We live in serious times for our Church, globally and in the United States. The specter of Religious Freedom has been raised not just in America, but in a multitude of countries throughout world. Divisions have surfaced within the Church, and secularism continues to insert itself into many aspects of the global society. In his comments of May 18, 2012 Pope Benedict XVI had this to say about secularization and state curbs on religious freedom, “…the truth of Christ needs not only to be understood, articulated and defended, but to be proposed joyfully and confidently as the key to authentic human fulfillment and to the welfare of society as a whole.” The Pope also called for greater “Catholic unity” to counter the “forces of disaggregation within the church which increasingly represent a grave obstacle to her mission in the United States.”
As laity we look to the bishops and other Church leadership to teach so that we understand and are formed in Catholic Doctrine. Once we fully understand what and why the Church teaches the way she does, we are in a better position to articulate her teachings and to defend her. Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Doctrine in a communication to his fellow bishops stated that “All the faithful are called to participate in the evangelization and sanctification of the temporal order. It is not enough to rely on the hierarchy alone to address serious social and moral problems in our society. The voice and the engagement of the laity will ultimately determine the direction of our society. Bishops have the responsibility to teach but it falls to the laity to apply that teaching.”
It is incumbent on the laity to seek opportunities for formation about Church teaching. Immediate and helpful personal resources include a Bible, the Catholic Catechism, and the Compendium of Social Doctrine of the Church. Reading various encyclicals and papers of the Church will also facilitate that growth in understanding. A parish library is another great resource to learn about our faith.
How much larger, however, how much more robust, could the Church be in this country with what is estimated to be 22.8 million adults living in the US in 2008 who considered themselves “former” Catholics? How many of them left because of opposition to church teaching, and how many of those understood the rationale for that teaching and tradition. How could we, clergy and laity, have helped to staunch that flow?
At the parish level, the greatest opportunity for weekly formation occurs at the Sunday Masses. It is on these occasions that the laity needs to be reminded and challenged as to the role it plays within the Church. Challenging us to fulfill our moral responsibilities as Catholics will cause some to feel uncomfortable, however, taking up Christ’s cross is not always going to be comfortable. No one said the life of a “practicing” Catholic was going to be easy.
Yes, the voice and the engagement of the laity will ultimately determine the direction of our society. We must insist on transparency, accountability and authentic teaching from Church leaders as the future of our Church rests on our combined resolve and continuous engagement in all issues affecting society. As St. Paul exhorted the Corinthians, an informed, articulate leadership and laity, speaking with one voice, will ensure that we leave a flourishing Church to those who will follow us. PRAY for Church unity. PRAY for Church leadership. PRAY for the laity.