We come now to the third and final part of this consideration of the evil of moral relativism.
As I have already noted, the Sacred Scriptures make clear that the Lord does not condone any compromise with evil. Moreover, the scandal which arises when such compromises take place and come to the attention of the faithful is both harmful to the faith of the individual as well as to the Faith and credibility of the Church itself.
Moral relativism is just such a moral compromise because it promotes the view that ethical standards, morality, right or wrong are not absolutes which flow from that natural order of Creation and which reflect the Mind and Will of the Creator. Rather, they are determined solely by an individual's subjective (relative) point of view.
Moral relativism is antithetical to the Gospel because at its core it is a denial of God as the source and destiny of man's meaning and purpose.
Moral relativism, therefore, equates right with wrong, according to the arbitrary judgment of the individual. There is no reference to eternal truths or values which are meaningless and irrelevant. Rather, the rightness or wrongness of a choice depends upon whether it serves the individual's needs and purpose rather than the service of the truth of God's will for mankind.
Such a morally equivalent philosophy contradicts the clear and consistent teachings of the Scriptures and the Sacred Tradition of the Church. Members of the Catholic faithful who witness such contradictions in the words and actions of the hierarchy are especially scandalized. Their faith in the teachings and leadership of the Church is often terribly shaken.
The present political season which we are experiencing gives us a perfect example of how moral relativism has been manifested in the Church and the scandal which it has caused among the members of the faithful.
The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, commonly known as the Al Smith Dinner, is an annual white tie fundraiser in the United States for Catholic charities supporting the neediest children of the Archdiocese of New York, regardless of race, creed, or color.
Held at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on the third Thursday of October, it is organized by the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation in honor of Al Smith who grew up in poverty and later became the Governor of New York four times and the first Roman Catholic to be nominated as a U.S. presidential candidate, in 1928. The dinner is hosted by the current Archbishop of New York at the time the event takes place.
On October 20, 2016, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump spoke at the dinner which was hosted by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan who was seated between the two presidential candidates during the event.
Approximately 1,500 guests (New York's high society) attended, paying upwards of $100,000 or more per table. The 2016 dinner drew 10.3 million viewers and raised a record-breaking $6 million for Catholic charities of the Archdiocese.
Notice here: the Archbishop of New York, a member of the College of Cardinals, is seated between the two Presidential candidates, among the City's most wealthy and influential citizens, before an audience of over 10 million viewers and in a setting which is clearly intended to convey that the leader of the biggest Archdiocese in America takes a neutral position between the two candidates. The Archbishop welcomes both and is comfortable with both candidates.
This is moral equivalence raised to a level beyond imagining, especially when one of the candidates and the Party she represents holds political positions and promotes civil policies which are diametrically opposed to the Gospel.
And yet, one of the most visible (and daresay popular) of the American Cardinals sits comfortably between the two candidates silently and subliminally conveying the fact that the Church is comfortable with either candidate and, by inference, with either candidate's political philosophy and policy.
To the average Catholic layperson, the spectacle is both shocking and shameful.
Of course, the justification for such behavior is twofold.
First, the Catholic Church does not take sides in political elections.
In response to this defense, I ask, "Why?"
Why, especially when the candidate in question is a loud and very public supporter of late term abortion (even partial-birth abortion), when that same candidate conspires with her campaign to infiltrate the leadership of the Catholic Church to cause confusion regarding Church teachings about sexuality and gender, when that same candidate has a history of dishonesty and corruption throughout the course of her political career?
Is the Cardinal Archbishop of New York suggesting that none of this should matter, that we should accept whoever the American political parties put forth for candidacy as equally worthy of the honor and the privilege?
How can His Eminence decry the evils of abortion in the morning when he has courted the favor of its most ardent proponent the night before? What is the average Catholic to think about this?
Another defense of this annual event is that it is held to raise millions for needy children.
That's a laudable intent, but does that end justify the scandal that the Cardinal's actions has caused?
Weren't we once taught that "the end never justifies the means"?
What is the greater value, raising money for the needy, or upholding the sanctity of human life by defending it in both the pulpit and the at the ballot box?
Again, what are the Catholic faithful to think when they see a member of the College of Cardinals comfortably rubbing shoulders with a proponent of such evil?
I must confess that I have heard the laments of many of our Catholic faithful during this particular political season and their chagrin, disappointment and anger over the silence of the Church during this Presidential campaign.
What this particular Presidential campaign has made clear is that American politics have become exceedingly polarized. The moral differences between the policies of the major political parties and the candidate's they put forth are stark and disturbing.
The Church can no longer afford to compromise its moral authority for the sake of political neutrality or charitable fund-raising.
The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner is a moral disgrace. It should cease immediately and the Cardinal Archbishop of New York never again compromise himself or his sacred office by attending such a scandalous event.
Is this the only case of moral relativism or equivalency witnessed in our Church?
Of course not. Sadly, it is just one example that is often repeated in many different venues which almost always seem to have one comment element: Church leaders at highly public events, in the company of the rich and powerful, courting their favor or seeking the benefit of the same.
There is one result when any compromise with evil takes place. This is a lesson I learned from my dear father from the time I was a teenager, eager to prove my maturity and responsibility for my actions and choices. Dad would gently remind me: "If you lie down with the devil, you'll wake up in Hell."
Moral relativism is the cause of the undoing of the very institutions which provide for our faith and our freedom.
What is needed is a clear and uncompromising voice. If that voice does not come in the form of the words and example of our Church leadership, we are doomed to suffer the effects of the chaos and anarchy which are the fruit of this godless view of humanity and life itself.
Let us pray that our Bishops, Clergy and God's People never shy away from speaking the truth and proclaiming the values of the Gospel, respecting no human person or viewpoint contrary to the Will and Mind of Our Heavenly Father.
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