December 9, 1995

Boston, MA

My name is Sister Patricia Lambert and I am a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston. As part of my ministry in this religious order, I serve as the Director of our Office of Justice and Peace. There, with other sisters in our Congregation, I try to live out the words of our community's Constitution: "We stand with the poor in the struggle for justice, increasing hope, by seeking to improve the quality of human life. . . We are engaged in spiritual and corporal works of mercy so that justice and peace, freedom and human dignity may prevail." In short, we take very seriously the Holy Father's request that all faithful Catholics enter into "solidarity with the poor" and practice a "gospel of life."

That is why I'm so concerned about this group which calls itself the Catholic Alliance -- and the Christian Coalition of which it is a part. Nowhere in their rhetoric or in their agenda do I find a genuine sense of compassion for those who are less fortunate than themselves. Take, for example, the issue of welfare reform. According to the U.S. Catholic Conference, "denying needed benefits for children born to mothers on welfare can hurt the children and pressure their mothers toward abortion and sterilization." Yet, in a letter to Senator Bob Dole, the leaders of the Christian Coalition insisted that "scaling back the cash benefits to mothers is the least we can do and still honestly claim to be changing the system."

Or take capital punishment. Nowhere in their exuberant support of the death penalty do I find the Christian values of love and mercy. According to the U.S. Bishops' Statement on Capital Punishment, "in the conditions of contemporary American society, the legitimate purposes of punishment do not justify the imposition of the death penalty." Yet, when he was running for President, Pat Robertson said, "I can't see frankly anything wrong with the death penalty for federal crimes." And at the recent ôRoad to Victory Conferenceö in Washington, DC, calls to increase the death penalty were always received with thunderous applause.

How can a group that calls itself "Catholic" or "Christian" consist of people who stand and cheer when speakers call for more death and less aid to those in need? Such mean-spiritedness runs counter to the spirit of Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

In his recent visit to America, Pope John Paul II asked us all a very important question. He said, "Is present-day America becoming less sensitive, less caring toward the poor, the weak, the stranger, the needy?" In response to his own question, the Holy Father answered, "It must not!" The commitment of Catholics to the poor and suffering is eloquently expressed in the Catholic Conference's recent statement on political responsibility. According to the U.S. Bishops, "The Catholic community educates the young, cares for the sick, shelters the homeless, assists needy families, welcomes refugees, and serves the elderly. People who are poor and vulnerable, the elderly, and immigrants are not abstract issues for us. They are in our parishes and schools, shelters and soup kitchens, hospitals and charitable agencies."

That is why the Catholic Church speaks with such moral authority when it challenges the welfare caps proposed by the Christian Coalition and Governor William Weld. That is why the Catholic Church opposes the Christian Coalition's views on the death penalty, health care and immigration. And that is why the Catholic Alliance does not represent the Catholic Church. Nor does it represent the Catholic faith so many faithful Christians try to live on a daily basis--a faith grounded in love, mercy, and justice.