When the U.S. bishops make a statement, am I required to agree with it?
We live in an age where individualism is so heavily emphasized that religious obedience is foreign to many people. Most would agree that we are required to follow civil law, since our laws are enacted through the democratic process with the goal of protecting society. Most would also agree that employees should obey their employers, provided employees aren’t asked to violate ethical boundaries. In each of these cases, compliance benefits the individual, since failure to do so would result in criminal charges or termination of employment. But the majority of Americans, including many Catholics, dismiss the idea of religious obedience out of hand, citing examples of abuse of authority and stressing individual autonomy.
When it comes to statements made by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), “required to agree” is probably not the best way to frame the question. If by agree one means to believe automatically, then no, blind agreement is not required. No one can force people to believe something. To do so would violate the sanctity of conscience given to us by God.
Whether or not we agree with a particular point in a statement issued by the bishops, we are required to receive it respectfully. The point is more than simply the bishops’ opinion. Bishops are the successors of the apostles, and even though their statements are not infallible, they are issued by those who have been entrusted with authority. The USCCB statements from the past several decades are consistent with the universal teaching of the Church. If they were not, the Vatican would have quickly intervened.
It is important to note that whether we agree with a particular statement, we are expected to comply with what is asked (except in the unlikely case of something immoral). The USCCB cannot tell us which candidate to vote for in an election. The bishops can, however, raise the Church’s moral teachings regarding human life and human dignity and demand that our political choices be consistent with those teachings. That is one of their chief duties as Church leaders.
When the bishops raise concerns about the unjust treatment of undocumented persons, care for the environment and similar hot-button topics, we need to remember that the social teachings of the Church are also morally binding and the bishops are fulfilling their duty by challenging us to live by those teachings. To ignore them or view them as personal opinions would not only be a rejection of their authority, it would damage the unity of the Church.
From the New Testament period on, the Church has been governed by bishops who are heads of dioceses, and groups of bishops have collaborated on addressing regional issues. There is not enough space in this article to go into detail on levels of binding authority, such as synodal decisions ratified by Rome. Still, the statements made by the USCCB hold an important place for the Church in the U.S. We are expected to obey them and, to the best of our ability, discern a path to internal agreement. What’s more, we should do this not primarily as an obligation, but out of the deep respect we should hold for those who hold the position of shepherds in our Church.
Father Scott Jones is the episcopal vicar for the Northern Vicariate of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
