Several people have sent me a link to Msgr. Charles Pope's recent article "Comfort Catholicism has got to go." I recommend the article which you can find here. We are making our way through Catholic Spain on pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James at Compostella, and one is struck by the many chapels along the way. The chapels are to some degree relics of the past, but much of Spain's Catholic culture still remains. We were warmly reminded of this a few days ago when Conchita and her husband Jose welcomed us and other pilgrims into their farmstead home--beds, bathrooms, a hot dinner and breakfast, and the key to the local parish for morning Mass. This kindness to the pilgrim, in obedience to Jesus' teaching that "what you do to the wayfarer you do to Me," is one particularly striking fruit of an authentically Christian culture. Most of the locals (with the exception of an onery barista yesterday in the mountains above Fonsagrada) have greeted us as blessings to be received with gratitude.
Spain, however, is losing its Christian culture, as are we. But I think we may be losing ours faster, especially in view of the imminent political reality. It is almost certain that the culture war will escalate against Christians in America, and in particular focused at faithful Catholics. We stand to lose a lot, but as Msgr. Pope points out, most of our leaders don't seem to be aware or to care. We will almost certainly lose our properties, but the real war is for our souls, and many are at risk, but who is mounting a defense? I'm walking through a country that suffered 700 years of Islamic occupation, but as Joseph Ratzinger has written, the greatest threat to Christendom is not Islam but secularism. Are the bishops, the priests, the lay leadership and the lay following aware of this? Are we planning a defense? Read Msgr. Pope's article, and do what you can through your parish and your spheres of influence to save what we can, but most importantly pray for our Church and for our country.
Spain, however, is losing its Christian culture, as are we. But I think we may be losing ours faster, especially in view of the imminent political reality. It is almost certain that the culture war will escalate against Christians in America, and in particular focused at faithful Catholics. We stand to lose a lot, but as Msgr. Pope points out, most of our leaders don't seem to be aware or to care. We will almost certainly lose our properties, but the real war is for our souls, and many are at risk, but who is mounting a defense? I'm walking through a country that suffered 700 years of Islamic occupation, but as Joseph Ratzinger has written, the greatest threat to Christendom is not Islam but secularism. Are the bishops, the priests, the lay leadership and the lay following aware of this? Are we planning a defense? Read Msgr. Pope's article, and do what you can through your parish and your spheres of influence to save what we can, but most importantly pray for our Church and for our country.
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