US/ Obama’s Values: More ‘Catholic’ than His Critics?

On Thursday July 2nd, President Obama met with religion reporters at the White House to answer questions before speaking with Pope Benedict XVI in Italy next Friday. A broad spectrum of Catholic periodicals of the United States were represented (as well as the religion reporter from the Washington Post). Politically, these publications range from liberal to conservative (but not traditionalist), from familial to the culturally elite. By meeting with reporters from such a variety of editorial perspectives, Obama positioned his own policies within the diverse spectrum of Catholic opinion in America.

President Obama’s commencement address in May at Notre Dame University and the critical reaction to his abortion policy among bishops and Catholics seemed to dominate the discussion. Dan Connors, editor of Catholic Digest, suggested that Obama had wandered into the middle of a family feud between Catholics. Joe Feuerherd, editor-in-chief of the National Catholic Reporter, asked if Obama would dismiss the bishops, a number of whom were very critical of President Obama in the weeks before his speech at Notre Dame. Patricia Zapor of Catholic News Service asked about conscience protections for health care workers. And Paul Baumann, editor of Commonweal, addressed the abortion issue head on, encouraging Obama to speak again about finding common ground on this divisive issue. Fr. Owen Kearns, LC, publisher of the National Catholic Register, brought up the matter of harsh statements about the Catholic Church from gay-rights supporters within the President’s administration.

In his responses to these questions on abortion and cultural disagreements, President Obama struck an irenic tone of reasoned dialogue. He appreciates the broadness, the pluralism, and the hierarchy of values in Catholicism as few other American politicians have done. While acknowledging disagreement on particular issues like abortion or homosexuality, he invites collaboration on broader issues of social justice. Speaking of the “seamless garment” approach of Cardinal Bernardin of Chicago, the President said, “And that part of the Catholic tradition is something that continues to inspire me. And I think that there have been times over the last decade or two where that more holistic tradition feels like it’s gotten buried under the abortion debate.” Like his prolife critics, President Obama sees Catholicism predominantly as an ethical system, a tradition of values. The question is whether these values are enough, whether Christ as a moral exemplar and teacher of morality is enough for Catholics, for Christians.

In addition to the questions on the bishops, abortion, homosexuality, and conscience, there were also a couple of questions regarding international matters. Fr. Drew Christiansen, SJ, editor-in-chief of America Magazine asked President Obama to discuss the subject of the poor in the context of the upcoming G8 Summit in L’Aquila. And Elena Molinari from Avvenire / Vatican Radio asked the President to discuss efforts at supporting a peace plan in Israel. In answering these questions, Obama deftly aligned his approach with that of the Vatican. With regard to the poor, he noted that “the Catholic Church has always been a powerful moral compass on questions of distribution and how we make sure that opportunities are extended to everybody.” Regarding Israel, he said “This is a topic that I’m looking forward to speaking with the Holy Father about, because I think that our position is going to overlap greatly with the position of the government of the Holy See.”