brother in private first, then in front of witnesses, and finally, if he is obstinate, before the community. If that communal reproof is to have any meaning it must come from the Church’s representative in the community – the Bishop.

In conclusion, the lack of leadership on the part of some Bishops and pastors and their acquiescence to political power provide fertile soil for these types of events. They also make taking sides in issues like this the go-to thing to do.

From the original story: Pulpit barb prompts walkout by Higgins

A deacon upbraided Rep. Brian Higgins during Sunday morning Mass in St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church for voting in favor of embryonic stem cell research, prompting the congressman and his family to walk out during the sermon.

The Rev. Art Smith, pastor of the South Buffalo church, said he felt “horrible” about the Higgins family’s departure on “Respect Life Sunday” and offered an apology from the pulpit after the congressman had left.

Bishop Edward U. Kmiec of the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo later issued a statement also criticizing Deacon Tom McDonnell’s action.

“I can’t tell you how terrible I felt,” Smith said Tuesday. “While we have to always uphold the church’s teachings regarding life, I don’t think it’s ever fair to publicly criticize someone who serves our community and our parish so well.”

The right-to-life community, with the deacon will be on one side, the congressman – obviously obdurate in error will be on the other, and the leaders of the Church will appear to be weak on the sanctity of life.

Please, pray for the protection of all human life and for us deacons.

6 thoughts on “Of deacons, polls, and charity

  1. You have no idea what the context of the homily was..you are believing everything that you read in a newspaper instead of giving a brother Deacon the benefit of the doubt…shame on YOU!
    PS Fact…tonight the Pastor apoligized to the congregation for not backing & supporting his Deacon!!

  2. Judie,

    Actually I do have some idea of the contexts. The Buffalo News isn’t the only source of information on this issue.

    I will stick to my opinion.

    The pastor is exactly that. The teaching and reproving the deacon did is the pastor’s job. The pastor is the father confessor for your community. The deacon’s ministry is not such.

    My opinion in no way supports Mr. Higgins. He pulled a stunt for PR purposes – a true politician at heart. He is, as I said, obdurate in error.

    Since Mr. Higgins represents the greater Buffalo community his bishop, who pastors the greater Buffalo community, should have him on the carpet for a teaching moment.

    If this has not been done by the pastor or the bishop the deacon has no right to do it. That is not the deacon’s charism or his role in the Church. He is simply usurping the pastor’s role (something that will happen more and more with fewer and fewer priests).

    The pastor and bishop should reprove Mr. Higgins in private, then in front of witnesses, then in front of the community, finally expelling him if need be in accord with Jesus’ teaching.

    As a R.C. you should recognize the fact that the R.C. Church has a very strong command and control structure with clearly defined roles, rules, and regulations. The deacon was outside his role. That’s the real point.

  3. The Deacon did try to contact Higgins in private immediately after he voted for this HR-3 Bill. He left his email, cell phone & home phone numbers. The Deacon is given the faculty to preach by the bishop & Fr Art was asked beforehand if he should change anything & the pastor said no..it is perfect..”give it as written”…so, I think you do not understand the Deacon’s role in this was to then follow his pastor’s directive.

  4. God Bless Deacon Tom Mcdonnel, he did what very few Bishops and priests should be doing. He is preaching to the congregation what we as Catholics are required to do, namely proudly shout from the roof tops the teachings of the Catholic church that abortion is murder and those who do not use their God given gifts to stop abortion are Catholics who are in grave danger of losing their souls especially, “Catholic politicians”.

  5. Judie, Paul,

    I think we all agree that the deacon preached the truth – there’s no mistake about that.

    What we disagree on is whether or not finger-pointing from the pulpit is a deacon’s role. As Paul said:

    Deacon Tom McDonnell, he did what very few Bishops and priests should be doing

    Exactly. The Pastor saying ‘go preach it brother’ is an abrogation of the pastor’s duty. I’d have to ask why. So the pastor could sup at the Higgins residence?

    Before you start saying that Jesus ate with sinners, just remember that Jesus called them to conversion first, or used the occasion to call them to conversion – something which is sadly lacking among clergy who like to dine in style.

    BTW – when is the deacon going to confront the 70-80% of your congregation who use artificial birth control. That’s a solid R.C. teaching. Maybe he should point out the couples who use artificial birth control, who co-habitate outside marriage, who’ve had premarital sex – by name. I can think of lots of solid teaching moments ahead.

    The whole episode makes one wonder – why the obvious. Mr. Higgins is certainly a politician – but that in and of itself does not make him stupid. Did the deacon have to take on the role of the finger-pointer, pointing out the congressman everyone knows?

    How could he have made the point so that the message was clear and charity was maintained? That would have been the better road to take until the bishop or pastor spoke on the issue.

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