The American Adjective

Choosing our country or our Catholicism

08/09/2021

Mt 17:22-27 As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were overwhelmed with grief. When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes,” he said. When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?” When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.”

What a blessing to live in this beautiful country where we enjoy so many freedoms, especially the freedom of faith, or religious liberty. But I have a sneaking suspicion – and I really hope I am wrong – that there is a growing tension between church and state. That is, religion and politics are becoming unhappy bedfellows. Perhaps we can put it this way: are you essentially an “American Catholic,” or are you a “Catholic American”? What’s the diff? Well, it is greater than grammar and more than simple semantics.

In other words, is being American an adjective and being Catholic a noun, or is being Catholic the adjective and being American the noun? If you had to choose between your country and your Catholicism, where would you land? I am afraid this question will quickly become critical when the bishops decide if Catholic politicians who promote non-Catholic issues, especially abortion, can come to Holy Communion. Those politicians will have to decide whether being American is an adjective, and adjectives can and do change.

In the gospel today, Jesus tries to help Peter understand the issue of paying the temple tax. But Jesus is also guiding Peter to grasp a deeper issue: the proper relationship between church and state, between religion and politics. Originally, during Jesus’ day, Jews paid a tax to support the Jerusalem Temple. But after the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., the Roman authorities demanded that Jews and Christians pay that same tax to support the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, the greatest of the Roman gods.

In other words, the Christians in the first few centuries of the Church had to decide if “Roman” was an adjective and “Catholicism” was a noun, or vice versa, that is, were they essentially “Catholic Romans.” Clearly, Jesus teaches Peter should pay the tax for the time-being, but he also suggests strongly the day will come when that tax will not be paid when the Roman Empire passes away. Jesus is saying basically that “Catholicism” is the noun and the Roman Empire is the adjective, and adjectives can and do change.

Bishop Robert Barron captured this question about church and state in his book, Catholicism. He recounted the story of Cardinal George of Chicago, who was on the balcony of St. Peter’s when Pope Benedict XVI was elected. He wore a “remarkably pensive expression” on his face. When asked by reporters what he was thinking, Cardinal George answered: “I was gazing toward the Circus Maximus, toward the Palatine Hill, where the Roman emperors once resided and reigned and looked down upon the persecution of Christians.

“And I thought, ‘Where are their successors? Where is the successor of Caesar Augustus? Where is the successor of Marcus Aurelius? And finally, who cares? But if you want to see the successor of St. Peter, he is right next to me, smiling and waving at the crowds.” That is, the Roman Empire, like the American Empire today, will come and go like so many “adjectives” to describe our Catholicism. But the Church herself is the “noun” that will endure for eternity.

My friends, let me return to what I said at the start of this homily, and how blessed we are to live in this beautiful country and enjoy so many freedoms. By the way, that is why we always pray for our country in the petitions of the Mass. May we never take these blessings for granted. We are indeed, “proud to be Americans.”

Nonetheless, be very careful with your nouns and adjectives, in preferring to be called a “Catholic American” instead of an “American Catholic.” Some people warn the Catholic Church that she will end up on the wrong side of history, especially because of her teaching on sexual ethics. But I would argue it is the adjectives that end up on the wrong side of history, like every empire that ever existed. Why? Because adjectives can and do change.

Praised be Jesus Christ!