Quo Vadis?

The Year of Faith has begun and soon the elections will be behind us.  We hope and pray of course that no matter who wins the election, the federal government will respect the religious beliefs of its citizens in accordance with the constitution and basic human rights.

The Holy Father established the Year of Faith to commemorate two important events: the opening of Vatican II and the publication of the Catechism. But he also established it for another reason: belief in God and religious practice in many parts of the developed world is waning (one-fifth of all Americans identify as religiously unaffiliated).  As faith and religious practice recede, secularism fills the gap. Secularism used to mean neutrality with respect to religion. The kind of secularism that’s emerging now, however, is more antagonistic. In some cases, like the HHS mandate, secularism seeks to impose its beliefs on religious people and institutions by using the super-incumbent power of the state to force them to do things that violate their beliefs.

The ability of the government to impose secular ideologies on people of faith, however, would not be possible if faith were stronger.   CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) did a survey for the USCCB in 2007. They found that just under one-third of adult Catholics (31.4 percent) are estimated to attend Mass in any given week. Msgr. Charles Pope of the diocese of Washington D.C. reiterated these findings, saying

“In the early 1950s there were about 35 million Catholics in the US. Today there are over 75 million. This number however does not distinguish between practicing and non-practicing Catholics. It is estimated that just over 80% of Catholics attended Mass each Sunday in the 1950s. Today it is estimated that about 25% of Catholics go each Sunday. That means that in the early 1950s about 28 million Catholics were in Church each Sunday. Today that number, even with a growing Catholic population, has dropped to 19.2 million. In other words, almost 9 million fewer Catholics are in Church now as compared to the 1950s.”

As faith shrinks so does belief in the sovereignty of Christ. Secularism might tolerate the idea of people going to church on Sunday and praying privately as long they keep their beliefs to themselves. But whether we keep our faith to ourselves or not, the fact is that Jesus Christ is still Lord of heaven and earth. This isn’t just a pious sentiment; it’s a fact. True, Jesus’ kingship is not of this world, but that only means it’s not defined by ordinary political categories (John 18:36). His kingdom does not belong to this world, but that doesn’t mean it’s indifferent toward the world.  And how does Christ exercise his kingship in the world? Not by wielding political power, but by telling the truth (John 18:37).

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” Jesus said (Matthew 28:18). The next statement – “Go, therefore …” – implies that that authority was given to the apostles and their successors. The Pope and the bishops in communion with him have no other authority than that which has been given to them by Christ, which is to bear witness to the truth. Speaking truth to power as Jesus did is one of the main functions of a bishop. But that doesn’t relieve us from the responsibility to do the same. By virtue of our baptism we too share in Christ’s kingship, albeit differently than those in holy orders. Here’s what the Catechism says:

“The social duty of Christians is to respect and awaken in each man the love of the true and the good. It requires them to make known the worship of the one true religion which subsists in the Catholic and apostolic Church. Christians are called to be the light of the world. Thus, the Church shows forth the kingship of Christ over all creation and in particular over human societies.” [2105]

That last sentence bears repeating: “The Church shows forth the kingship of Christ over all creation and in particular over human societies.”  Christ exercises his dominion in the world through the Church as we follow him faithfully each day praying: “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

November 25 is the solemnity of Christ the King. Regardless of the outcome of the election, this important solemnity should remind us that Christ was, is and always will be Lord of heaven and earth no matter what the politicians or bureaucrats say, or do.

The Year of Faith starts October 11. Pope Benedict has invited all of us to renew our faith by returning to the basics: the Catechism, the documents of Vatican II, the saints and, above all, the witness of faith by example of a holy life and works of charity.

Faith is both a gift of God and a human act. The presence of the Holy Spirit infused at baptism moves the heart to believe in God. At the same time, faith is a human act. Endowed by God with intellect and free will man is capable of cooperating with or resisting divine grace. By an act of faith man freely assents to the whole truth revealed by God which the Church proposes for belief. “It is one of the major tenets of Catholic doctrine that man’s response to God in faith must be free.” (Declaration on Human Freedom, 10)

Perhaps it’s providential that the Year of Faith coincides with the fact that  religious liberty and other basic freedoms are slowly being eroded. As secularism grows and becomes more assertive, people of faith are increasingly put on the defensive. Up to now, going to church and practicing your faith was rather unremarkable – a nice little hobby if that was your thing. But now, being a person of faith takes courage.  But we’ve got it easy when you compare the situation in America to what’s happening to Christians in other parts of the world where people literally risk their lives to go to Mass.

Christians in Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Nigeria and other places regularly face open hostility because of their faith. These people are the real heroes of the faith today and a tremendous inspiration to the rest of us.

“All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.” – Benito Mussolini

The Democrats ran a very revealing video clip at their convention earlier this month. In it the narrator says, “…. government’s the only thing we all belong to …” He was of course trying to stress the importance of national unity amid a tremendous diversity of cultures, ethnic backgrounds, religions and political commitments.  It’s a revealing sentiment by the Democrats, a moment when the curtain was pulled pack and we could see their beliefs for what they are. They believe that the government is what binds us together. It binds us together all right … in chains.  The Democratic party’s belief that government is the basis of our unity flies in the face of America’s founding principles that says “We are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights …..”   Although American’s have held different creeds as to specific religious beliefs and what church they belonged to, or not, the overwhelming consensus was that we were “one nation under God.”

A government that regards itself as supreme over all is a dangerous government.  I can easily understand how an atheist can believe in totalitarianism, which the Democratic party apparently supports.  But how a person of faith can do so boggles the  mind. To do so is to violate the First Commandment. To believe that we are “one nation under the government” is idolatry, pure and simple.

It seems the golden calf is still an beguiling object of worship, captivating people by its magic, enticing them into revelry (Exodus 32).

Every empire where Pharaoh, Caesar, Czar or Fuhrer was the object of people’s ultimate loyalty collapsed eventually “and was completely ruined” (Matthew 7: 27).

We are at that point as a nation. Our nation was founded on the idea of limited government which protected God-given rights.  If at the next election we decide to go down the road where the state is absolute and subscribe to the Democratic belief  that we are “one nation under the government” the freedoms we’ve taken for granted as a people: the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the freedom of religion, the freedom to peaceably assemble and petition the government will be over.  We’ll no longer be citizens, but subjects. And it won’t be pretty.

With the presidential election less than two months away, most people agree that it’s one of the most important elections in decades. Whether you’re on the left or the right, almost everyone agrees that the choice before us is clear. How to articulate the difference, however, is another matter. I should say up front that I fall on the conservative side of the line and so I see it as a choice between a country in which basic liberties are respected and the federal government lives within its means, or a country that’s bankrupt, morally and literally; a country in which the Constitution is nothing more than a historic artifact, citizens are subjects and the president rules by decree.  Amassing trillions of dollars in debt that will be passed on generations yet unborn is positively immoral.  I am not so naive as to expect that a Romney presidency will solve our financial problems. I’m not sure they are solvable. But I think he’ll certainly try.  But I’m pretty sure that going down the road we’ve been on these last four years will finish us as a nation. If D’Sousa is right, and I think he is, that’s the end game of this administration.  Since the ’60′s the goal has been, in the word of Crosby, Stills and Nash to “change the world; rearrange the world”.  What it was supposed to be changed into, they didn’t say. If Obama is re-elected, we’ll find out.

Well, it’s finally happened. “Civil unions” has morphed to include three people. The BBC recently ran a story about a notary who issued a licence authorizing a union between a man and two women in Sao Paulo, Brazil. “Public Notary Claudia do Nascimento Domingues has said the man and two women should be entitled to family rights” the BBC reported. “She says there is nothing in law to prevent such an arrangement.” She’s right of course. When the definition of marriage no longer means a union between one man and one woman, it can mean anything, theoretically. Why not? Ms. Domingues is simply following the idea to its logical conclusion. And if one man/two women, why not two men/three women?

When marriage can mean anything, it ultimately means nothing. In that case “marriage” means whatever I say it means. When we’ve arrived at that point then marriage as a meaningful institution is, for all practical purposes, dead. When marriage dies, then the family dies and when the family dies, then society dies. The family, defined as a mother, father and their children, is the basic building block of society. But when the ‘cement’ that holds that building block together, namely marriage, dissolves, the whole edifice collapses because the ‘building block’ has lost its integrity. That’s where we are now as a society. Night is falling. The walls are crumbling. A hundred years from now, or maybe much sooner, marriage and family will be a footnote in history books. For progressives, marriage is an oppressive, medieval institution destined to go the way of feudalism, which cannot happen fast enough.

Most parishes start their RCIA programs in September and end on Pentecost Sunday the following spring.

There are a few problems with this, however.

First of all, the acronym “RCIA” does not, properly speaking, refer to a program even though it’s always used that way. Rather, “RCIA” refers to the book that contains the rituals associated with the process by which one is initiated into the Church. Its proper name is the catechumenate or, if you prefer, Christian initiation.

Old habits die hard, but we should try to get into the habit of calling the process the “catechumenate,” not “RCIA.” Not only is this more accurate, it more clearly distinguishes between the process of initiation and that of entering into full communion with the Catholic Church. They are different. Those who are baptized in another ecclesial community are already in some sense part of the Church and so the process should reflect that.  As Vatican II taught “All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are members of Christ’s body, and have a right to be called Christian, and so are correctly accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church” (Unitatis Redintegratio, 3).

Second, it’s been said many times before, but it bears repeating: the catechumenate is a process, not a program. It’s not meant to fit neatly into a fixed schedule. The catechumenate is a “gradual process” (RCIA, 4) in which the first two periods –inquiry and the catechumenate – can last any length of time (RCIA, 7). The only fixed period is during Lent.  Even the last period, mystagogy, which coincides with the Easter season, is in principle open-ended because growing in our faith and fathoming the mysteries we celebrate never ends.

The open-ended nature of the catechumenate makes it all the more important that parishes have some kind of year-round process for welcoming newcomers. At the very least, it seems to me, every parish should have an “Inquirer’s Class” of some sort that meets once a month, much like Baptism classes. Also, a year-round catechumenate would mean doing the Rite of Acceptance more than once a year.  Parishes that have a year-round process do two or three a year.

The year-round catechumenate is important because it allows the inquirer to start the process when they’re ready. “The Holy Spirit blows where it wills.” It’s up to Him to decide when someone is ready to become Catholic. It’s not unusual for parishes to tell someone in May, for example, “Sorry, RCIA doesn’t start until September. Come back then.” No! You need to do whatever it takes to make that person feel welcome right now, and get them started in the process, even if that means doing something like taking them out for a cup of coffee. If you have a regularly scheduled inquirer’s class, you can invite them to that. Have something to give them at least: a brochure explaining how one becomes Catholic (which we can provide) or a booklet explaining the basic teachings of the Church (which we also have). The point is, do something! And for heaven’s sake, don’t tell them to come back later, or go somewhere else.

To learn more about how to implement a year-round catechumenate, contact me: james.cavanagh@archden.org

Unfortunately it’s not a joke. An atheist group – a group by the way that doesn’t even live there – successfully sued the city of Steubenville to remove an image, which is nothing more than a vague silhouette, of the chapel at Franciscan University. You can see for yourself that it’s only a small part of the landscape in the logo.  It surely doesn’t dominate the scene. But for this group of atheists it’s too much. It seems to me emblematic of the growing intolerance of religion in the U.S. Founded in 1946 Franciscan University has been a vital part of the Steubenville community for over 60 years. Steubenville is a small city – only 18,440 residents. The university is a significant member of the community contributing not only to the economic vitality of the city, but also to its social and moral assets. Franciscan University is good for the community.  The lawsuit is just one more example of the war against people of faith being waged by radical secularists.  And bit by bit, the secularists are winning.  The suit represents the view that people of faith are second class citizens who are prohibited from entering the public square unless they hide their faith. The atheists may have won the lawsuit and had the image of the chapel with its cross removed from the city logo, but that doesn’t change the reality. Franciscan University is still a ‘shining city on hill’ whose light cannot be hidden, no matter what the court says and no matter what the atheists try to do.  God bless Franciscan University! Viva Cristo Rey!

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/steubenville-axes-catholic-chapel-from-logo-after-legal-threat/

Yesterday was quite a day for us here in Denver. Archbishop Sam Aquila from Fargo was installed as the 5th Archbishop of Denver, succeeding Archbishop Charles Chaput who was transferred to Philadelphia in September.  The installation Mass was, needless to say, spectacular – nearly three hours long with over 400 clergy attending, in addition to the 400+ other people.  I’m sure that ten times that number would have attended had the cathedral been able to accommodate them.

A few things stand out. First was the procession. It took a full half-hour to seat all the clergy before the Archbishop’s procession could begin. Second was the reading of the Apostolic Letter of Appointment from Pope Benedict XVI by the Papal Nuncio: Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó. It really made you feel connected to the universal Church.

The first reading from Acts 1 described how the disciples were together in the upper room awaiting the Holy Spirit. Gathered around Mary the mother of Jesus, the disciples prayed and waited.  The message was clear: Prayer precedes mission and Mary has always been central to the Church’s faith and life. In the second reading from second  Corinthians Paul talked about his ministry.  ”But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels” he says.  He’s talking about how the life and teachings of Christ, the Son of God, have been entrusted to weak and imperfect men such as himself. It’s an astounding paradox.  That paradox was evident in the Mass itself, which was, as I said, spectacular – a truly transcendent event. But it was carried out by ordinary people.   It’s only by the presence of the Holy Spirit that two seemingly irreconcilable things – man and God – could be so intertwined.

The gospel was from Luke 1 – the Annunciation.  Mary, the new Archbishop said, is the perfect disciple. She’s the one who listens attentively to the Word of God, readily accepting his will for her. Archbishop Aquila’s motto is taken from John 2: “Do whatever he tells you” – the last words spoken by Mary in the New Testament. Like her, we must listen closely to God and be ready to do whatever he tells us. Christ is everything and we must be willing to follow him, no matter how difficult it might be.  Archbishop Aquila reminded us, as if we needed reminding, that it could get very difficult very soon if were not careful.

It was a long day, especially for Archbishop Aquila.  A new chapter has begun in the Archdiocese of Denver and we have a lot of work in front of us.  We’re all very excited to get going!

I was a cradle Episcopalian and a priest in that church for 17 years. I became Catholic in 2005. This week the Episcopal Church is holding its Triennial convention in Indianapolis.  One of the most, er . . . interesting resolutions to pass was the formal authorization to create rites for same-sex ‘marriage.’ Oops, excuse me. I mean, “The Witnessing and Blessing of a Life-long Covenant.”  It passed in the House of Bishop by a wide margin, 111-41 and is expected to pass in the House of Deputies also by a wide margin. It’s been coming for a long, long time but it took the exodus of enough orthodox believers, most of whom joined some other Protestant sect, for the passage of the resolution to pass with barely any resistance. They took the wrong path.

Episcopal Church Approves Same-gender “marriage”

I thought of the Episcopal Church this morning during lauds where I read an excerpt from St. Augustine’s “Discourse on the Psalms.”  In it he said,

“We entreat you, brothers, as earnestly as we are able, to have charity, not only for one another, but also for those who are outside the Church. Of these some are still pagans, who have not yet made an act of faith in Christ. Others are separated, insofar as they are joined with us in professing faith in Christ, our head, but are yet divided from the unity of his body. “

I feel sorry for the Episcopal Church. A once venerable institution has become a cartoon. What distresses me though is how many remain in that church even though they hate what’s happened. They don’t believe a lot of what the EC believes and teaches, and yet they remain, thinking that they can somehow make things better. Or that the actions at General Convention don’t really affect them. God bless ‘em.   I look at them the way Augustine looked at those Christians of the 5th century who were separated from the body.  Episcopalians believe they’re part of the catholic (small ‘c’) Church.  But come on, seriously? The EC is Protestant to its core. Always has been, always will be, despite what they say about being part of the ‘catholic’ church. “We’re just not Roman catholic” they say (with a slight sneer).

For those Catholics who think that the Catholic Church should ordain women, approve contraception, support abortion rights and endorse same-sex ‘marriage’ all I can say is, look at the Episcopal Church. Is that what you want to become?  You shall know a tree by its fruit, and the EC has been barren now for decades.  I wish that those who are distressed about the EC could overcome their fears and prejudices and ‘come home’ to the “one, true fold of Christ” (Newman’s favorite description of the Catholic Church).  I wish they could see what I see. I pity them, yes.  Which prompts me to pray for them that God would help them see the Catholic Church as the bride of Christ, the city of God, the kingdom of heaven on earth, the true vine and sheepfold of Christ. Again, St. Augustine:

“For it is time now for us to show them great love and abundant compassion by praying to God for them. May he one day give them a clear mind to repent and to realise that they have nothing now but the sickness of their hatred, and the stronger they think they are, the weaker they become.”

Caroline’s in Rome and I haven’t been sleeping well. I like my solitude, but something’s just not right when you have to experience solitude all by yourself.  Solitude is meant to be shared! Rome is eight hours and 5600 miles away from Denver. That’s a long ways away. And yet I feel close to Caroline through the Church. At Mass on Sunday the beautiful music, which she loves, made me feel very close to her. She traveled to Assisi that day and I could imagine her at the Basilica of St. Francis attending Mass herself. And even though the time difference was substantial, I could visualize her there at Mass experiencing probably very different music, but experiencing the same Mass. After all, the liturgy of heaven is going on all the time, so no matter when we “tap” into the divine liturgy through our feeble attempts here on earth, we’re tapping into the same liturgy no matter where we are or when we’re celebrating the Mass.  It’s strange how we can be connected to someone so far away through worship and prayer. I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me. After all, we believe, and often actually experience, a sense of connectedness to those around us at church. Even perfect strangers suddenly become close acquaintances at Mass.  Whether that person is across the room or 5000 miles away seems to make little difference. It always amazes me how people yearn for peace and solidarity in the world and yet the last place they’d ever want to visit is a Catholic Mass.  Too bad. They’re really missing out.