"I'm an American" were the first words out of Andrew Klavan's mouth in response to Daily Wire's newest host, Matt Fradd, when asked why he's not Catholic. I admit to a moment of triumphalism when I heard this. It's exactly what I've thought about Protestant Christian anti-Catholicism (Catholicism-reluctance?) for many years -- what I call ABC: Anything But Catholic. Protestants don't seem to mind if a brother moves from Methodist to Baptist to Presbyterian to Anglican to non-denominational evangelical. . . just so long as he doesn't become Catholic! God forbid!
But I don't think Drew Klavan realizes just how revealing his statement is. It gives a whole new meaning to "America first." After all, America was born in rebellion. I suppose in some way we could credit Martin Luther with the American Revolution. I doubt, though, that many Protestants know he called himself a "schismatic," which is a grave sin requiring repentance and a firm commitment to "reform." Ahem.
Why? Because Jesus prayed "that they may be one." Oneness is essential so that "the world might believe." The disunity brought about by the refusal to submit to any authority other than one's own (and, not sorry, but that's what the Bible-and-me Christianity comes down to) leaves people groping in the dark. Who has the answers? Who settles disputes on the essentials of the faith? Why, it turns out, it's whoever agrees with me! How fortuitous. Unfortunately, this inhibits the spread of the Gospel as Jesus indicated it would by his High Priestly Prayer.
Klavan then indirectly accused Catholics of "casuistry," although he used the actual word. To which I literally guffawed. He's speaking to Matt Fradd, the host of the Pints with Aquinas podcast. As in Saint Thomas Aquinas, probably the greatest thinker of his age and in the top five of any age. He is not only a Doctor of the Church, but a 13th century theologian capable of marrying ancient Greek philosophy with Catholic theology and spirituality in a way that still speaks to us today. While I consider Andrew Klavan a gifted writer (just started reading his book The Kingdom of Cain and can recommend it), he's no Thomas Aquinas.
This always astonishes me as an argument from Protestants -- this ignorance of what it means to submit to Church authority (on faith and morals). Some of the smartest, most capable people with the strongest faculty of reason I've ever known in my life and in public life are Catholic. In history, besides Saints Thomas Aquinas and Augustine:
Science: Gregor Mendel (genetics), Georges Lemaitre (Big Bang theory), Louis Pasteur (microbiology), Galileo Galilei (astronomy) -- and, no, he wasn't locked in a dungeon for his science, he was placed under house arrest for being a jerk to his friend the pope and potentially causing church scandal, which the Church rightly took more seriously back then.
Writers: Dante Alighieri, William Shakespeare, Evelyn Waugh, G.K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, Hilaire Belloc, Graham Greene, Flannery O'Connor, . . .
Some of the most intelligent, influential Catholic Americans of my lifetime include Wm. F. Buckley Jr., Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Bishop Robert Barron among others. Bishop Barron is particularly good on the subject of the marriage of faith and reason in Catholicism. Casuistry? Not by a long shot.
Klavan goes on to say that all human institutions are corrupt because they are made up by humans. On this we agree.
It reminds me of the old joke about the Jewish merchant and his friend the Catholic bishop. The bishop has been evangelizing the merchant, trying to bring him to the fullness of the faith. The merchant is moved to be baptized, but first he has business that will take him to Rome. The bishop pleads with him to be baptized before he goes, knowing the mess of humanity he'll witness at the Vatican. But the merchant insists on waiting and goes to Rome anyway. Upon his return he approaches the bishop and says, "Ok, I'm ready to be baptized." The bishop is astonished and asks, "Didn't you see the corruption of the Church in Rome?" The merchant replies, "Of course, but I figure any institution that can be run that poorly and survive fifteen hundred years [as I said, it's an old joke] must be divinely inspired!"
And there's the distinction. Catholics don't submit to the authority of the Church because we're convinced of the holiness and righteousness of its human leaders -- even (and at times especially) the pope. We are docile to the teachings of the Church (which is not the same as unquestioning) because we believe it is the First Church of Christ, guided to the fullness of the truth by the Holy Spirit. It is a matter of obedience and trust -- one might say the very definition of faith.
We believe that Christ left us a Church to help bring us to salvation, not a Bible, although we believe the Bible to be inerrant and necessary in addition to Tradition. The thing is, every appeal to scripture is an appeal to interpretation of scripture. And then we're right back to the question, on whose authority?
If I could speak to Andrew Klavan directly, I'd point out to him that, if you first claim your American identity over your Christian one, there might be something to reconsider. Being an American is good -- it's even a blessing. But Jesus didn't give the authority to bind and loose on earth and in heaven to Americans (someone inform our politicians and government officials). He gave it to the apostles and their successors. And there's one church that lays claim to apostolic authority going back to Peter. That's why I'm Catholic.
"Unless you turn and become like little children. . ." obeying and trusting in your Father who has gifted you a church, are you really being faithful? Food for thought.
