On March 4, The Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life hosted a virtual panel titled: “Three Pieces of Advice to President Biden from Catholics in the Public Square.” The panelists were E.J. Dionne of the Brookings Institute, Massimo Faggioli of Villanova University, Bishop Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of San Diego, and Amy Uelmen of Georgetown Law. The panel was moderated by Fr. Mark Massa, S.J., Director of the Boisi Center.
The discussion began with each of the panelists offering three pieces of advice to President Biden. Dionne started by noting that most Catholics view the president in terms of their being a citizen and not their being a Catholic. Along these lines, he offered goals to end the pandemic, fix the economy, and focus on “bread-and-butter issues.” In addition to these points, Dionne suggested that President Biden could focus less on the culture war and more on supporting families through policies like fair wages and paid parental leave. He pointed to Pope Francis as a model of viewing social justice in the world.
Next, Faggioli presented his advice. First, he encouraged President Biden to reach out to the bishops and “call the bluff of a small number of ideologues and culture warriors.” Faggioli suggested that a fruitful relationship could be had between the president and the bishops despite initial tensions. Second, Faggioli offered the idea of a Jubilee year for the country. Based on Old Testament and ecclesial examples, this would be a sign of human fraternity and promote discourse as a human family. Third, he indicated that the nation needs to proceed along a synodal path. Drawing from the examples of Pope Francis’s approach to governance, he said, “one people needs a common path” and that a common national discussion would facilitate this.
Bishop McElroy encouraged President Biden to reclaim patriotism from those who have abused it. He said that proper patriotism is founded on communal aspirations and is not tribalistic. His next piece of advice was to face fundamental moral challenges with an authentic and informed conscience. Finally, he said President Biden should invite Archbishop Gomez to dinner. This format would be the best way to form a relationship with the president of the bishops’ conference.
Uelmen drew on President Biden’s love of history and pulled three pieces of advice from St. Ignatius’s counsels to Jesuits at the Council of Trent. The first piece of advice was “be slow to speak; only after first listening quietly should you speak.” She emphasized the power of listening quietly and its usefulness in promoting healthy change. Her second piece of advice was to find time to pay attention to the margins, just as St. Ignatius encouraged the Jesuits to spend some time with the sick. Third, she shared St. Ignatius’s advice on community: “Spend an hour to share what happened and discuss what to do the next day.” Treasuring and nourishing relationships are key to processing critical issues according to Uelmen.
Fr. Massa continued the discussion by asking the panelists what a synodal path might look like. Bishop McElroy highlighted the role of Catholic Social Teaching and all of the cultures which constitute America in the synodal discussion. Uelman mentioned the importance of beauty as a unifier and the importance of cultural exchange.
The conversation concluded with a discussion on John Courtney Murray’s thought and its relevance to current political conversations.
- Community and Prayer - April 30, 2021
- Bishops Clarify Eucharistic Coherence - April 30, 2021
- The Boisi Center Advises Biden - March 25, 2021
Bottom line: Keep giving Communion to pro-abortion politicians.