Posted on 11/19/2012 2:54:19 PM PST by NYer
.- The current Year of Faith is an opportunity to counter the cultural relativism that plagues modern society and that has led many in the Church to deny Catholic teaching on important topics, said Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia.
“The appropriate response to relativism is faith, where you no longer are the center of the universe, you are no longer the one who decides what’s true, but you commit yourself in faith to God’s truth,” he told CNA on Nov. 12.
Among the biggest current challenges for the Church in the U.S. is addressing those “who say they’re Catholic but don’t believe what the Catholic Church teaches,” the archbishop stated. “The hardest thing is to convince them that they need to change.”
“So many people just think they’re Catholic already and think that they have a right to decide for themselves what’s Catholic and what’s not,” he observed, adding that “we’re just not getting through to them because they don’t think they need to be gotten through to.”
“It’s true about all of us,” he said. “Those who most need conversion are the ones who don’t think they need conversion.”
That means “it’s easier for the Church to convince people who are not Catholics of the truth of Catholicism than to convince Catholics who aren’t true believers that they ought to change,” he said.
Archbishop Chaput thinks that the root of the problem “is the cultural relativism that Pope Benedict speaks about all the time.” And it has “deeply infected” the life of the country and many of the people in the Church.
“I think that’s the result of poor catechesis for a couple of generations,” he said, explaining that people genuinely think that they can “decide for themselves what it means to be Catholic.”
However, the archbishop said that he also sees opportunities amidst the challenges.
“I think the Holy Father has given us an extraordinary framework in which to evangelize – the Year of Faith,” he said. “It’s an act of God’s providence that he declared this period of time for that purpose.”
Announced by Pope Benedict XVI, the Year of Faith began on Oct. 11, 2012 and runs through Nov. 24, 2013. During this year, the Pope is asking Catholics to study and reflect on the catechism and documents of the Second Vatican Council to grow deeper in their faith, so that they can be witnesses to others.
Archbishop Chaput described the Year of Faith as a tremendous blessing for the Church in the U.S. as it faces the challenges of the culture.
He is also hopeful because the American bishops are increasingly becoming more aware of the problem of cultural relativism and the need to address it.
“For a long time, we weren’t even talking about this as an issue,” he said. “And you could see it creeping into the Church everywhere.”
This new awareness on the part of the bishops, coupled with the call to conversion and witness that is part of the Year of Faith, offers an opportunity for the Church in America to be renewed and grow stronger, he said.
Lay Catholics who are sincere about participating in the Year of Faith should encourage their pastors “to develop programs in the parish to promote the New Evangelization,” the archbishop advised.
“Because sometimes, priests might not think that anybody’s interested in that.”
“Lay people generally think that if the bishop pushes priests, it will get done,” he said. “My experience is that it also takes the people in the pews to push from the other direction to get the priests’ attention.”
This involves not only asking the priest to do things, but the laity volunteering to do things themselves, Archbishop Chaput said.
“If they do that, I think there are going to be great changes.”
Encouraging news! Personally speaking, I am responsible for our parish bulletin. Having served for several years as Director for Religious Education, I am using the bulletin as a way to 'educate' the parishioners via a column entitled 'Year of Faith'. Last week, I wrote on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and supplemented the information with a discourse between Pope Benedict XVI and a group of children preparing for their First Communion. One child commented that his teacher told him that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist but the child was confused and said "I can't see him". To this the pope noted that we don't see electricity but when we flip a switch in the house, the lights turn on. We can't see reason but we know it is true because we use it every day.
Yesterday, one of the parishioners pulled me aside and applauded that article. It had touched her heart and she was enjoying the weekly series. That feedback was very welcome and important in shaping how I continue to pursue the weekly articles. We are all called upon to evangelize; sometimes that must begin at home.
(And, thanks for all your posts and pings! They are truly appreciated.)
Hey NYer — can we impose upon you to copy your weekly bulletin articles, and post them here for us to read too?
(And, thanks for all your posts and pings! They are truly appreciated.)
_____________________________
Ditto...
;-)
Good job. I think one of your columns should probably be titled Yes, Virginia there really is a place called HELL. I have heard life long Catholics claim there is no sin attached to breaking church laws, there is no need to confess to a priest, purgatory doesn’t exist. It’s so sad.
Actually, they all began here :-) Over the years, we have discussed many of these topics and the weekly column in the bulletin is a drawn from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. How better to catechize the adults than through a weekly bulletin they all read. But, thank you!
Excellent suggestion! I'll save that one for Lent. For the most part, these parishioners are steadfast in their faith. Many of them have immigrated from the Middle East where that faith has been tested for centuries.
Your columns sound great. Bravo!
**”For a long time, we weren’t even talking about this as an issue,” he said. “And you could see it creeping into the Church everywhere.”
This new awareness on the part of the bishops, coupled with the call to conversion and witness that is part of the Year of Faith, offers an opportunity for the Church in America to be renewed and grow stronger, he said.
Lay Catholics who are sincere about participating in the Year of Faith should encourage their pastors “to develop programs in the parish to promote the New Evangelization,” the archbishop advised.
“Because sometimes, priests might not think that anybody’s interested in that.”
“Lay people generally think that if the bishop pushes priests, it will get done,” he said. “My experience is that it also takes the people in the pews to push from the other direction to get the priests’ attention.”**
BTTT for all of this!
Archbishop Chaput says Year of Faith holds solution to relativism
Following the Truth: The Year Of Faith – 10 Things You Should Know [Catholic Caucus]
Papal Encyclical on Faith Announced
On the Desire for God
On the Ecclesial Nature of Faith
On the Nature of Faith
Catechism's benefits explained for Year of Faith (Catholic Caucus)
A Life of Faith: Papal Theologian Speaks on the Grace of Faith
ASIA/LAOS - "Year of Faith" amid the persecutions of Christians forced to become "animists"
From no faith to a mountain-top of meaning: Father John Nepil (Catholic Caucus)
Living the Year of Faith: How Pope Benedict Wants You to Begin [Catholic Caucus]
Share Your Faith in This Year of Faith: Two keys to help you do it.
On A New Series of Audiences for The Year of Faith
Pope will deliver year-long teaching series on restoring faith
Pope Benedict XVI Grants Plenary Indulgence to Faithful [Catholic Caucus]
Pope, at Marian shrine, entrusts Year of Faith, synod to Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Catholic Church Calls for Public Prayers in Offices on Fridays
Highlights in the Plan for Year of Faith: Traditional Events Will Take on Special Perspective
Catholic Church calls for public prayers in offices on Fridays
Vatican Unveils Logo for Year of Faith [Catholic Caucus]
Miami Prelate Recalls Pope's Visit to Cuba, Looks to Year of Faith [Catholic Caucus]
The World-Changing Year of Faith [Catholic Caucus]
Vatican to Issue Recommendations for Celebrating Year of Faith
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