Giuliani’s Catholic identity

How anyone practices their faith is between them and God. When they’re a public figure and they talk about their faith, it becomes a matter of public discussion. But when it’s a member of government and/or a presidential candidate who stands in opposition to their Church’s teaching, it becomes a matter of scrutiny. This just may be the most probing scrutiny you’re going to see on Rudy Guiliani.

When Pope Benedict XVI attacked Catholic politicians in Mexico who supported abortion rights last month, Rudy Giuliani was asked for his opinion. The presidential candidate replied in the language of the church: “Issues like that are for me and my confessor. I’m a Catholic, and that’s the way I resolve those issues, personally and privately.”

Giuliani has invoked his Catholic heritage on Larry King; he’s been described by The Washington Post as a “devout Catholic”; he’s appeared on Fox News with the label “Catholic” floating on-screen; and he’s handled a CNN debate question about a bishop who denounced him with a declaration unfamiliar to those who covered him as mayor. “I respect the opinion of Catholic and religious leaders of all kinds,” he said. “Religion is very important to me. It’s a very important part of my life.”

But, as this article makes its extensive case, that role has a dramatic track record.

His wholesale reversal on Medicaid funding, late-term abortions, and parental consent are all part of a repackaging designed to soften not just his New York public record, but also the inconvenient details of his personal life.

Married three times, Giuliani simply isn’t the Catholic candidate he claims to be. He can’t have a confessor. He can’t receive the sacraments of penance, the Eucharist, or marriage. While bishops disagree about whether or not a Catholic politician who supports abortion rights can receive the sacraments, there is no disagreement about the consequences of divorcing and remarrying outside the church, as Giuliani did a few years ago.

Barrett cites the clear teaching of the Church, with citation from the catechism.

“Divorce brings grave harm to the deserted spouse. . . [and] to children traumatized by the separation of their parents and often torn between them,” reads the catechism. But it is remarriage, not divorce, that’s a deal-breaker for Catholics. “Contracting a new union, even if it is recognized by civil law, adds to the gravity of the rupture; the remarried spouse is then in a situation of public and permanent adultery.”

This may sound harsh in a culture where half of Americans divorce. The question, however, is not whether this church teaching is fair, or whether it’s compatible with American social standards.

Excellent and accurate point.

The question is: Can Giuliani run for president as a Catholic—identifying with the swing vote that has picked the winner in virtually every modern presidential race—when he is so out of step with the church’s code of personal conduct? We’re all familiar with Catholic politicians who defy the church with their positions on issues like abortion or contraception. But Giuliani is the first major national figure to run for high office as a Catholic even though he has defied church law in his personal life.

Barrett weaves quite a narrative of Giuliani’s history, with personal and detailed accounts of his political positions, and confrontations with moral issues. The article is long. And devastating.

Read it.