I think one of the things that many people don't fully understand is that when I say that I am Catholic. It is more than a "label". It is a total embracing of a way of life that calls us all to be true disciples of Christ. By saying that I am Catholic it is accepting that their are rules and responsibilities that we must follow. The path of Christ is not always an easy road to be on. We are witnesses and in many ways evangelists for the faith when we live our daily lives. We truly embrace the faith and all that it means.
Which why I probably get irked with many "Catholics" who are in public office. They often claim they are people of faith. In their private lives, to some extent, I'm sure they believe that. However the actions they take and the things they support publicly often put that faith into legitimate question. More so when they are called out in public over the missteps. They want to have the best of both worlds. To embrace public life and elected office while openly supporting things that go directly against the teachings of the church.
The Gospel of Matthew highlights this issue in 24th verse of the 6th chapter: "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
To say that we are Catholic is to fully embrace Christ. That includes the very teachings of the church. It is not something we can pick and chose. More so when your in the public eye. To embrace the views of a party that run counter to the teachings of the faith. Comes across as embracing mammon instead of Christ. It also sends the wrong message to those who may be considering joining the church. That we are not strong enough in our faith when we embrace the sins of the world instead of embracing Christ. It is one thing to have a private issue with the faith on some element of it. But something else altogether to publicly reject the teachings for the name of a party. In that respect your trading Christ for another master.
As a Catholic in my own way I am a representative of the faith. So is everyone who publicly says as such. It is more than a culture. More than an identity. It is a way of life that is more important to me than the world itself. It would be nice to see more of us who call ourselves Catholic take that same road and truly, publicly, embrace the faith.
