Tuesday of the
Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
(II Peter 3:12-15a.17-18; Mark 12:13-17)
Although the Church has usually advocated obedience to
public authority, it has not always done so.
It certainly prohibited worship of Roman deities when the authorities
demanded it. Although the bishops
probably capitulated to Henry VIII in England, Thomas More and John Fisher are
canonized saints for not signing the Act of Supremacy. In today’s gospel Jesus gives his instruction
on the issue.
The Pharisees and Herodians, strange bedfellows but
united in contempt, approach Jesus. They
ask his opinion of a paramount issue when no crisis is on the horizon. What kind of loyalty do Jews owe to Rome,
represented by Caesar? Should they pay
taxes to support the empire? The Pharisee-Herodian
conspiracy think they have Jesus trapped.
If he says “yes,” then he would lose the growing support he has for
being the Messiah. If he says “no” and
the Roman authorities hear of his position, they might seize him. He doesn’t punt on the issue. He advises that people owe government some
support for building roads, keeping the peace, etc. But, he would insist, they should always put God
first.
Issues regarding civil authority still arise from time to
time. A wise bishop once made this insight. Civil laws that are not evil in themselves must
be obeyed. Only when they demand
something that is patently wrong should they be resisted. For the bishop, doctors should not prescribe
drugs expressly prohibited by the indicated government authority. On the other hand, they would have the duty not
to participate either directly or indirectly in euthanasia or abortion. If a government were to mandate such
participation, they would be obliged to give up their practice.
