George Weigel: «Many Catholics are now aware to be under assault»

«When people are attracted to the decency of Catholic communities, we can then start a new conversation about the truths of the faith». For George Weigel, distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and author of the best-selling biography of Pope John Paul II, Witness to Hope, that is the way to fight secularism.

The majority of catholic vote went to Barack Obama. To give him his preference more than two-thirds of the Hispanic community and all most all the afro-american. How can it be possible?
There is no such thing as “the Catholic vote.” Catholics who regularly attend church vote heavily Republican; Catholics who rarely attend church vote heavily Democratic. So any attempt to analyze a generic “Catholic vote” is useless and, if I may say, stupid.

It is meaningful that even if 51 per cent of citizenships said to Gallup to be pro-life, part of it voted for Obama. Further the propositions on limiting abortion’s public found are not passed in many State. How come?
2011 and 2012 saw more pro-life legislation passed in the states than in any year since Roe vs. Wade. That trend will likely continue with thirty Republican governors.

Even gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana have been approved. Do you think the majority of Americans agree with this propositions?
The homosexual movement has very successfully sold the idea that homosexuality is the equivalent of race for purposes if civil rights law. This is, of course, wrong. But it’s a very successful appeal. The deeper problem here is the breakdown of the entire marriage culture in the United States, which has a lot to do with marriage being regarded as merely a civil contract for purposes of mutual convenience.

The Catholic Church has fight to make the Nation understand the government hidden attack on the freedom of religion. Many bishops spoke about the importance to defend the value of life and of natural marriage. No matter this effort it seems from the exit poll that nothing has change. Do you know why?
The exit polls are often wrong and I believe they’re wrong here. Many committed Catholics are now quite aware that their Church is under assault by the U.S. government. The lawsuits against the HHS mandate are moving forward, and the Church will, I’m confident, be vindicated by the Supreme Court. Rallies on behalf of religious freedom this past year have drawn very large crowds. The fight will continue.

How can the growing secularization be faced. It is necessary to educate people telling the truth, by making them encounter the beauty of christian life. Pope Benedict XVI keeps on saying that without a conversion we will not be able to infect other people with our life and so we cannot evangelize the word. What does it mean for American believers?
I think it means that we demonstrate by the humaneness of our lives and the decency of our communities that Catholic faith leads to a nobler human experience that soul-withering secularism. When people are attracted to the decency of Catholic communities, we can then start a new conversation about the truths of the faith.

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