Posted on 11/11/2004 5:56:05 AM PST by Land of the Irish
VATICAN CITY - (KRT) - Surveying the world beyond the cloistered walls of its Roman enclave, the Vatican sees much to worry about: Terrorism, war, AIDS and poverty are ravaging the lives of many of its constituents around the globe.
But of all the ills afflicting the modern world, none is causing deeper concern than the rising tide of what Vatican officials call "militant secularism" washing over Europe, its home turf.
The symptoms of that have been piling up thick and fast in recent months:
_In traditionally Roman Catholic Spain, a new socialist government is aggressively promoting legislation that will permit gay marriage, facilitate abortion and speed up divorce.
_In historically Catholic France, the government's ban on the display of "conspicuous" religious symbols in state institutions stirred controversy because it prevented Muslim girls from wearing veils to school, but it also outlawed Christian symbols such as crucifixes.
_And perhaps most galling of all, the new European constitution signed with much fanfare last month just across the river from the Holy See contained no mention of Christianity, despite a vigorous campaign led by the pope for a reference to Europe's "Christian roots" to be included in the preamble.
Vatican officials say they accept that a Europe with a growing Muslim population cannot describe itself as Christian. But the absence of any reference to Christianity came as a bitter blow for an institution that in centuries past laid down the law for the continent's secular rulers.
For the ailing Pope John Paul II, whose 26-year papacy has been marked by a dramatic expansion of the Vatican's authority worldwide, Catholicism's waning influence in Europe is a source of deep dismay, Vatican officials say. The pontiff expressed his regret about the constitution to worshipers at last Sunday's mass in St. Peter's Square, urging Christians to continue to lobby Brussels.
"Taking into account the Christian roots of the European continent remains fundamental for the future development of the union," he told the pilgrims in a voice that witnesses said was stronger than usual.
The omission is more than symbolic; had the reference been included, the Vatican would have been able to challenge Europe-wide legislation that conflicted with its own teachings as unconstitutional, said Marco Politi, the Vatican correspondent for Italy's La Repubblica newspaper.
Instead, the church fears that its teachings will be swept aside, even in countries where its authority still holds sway, by the emerging new European bureaucracy.
"There's a real feeling that the church is under an attack, an aggression, and that it must defend itself against this wave of de-Christianization," Politi said.
The Vatican long ago surrendered authority over the largely Protestant nations of Northern Europe, which broke, often bloodily, with Catholicism in centuries past. Gay marriage is legal in Belgium and the Netherlands, and some form of same-sex union is recognized in several other countries. Britain is making huge strides in the field of embryonic stem cell research. Abortion and divorce are readily available in many European nations.
The prospect that such practices could take hold even in staunchly Catholic strongholds is being perceived by some powerful church figures as a threat to Christianity's very existence. In much publicized comments last month, Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, attacked what he called a "new holy inquisition" targeting Catholicism in Europe by groups "motivated predominantly by prejudice toward all that is Christian."
It's not just a question of Christianity, or even Catholicism, said Archbishop John Foley, head of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
"There's this militant secularism, a denial of spirituality, of the destiny of the human person, and it's a great concern," he said. "A number of Muslim countries are closer to us on these issues than some of the European countries."
The Vatican intends to fight back. It is encouraging churches in Spain to protest the government's legislation. It is constantly exploring new ways to remain relevant to ordinary Catholics. A new Vatican radio program features cardinals discussing soccer. A newly published Vatican-endorsed sex manual called "It's a Sin Not to Do It" encourages married couples to have more sex.
But Politi, a veteran Vatican watcher, suspects it is too late for the Vatican to reverse the tide.
"All they can do is protest. They can't do more," he said. "The fact is that the church in Europe represents a minority view. So many countries and most public opinion simply don't support the stance of the Catholic Church any longer."
Ping
Maybe the Pope will think twice about trashing the US next time.
And that's just within the Church.
Thank VatII for all these good things.
This is a bit like someone who torches their own house to collect the insurance money and, as they're watching it go up in flames, remembers that they left a sack of cash in the closet.
Now who, pray tell, is responsible for that?
Instead of "reaching out" (oh, how I despise that term) to voodooists, Budhists, bare-breasted polynesian lasses and letting the European and North American Catholic Churches "do their own thing," the Vatican should have been doing God's work in maintaining the Roman Catholic Church's position as a Beacon of Moral and Theological example for all!
tsk, tsk, tsk, They must've just completely forgotten that everyone gets to heaven by belonging to the soul of the church, right?
What is most stunning is the thread of denial that has been running throughout the Vatican for so many years. While the Cardinal-Politicians were busy attacking America for bringing Democracy to Iraq, they were blind to the deterioration of the Church on their own doorstep.
The Church is becoming increasingly isolated in Europe. The Pope's evangelization efforts in Asian and Africa loom even more important in hindsight.
The EU constitution is a suicide pact for the continent. The absence of Christianity is only a symptom of the Secularist revolution which will ironically usher in the harshest of theocracies (Sharia) in due time.
My beloved Church would do well to look at the efforts of rank-and-file Catholics in America devoted to the Blessed Sacrament, holding politicians accountable for their hypocrisy, and working hard to drive Satan out of our seminaries...
Quick, fire up the Vatican printing presses, time for another book on poetry and 3 - 400 page encyclicals.
Perhaps another Interfaith confab at Fatima will do the trick?
"Pope dismayed by Catholic Church's waning influence in Europe"
The only sensible response I can think of to this statement is:
"Well, doooooooooohhhhhhhhh!!!!............."
Has he been asleep for the past 40 years? He and his secretariat of state have been pushing the great "European project" for his entire pontificate - encouraging Catholic nations from the Eastern bloc to sign up as well - and only now they realise what a cesspit of atheism it is!!!
Big mistake, huge!.
The Vatican's intense campaign against America's venture into Iraq energized the Left even more all over Europe. One result was the fall of Aznar's govt in Spain following the terrorist attacks. Now the Vatican is shocked and unhappy with the anti-Christian policies of the new left-wing Spanish administration .....makes you wonder how smart some of these "Cardinal-politicians" are.
This is like dumbass leftists in the Netherlands shocked at the "intolerance" of the millions of Arabs in their midst. Who is dumber: the European leftists or the Vatican II-istas? Oh wait, same thing.
Yep, that Vatican II really worked out well, didn't it? That and turning a blind eye to priests molesting kids all over the world.
Hey, let's grab a guitar, go to Mass (is it still capitalized?) and sing some of the new hymns that nobody knows with words that make you cringe. Then we can listen to the priest who did my little brother tell us that we are "one with Jesus in Christ." (Actual quote, what on earth does it mean?)
Most of the clergy on this side of the pond have gone off the deep end and their European counterparts are likely much the same, given what we learned recently about the Austrian seminary.
I guess this topic really pushes my buttons but here's another thought for the Pope.
He's concerned about the Church's waning influence over the people? Well, the people, for a long time, have been concerned about their waning influence over the Church. The Church, with its long-time tin ear, is reaping what it sowed.
Yo, Pope, try this: Sell some fancy oceanfront priest retreats instead of shutting down St. Bernards in West Newton, Mass., so you can get your hands on the endowment. Cardinal Cushing ripped them off in the school-building drive 40 years ago. How many times do you think you can kick that dog?
Signed, the lead altar boy at the ripoff Mass.
Whose fault is this? On whose watch has this happened? Whose liberalism and weakness of faith and self-doubt has encouraged the rising tide of secularism? When will Rome finally stop defending a failed council and admit the futility of its rejection of Tradition the past forty years?
He has only himself to blame.
The above report doesn't mention Buttiglione's ouster by the European Parliament. Here are some interesting comments he has made by the guy who's replacing him:
"Buttiglione hints EU successor may be a Mason
Rome, Nov. 10 (CWNews.com) - Rocco Buttiglione, whose nomination to the European Commission was rejected because of his staunch Catholic beliefs, has hinted that the Italian nominee who took his place is a Freemason.
Buttiglione offered his best wishes to Franco Frattini, the Italian foreign minister, who is being put forward on a new slate of European Commission nominees offered by the incoming European President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso. But then Buttiglione added a warning shot, saying that during Frattini's confirmation hearings, "I hope nobody asks him if he is a Freemason."
It was not clear whether Buttiglione was actually charging that Frattini is a Freemason, or indicating that the new Italian nominee could be subjected to false accusations-- as Buttiglione says he was.
Buttiglione, who is known as a devout Catholic and personal friend of Pope John Paul, was harshly criticized for his stance against homosexual activities. He has pointed out repeatedly that he was not advancing plans to outlaw homosexuality, but only stating his personal views. Buttiglione has charged that the European parliament, in rejecting his nomination, was guilty of unfair discrimination.
The Masonic movement is legal, but highly unpopular, in Italy today. Scandals involving the exposure of Masonic lodges during the 1980s resulted in the collapse of the Christian Democratic government."
And the U.S. will slavishly follow the European example. Judge Moore's defense of the ten commandments in Alabama springs to mind. No need to worry, though; the "conservative" Catholic secularists on this forum cannot WAIT until we are just as secular as the EU.
Oh I forgot, the Catholic Church thinks in terms of centuries. Apparently only the centuries since the French Revolution.
Please cite where in the Vatican II documents "militant secularism" was taught by the Church.
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