Call No Man Father

by William X. Kienzle

  “Now to be fair, there is a divergence of opinion here. Some think the only difference between the two teaching offices is that while you are not a heretic if you disagree with the ordinary teaching, you are wrong and must eventually get yourself in line with the pope.” He looked about at his listeners. “I myself belong to the ‘religious assent’ school.”

  “Wait a minute,” Wanda objected. “I know this gets down to nitpicking and male in-house jargon, but I don’t see an awful lot of difference there. What was it you said, Father: The reaction to infallibility was … what?”

  “Assent of faith.”

  “And that means pretty much what we grew up learning about infallibility. I mean,” Wanda pursued, “‘If you want to be a Catholic, you’d better believe this.’”

  Koesler chuckled. “Pretty much. At least that’s the way it is with a sizeable majority of Catholics so far.”

  “And then,” Wanda continued, “the other thing—the, what—Ordinary …?”

  “Ordinary, day-to-day pronouncements of the pope and the bishops—the Ordinary Magisterium,” Koesler said. “The jargon term to describe the called-for Catholic reaction is ‘a religious assent of soul.’

  “What it comes down to, Wanda, is that Catholics are supposed to give the ordinary teachings of the Church a respectful hearing.”

  “I always wondered what the difference was,” Wanda confessed. “I mean, between an infallible pronouncement and any other papal edict. So, what you’re saying is that most things the pope says aren’t infallible?”

  Koesler nodded affirmation.

  “But how many Catholics know that or believe it?”

  “Probably not very many. And that, as a matter of fact, is exactly what this discussion this evening has been about.”

  “It has?” Tully was trying to hang in.

  “Yes,” Koesler said. “We were speculating about why the pope was leaving the Vatican, especially so close to Christmas, and coming here. And, while the pope has not seen fit to come right out and say, there are lots of rumors. By far, the most popular guess is the one that Anne Marie suggested: that he’s going to make a major statement about family planning and birth control. And, if that’s it, coming as he is at this time, that statement is likely to be revolutionary.”

  “Revolutionary!” Tully’s full attention had been captured.

  Koesler sipped coffee. “Well, as Anne Marie said, it does seem as if the Church has said just about everything it’s going to about birth control. Paul VI discarded the findings of his own commission and issued an extremely definitive statement in that encyclical. And we know how that encyclical was received by, especially, the laity. According to every study I’ve seen, the Catholic laity are indistinguishable from everyone else when it comes to using what is generally termed artificial birth control.”

  “So,” Smith contributed, “the Church, in the person of the pope, has spoken. Once upon a time, that would have been it.”

  “But,” Koesler continued, “remember that Pope Paul specified when he published Humanae Vitae that this was not an infallible statement. Which means that Catholics are bound only to …”

  “… give a respectful hearing!” Tully was beginning to understand that this “Catholic” infighting might well involve him professionally.

  “Exactly,” Koesler said. “And, ever since Paul issued his teaching a little more than twenty-five years ago, it has remained the last word on this matter. So, if it is true—if the popular rumor is accurate, if the central issue of this visit is to state something about family planning and birth control—it is not likely to be a restatement of Humanae Vitae. Everyone—Catholic or not—knows all too well this official position, So, what could it be?”

  “Is it possible,” Anne Marie said, “that he would take the stand that Pope Paul refused? Could this pope find any rationale for allowing artificial birth control?”

  Smith shrugged and chuckled. “He’s the pope, Anne Marie; he can do anything he wants.”

  “Yes. It’s possible.” Koesler was deadly serious. “But it’s the old dog-bites-man story; we’re not likely to find that on the front page. But if it’s man-bites-dog, that’s different.” Noting his listeners’ knit brows, Koesler knew he had to make himself more clear.

  “By now, we’ve considered a few ifs. If the pope is using this occasion to make a significant statement; and if this statement has to do with family planning; and if something about this peculiarly Catholic position is going to change—then it’s more likely to be in the man-bites-dog category. This pope has never given an inch on Pope Paul’s encyclical. On the contrary, he has taken every opportunity to reinforce that stand. So … what’s left?”

  “I would suppose,” Anne Marie said slowly and with a touch of regret, “the only thing left is to upgrade.”

  Smith nodded. “And that’s what most of the priests are talking about. We think it … likely that he will raise the ban on artificial birth control to an infallible pronouncement.”

  There was silence as each weighed what, if any, effect such a pronouncement might have on their lives as well as on the rest of the world.

  Tully broke the silence. “This may be an awkward question, but who gives a—uh, who cares? It’s the pope’s business, and it affects Catholics. The rest of the world solved this problem long ago without having to fiddle with anything like ‘rhythm.’”

  “Well, yes and no, Lieutenant,” Smith said. “All over this world countless unwanted babies are born every day … even in developed countries like this one.”

  “Yes,” Koesler echoed, “let’s just suppose for a moment that the pope has come here and has made such a pronouncement. And let’s say he has left no possible doubt that he intends this as an infallible pronouncement—and that he intends to end any debate whatsoever on this matter. And now he’s gone back to Rome.”

  “Our job is finished.” Tully smiled. “We’ve protected him and he’s out of our jurisdiction.”

  “But,” Koesler said, “what a turmoil he has left behind him!

  “Catholics will be divided—disunited, conflicted—as never before in history—except possibly during the schism and the Reformation—in any case, more split than at any time in our memory.

  “Some will try to remain in the Church, even though they cannot in conscience give the pope that ‘assent of faith’ that he demands.

  “Others—a relative few, I think—while happily anticipating the departure of the liberal wing of the Church, will be impatient to force out those moderates who are trying to remain ‘in’ even though they are unable to profess what the pope demands.

  “And still others—many, I fear—will accept the pope’s ultimatum and leave the Church, some in fury, some in sorrow.

  “Now I know what you’re thinking, Lieutenant: Whatever the consequences, this remains a ‘Catholic’ problem. But, consider this: American Catholics have been and, to a degree still are, a force to be reckoned with. Once upon a time, there was a sizeable ‘Catholic’ vote that could be swayed, if not delivered, by bishops. That’s probably defunct now—and rightly so. But still and all, in our brighter moments these days, a great number of Catholics can and do unite over such important issues as peace, justice, violence, promiscuity, and environmental preservation. And Roman Catholics now constitute the most sizeable religious body in this country. That will be no more.”

  “Besides, in those countries, especially in South and Central American nations, where the population is most explosive you can find the heaviest concentration of Catholics. It’s anyone’s guess as to why the Catholic countries of Latin America are overpopulated and why the population explosion is continuing like an epidemic. A lack of education—especially for women—poverty, life expectancy, infant mortality—all of those are unquestioned reasons.

  “But no one can overlook the firm, repeated, and forceful teaching of their Church on family planning. In Latin America, the numerically small upper class has little or no problem with family
planning. Nor would I expect them to pay any attention to what the pope says on this—or, for that matter, on any subject.

  “There being hardly any middle class, it’s the poor who have all the children. So you would expect them to be untroubled by an infallible doctrine. But that’s just the problem: Much of the world is trying to put a cap on this runaway population explosion. They could use some help. But, particularly should the pope speak ‘infallibly’ against birth control, those who are trying to curb population growth will simply have a more difficult time of it.

  “The bishops of Latin America, by and large, will be championing the pope’s pronouncement. This will put them on a collision course with most of the area’s priests. And the priests who are on the firing line down there will spend a good deal of their time battling the bishops.

  “The poor don’t realize that the intelligent planning of their families is one of the necessary steps they’re going to have to take in order to achieve a more tolerable existence and a better life. Such a contrary infallible papal stand is, to say the very least, not going to help.”

  “Then,” Tully said reflectively, “it’s not just the conservative crackpots we’ve got to protect the pope from.”

  “Definitely not,” Koznicki said. “But the number of those in disagreement with the Holy Father, for whatever reason, in no way affects our commitment to protect him. The officers—federal, state, and local—will form a protective shield around him. We learned a lot from the pope’s previous visit. And we intend to be even more circumspect this time.”

  Tully rubbed his brow. “I don’t know, Walt. I’d expect our guys and the feds would have a pretty good list of nuts—religious and otherwise, pro-choicers and activists. But now we’re talking about … what? Just Catholics who don’t agree with the pope? Pretty substantial …”

  “I know” Koznicki nodded gravely. “We all know. But we intend to make it as prohibitive as we can for anyone to break through the circle of participants. And the legitimate participants will be wearing credentials. It will be virtually impossible for anyone not accredited to approach the Holy Father and his entourage.”

  Wanda’s husband was about to become involved in a duty fraught with danger. It was by no means the first time. But the frequency of risk did nothing to lull her concern for his safety. If anything, time was becoming an enemy. Walt was slowing. This was not perceptible to the casual observer. But she knew. And she also knew him well enough to be convinced that if duty demanded a fearless response, Walt Koznicki would not send someone into that peril without going along himself.

  All this was the result of the pope’s coming here, to Detroit. Of all the nations in the world … of all the cities of those nations, why Detroit? Any other choice and she could have spent a comparatively quiet and secure Christmas with her husband and their family. Why Detroit?

  “Why Detroit?” Her anger and frustration were obvious.

  “‘Why Detroit?’ may be the most pertinent and revealing of all questions,” Father Smith responded. “Insiders and wannabes are pretty much in agreement about this. And their assessment is a further indication that the centerpiece of this papal visit is the birth-control issue.

  “The seed for this was sown during the Second Vatican Council. It happened during the development of one of the Council’s sixteen documents. Specifically, the one titled ‘The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.’”

  Father Smith was unaware that Wanda was only half-listening. Concern for her husband’s safety was uppermost in her mind; all she could think of was Eliza’s, “Words, words!… Is that all you blighters can do?!”

  Oblivious, Father Smith pressed on.

  “I would venture to guess that most of today’s old-time Catholics are quite familiar with one of the Church’s most venerable teachings. And that would be ‘The primary purpose of marriage is the procreation and education of children.’ Every couple who were going to be married in the Catholic Church in those days inevitably would be asked, ‘Do you realize that the primary purpose of marriage is the procreation and education of children?’ And unless both partners indicated the affirmative, official wedding plans ground to a halt right there.

  “That single teaching set the tone for marriage Catholic-style. It stated clearly that the first purpose of marriage, the prime reason people got married, was to have kids—as many as ‘God sent.’ And the Church demanded assent from the engaged couple. Catholic couples were expected to have children as the consequences of having intercourse—”

  “In fact, if I can interrupt for a moment, Paul,” Koesler said, “when medical science came up with the rhythm method of birth control, and when the Church okayed it, theologians established three prerequisites for the ‘lawful’ use of rhythm. The mnemonic was WAR, and it stood for: Both parties, husband and wife, were willing to abstain from intercourse during the fertile period. Both parties were able to use this method without, say, falling into some sin like adultery. And the couple had to have some positive reason for not wanting children. It could not be a selfish reason.

  “We learned all that in the seminary. And then came real life. And I came to realize that selfishness is the best reason in the world not to have children. If a couple are going to be successful in being parents, they must be generous to a fault. Selfish parents need all the things a child needs—like care, attention, selfless love, and unstinting generosity.

  “But excuse me for interrupting, Paul. You were talking about the Church teaching on the primary purpose of marriage. I think I know where you’re going on this. I hadn’t thought of it in these terms, but I think you’re right.”

  “A point well made, Bob.” Smith resumed his narration. “Anyway, as I said when we came in here for our postprandials, Pope Paul removed the whole topic of birth control from discussion in the Council.

  “But something happened when the Council was writing its document on ‘The Church in the Modern World.’ It was in the section on ‘Harmonizing Conjugal Love with Respect for Human Life.’ It was tricky language, but, without getting too technical and to make a long story a bit shorter, the ‘Primary Purpose of Marriage’ simply disappeared. There was no longer a ‘primary purpose.’ Or, to put it another way, the love, affection, and support of a married couple for each other was at least as important as having children. It was, or could have been, a lead-in to the change in teaching that Paul’s commission would later recommend. A change that Paul suppressed in favor of his own teaching in his encyclical, Humanae Vitae.

  “The relevance of this bit of history is that Detroit’s archbishop, Cardinal Mark Boyle, was largely responsible for that Conciliar language. He is the one who most helped do away with the concept of the ‘prime purpose of marriage.’

  “So, now, you see, if all of our guesswork this evening is correct, and the pope does intend to make this unprecedented statement on birth control, then there is good reason for picking Detroit as the place where the statement will be made.

  “The pope will enter the den to beard the lion. It was Mark Boyle’s intervention that made it difficult for the Church to emphasize the almost infinite obligation of having children. It is into Mark Boyle’s jurisdiction that the pope comes to make what can only be the final definitive statement on birth control. This doctrine will more than make up for the discarding of a ‘prime purpose’ for which excision Detroit’s Cardinal Mark Boyle is largely responsible.”

  The evening was wearing thin. The shifting in chairs, the stacking of dishes and cups heralded the end.

  “Well,” Koesler said, as he stood and stretched, “it seems we have once again addressed some universal problems and not exactly solved them.”

  “Nonetheless,” Koznicki said, “I am glad we aired all this. For me, it has added new dimensions to the Holy Father’s visit to our city. We have more concerns than we supposed.”

  “Still and all, Walt …” Tully spoke in hopes that these “added dimensions” would not drag him into this duty, “�
�� you shouldn’t have much trouble. You’ve got a small army once everybody gets assembled.”

  “That is true,” Koznicki admitted. “No outsider should be able to get to the Holy Father.”

  “That’s reassuring,” said Father Smith.

  6

  He knew something was wrong. All these years together had made it possible to communicate without words; gestures and sounds sufficed.

  Now that their guests had gone, he was scrunched into his favorite chair near the fireplace. Ordinarily, if Walt Koznicki were to offer to help clean up, he would be shooed away. So he seldom volunteered.

  He had not yet read the Sunday paper and was now trying to catch up. But there was something about the sounds coming from the other room.…

  He sighed, dropped the paper next to the chair, and headed for the dining room. He could hear the dishwasher pumping as the first of tonight’s loads neared the drying cycle. Most of the dinner dishes had been cleared away. He gathered the few pieces left and carried them into the kitchen.

  There was no reaction from Wanda. She neither thanked him nor discouraged his help. She seemed unaware of his presence.

  All the signs were in place. He knew it. “What is it, dear?”

  Wanda was startled. She really had been deep in thought. At several inches taller than six feet and approximately 240 pounds, Walt was a formidable figure, the type regularly described as bigger than life. Wanda had to be profoundly preoccupied to be startled that he was standing only inches away.

  She looked up at him, then back at the food she was placing in the fridge. “Oh, nothing.”

  “Something,” he insisted.

  “Oh, I was just thinking of the children … and the grandchildren. It’s so close to Christmas. They should be home soon.”

  That seemed credible. But somehow it did not jibe with what Walt’s sixth sense told him. However, for the moment, he would follow her lead. “Yes, they will be home soon, and the house will be filled and noisy again. Are you getting anxious to see them?”