Do Catholics understand the extent to which
the Church is under attack? This is not some imagined phenomenon, which a
handful of fanatical Catholics are blowing out of proportion. No, the attack on
the Church is real and is steadily increasing.
Consider the decision, by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), that “health plans will be required to provide all FDA-approved
contraceptives, including some that can cause abortions …”[1]
Granted, the HHS has included a religious
exemption clause. The clause is, however, a disingenuous attempt to gain
support without budging on the stated objective. The wording of the exemption
is so narrow that the only way Catholic organisations will be able to qualify
for the exemption is by refusing to treat non-Catholics.
Despite various organisations, including the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), calling for an amendment,
the Obama administration has refused to do so.
Archbishop Timothy Dolan, of the Archdiocese
of New York, has rightly reacted, as all Catholics should do, by saying that, “To force American citizens to choose between
violating their consciences and forgoing their health care is literally
unconscionable. It is as much an attack on access to health care as on
religious freedom. Historically this represents a challenge and a compromise of
our religious liberty.”[2]
One would think that, since approximately
22% of the US population is Catholic, the USCCB would have tremendous leverage
amongst politicians, especially as they prepare to elect a new President in the
US. Sadly, this does not seem to be the case. Politicians, even Catholic
politicians, feel quite at ease in promoting agendas that oppose the teaching
of the Church, while still being able to rely on the votes from their alleged “Catholic”
supporters.
Catholics all over the world continue to
regularly fall into the trap of deliberately choosing to ignore the truths
taught by the Church. Even worse than ignoring, they choose to
publicise their decision to ignore the Church. Why, I wonder, would you choose
to remain identified as being a Catholic, if you clearly do not agree with the
teaching of the Church or if you have no intention of defending the truths taught
by the Church?
Take the example of the gay marriage
proponents. The Church teaching on this subject is quite clear. Yet, many in
the Church constantly fall into the trap of supporting, publicly, efforts to force
the Church to support and effect gay marriage. Some claim they feel they are being
uncharitable if they do not do so.
Wake up. You are being uncharitable if you,
as a Catholic, manipulate or ignore the truth taught by the Church, in order to
suit an individual or a group of individuals. This Church is not ours to change.
Supporting an individual in making a choice that is, without a shadow of a
doubt, proclaimed by the Church to be a sin, is not charitable. It is leading
that individual into sin and we will be held accountable for these actions.
Let us also not forget that, by supporting
any actions that lead individuals to disobey the Church, such as for example gay marriage, abortion, ordination of women and contraception, we
are actually also actively attacking the Church. If we dissent from the truths
taught by the Church, no matter how good our intentions may be, we are
systematically working towards the total destruction of the Church.
How many people do you know that will claim
to be a member of a particular political party, if they did not share the
values of that political party? People are very quick to divorce themselves
from a political party that does not support their values and political agenda.
Yet, in a matter as serious as ones faith, people remain “Catholic”, despite
not believing or supporting what the Church teaches.
This is so strange. We are clearly not in
the same position that Luther found himself in, during 1517, when he felt he
had no option but to present the 95 Theses. We have so many options available
to us today. There are that many Christian denominations to choose from. For
goodness sake, find one that does teach what you believe. Then move on and stop
pretending to be what your actions clearly say you are not! In doing so you
remain true to your beliefs and you do not destroy the beliefs of others.
At this point, I am unable to refrain from
introducing my pet subject, the Catholic media. In my mind, there is only one
thing worse than an individual who claims to be Catholic, even though the
individual does not believe in the truths taught by the Church. It is when an
organisation does so! Why, I ask you, would a newspaper freely choose to take
on the character of being Catholic, if the newspaper does not believe
completely the truths taught by the Catholic Church? This is simply deception, for the benefit of the profits that the newspaper relies on. How are they
different to Judas in this behaviour?
I really wish the bishops throughout the
world would have the courage to refuse permission, for any newspaper or
magazine to be sold on Church premises, if it chooses to publish any material which
challenges church teaching in any way, no matter how subtly and no matter what
the stated purpose. (I don’t buy the excuse of encouraging debate or being a
source of catechesis.) Chuck them out until they again show their willingness, through
content, to conform completely to Church teaching!
Catholics, and by this I mean all Catholics
who truly believe completely in all the truths taught by the Church, must join
forces and begin to defend the Church vociferously from all attempts, by alleged
“Catholic” individuals and organisations, to destroy our Church. We need to
stop being naïve. Let us not fall into the trap of believing that their
intentions are good, when their actions clearly say otherwise. Never forget
that, even if their intentions are good, their actions are no less destructive
to the Church.
“"The Church" is the People that God gathers in the whole
world. She exists in local communities and is made real as a liturgical, above
all a Eucharistic, assembly. She draws her life from the word and the Body of
Christ and so herself becomes Christ's Body.”[3]
If we truly believe that the Church is the body
of Christ shining out in the world then we must defend her like we claim we
would defend our Lord himself.
Brilliant Mark and thank you. Indeed we must start taking our faith more seriously and come to realize that She is under attack. What is of greater concern though, as you so rightly point out, is the attack that is coming within the Church. We seriously need to pray for these people that they may wake up and realize what damage they are doing.
ReplyDeleteOn the “Catholic Newspaper” I couldn’t agree more. I feel obliged to write a letter to His Excellency in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg that selling the Scross at our Church’s be stopped until the newspaper changes the way it does things. I’m not sure if it make a difference, but I will most certainly try.