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St. Thomas More is recognized by history as one of the great defenders of the rights of conscience.
Because of his commitment to the inviolability of conscience, More is also rightly regarded as the saintly model for Catholic politicians, especially since he said, “When statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties…they lead their country by a short route to chaos.”
How different is More’s view of the responsibility of Catholics in government from that of politicians today who, on matters such as abortion, say they are “personally opposed” but betray their conscience for political expediency.
As one of the most respected lawyers of his time, More was also clear about the distinction between matters of belief, in which the rights of conscience must be inviolable, and matters of justice that all persons are obligated to respect.
At the moment of his execution, More summed up his philosophy of public service in one sentence, “Tell the King, I die the King’s loyal servant, but God’s first.”
In recent years, we have seen Catholic politicians quoting St. Thomas More but failing to follow his example of courage. Rather than stand up to political power in defense of Church teaching on matters such as abortion and marriage, these politicians publicly repudiate the teaching of the local bishop – often to the applause of many voters. The bishop, however, does not state only his private opinion but rather the universal teaching of the Church.
Certainly, the democratic process cannot survive if religious leaders dictate all matters of public policy. But as Pope John Paul II often reminded us, the democratic process also cannot survive if it ignores fundamental matters of justice and the common good – and in these areas religious leaders have the right and the obligation to speak out.
Catholics, especially Catholics in government, have the responsibility to form their consciences appropriately.
Some years ago, the Knights of Columbus cooperated with the National Endowment for the Humanities in assisting Yale University to publish the definitive collection of Thomas More’s writings.
I often recall the observation of Professor Clarence Miller, one of several editors of The Complete Works of St. Thomas More. Reviewing what scholars give as the various “grounds for More’s martyrdom,” he mentioned “the integrity of the self as witnessed by an oath, the irreducible freedom of the individual conscience in the face of an authoritarian state, papal supremacy as a sign of the supra-national unity of Western Christendom, past and present.”
Then Miller wrote, “All of these are true as far as they go. But in the last analysis More did not die for any principle, or idea, or tradition, or even doctrine, but for a person, for Christ.”
As St. Thomas More says in A Man for All Seasons, “Well…finally…it isn’t a matter of reason; finally it’s a matter of love.”
The popes of our time have urged Catholics to be builders of a new civilization of love. Perhaps this can be done only with the help of statesmen such as St. Thomas More, and those of us who will vote them into office.
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