Sister Simone Campbell & the Compendium of Social Doctrine

As per the Vatican's Doctrinal Assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious,

• "while there has been a great deal of work on the part of LCWR promoting issues of social justice in harmony with the Church’s social doctrine, it is silent on the right to life from conception to natural death....greater emphasis needs to be placed both on the relationship of the LCWR with the Conference of Bishops, and on the need to provide a sound doctrinal foundation in the faith of the Church...[There is a need to] review LCWR links with affiliated organizations, e.g. Network and Resource Center for Religious Life."

While the Vatican singled Network out for criticism, the web site of this so-called "National Catholic Social Justice Lobby" certainly appears to remain "silent on the right to life from conception to natural death." 

In my opinion, Network goes much further than being "silent" on the USCCB condemnation of attacks on human life, conscience rights, and religious liberty in the Affordable Health Care Act (i.e., "Obamacare").  For example, when I read that "Our support of the current law does not mean that we are completely satisfied, however," I expected to find some commentary on those concerns.  Yet, when Network says that "There are a number of steps we still need to take to improve our U.S. healthcare system," its internal link still says NOTHING about the Affordable Health Care Act's attacks on human life, conscience rights, and religious liberty.

With the USCCB's great concern about appearing non-partisan, it is especially ironic that Network appears to be trying to foster the impression of USCCB endorsement for the Obama/Biden ticket:

• "NETWORK, a National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, believes that the newly announced Romney-Ryan Republican presidential ticket presents U.S. voters with the starkest election decision in years about the moral vision and future of our nation.  Our recent 'Nuns on the Bus' tour was created to point out immoral budget priorities present in Representative Ryan’s proposed federal budget. Tragically, his budget passed the House of Representatives and has now been formally endorsed by Gov. Mitt Romney.  Sister Simone Campbell, NETWORK’s Executive Director, stated, 'We agree with Catholic Bishops that Paul Ryan’s budget fails the test of Catholic Social Teaching since it deliberately harms people at the economic margins. It is also unpatriotic because it says that we are an individualistic, selfish nation. This is emphatically not who we are. Both our Constitution and our faith teach us that “We the People” are called to care for one another, to have responsibility for each other. This year’s election will present us with a critical choice. Do we want to favor the rich on the backs of people in need? Is that who we want to be?” (NETWORK Reacts to Choice of Rep. Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney’s Running Mate, 8/11/12)

By chance last evening, I came across an interview with Sister Simone Campbell.

While I certainly realize that my opinion is biased, I think that the interview would have been enhanced if the host utilized the question with which I called in:  "Sister, have you truly studied the Vatican's Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church?"  I believe that you cannot truly study the Compendium, without becoming convinced that the sanctity of human life and marriage/family are at the core of authentic Catholic Social Teaching.  To his credit, Rep Paul Ryan does appear to have studied the Compendium:

• "The Catholic Church offers a rich overview of its thought, summarized in the Compendium of Social Doctrine, to guide Catholics in bringing truth to society’s problems. In his introduction, Cardinal Renato Martino, then president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, wrote, 'This area belongs in a particular way' to those lay faithful who are active 'in the social sector'" (Applying Our Enduring Truths to Our Defining Challenge, National Catholic Register, 4/25/12).