A follow-up to Rob

Having just read Rob’s post, I cannot disagree with much of his assessment of Laurie Goodstein’s piece today in The New York Times.

I don’t have much to add either other than to underscore the point that the Goodstein article is not really news reporting but rather is an effort designed to put pressure on faithful Catholics—meaning those who believe in and live the Church’s teachings. “The bishops” (a phrase which Ms. Goodstein over-uses—she utilizes it twelve times; I wonder if I could use in this posting “The Times” twelve times to offer a similar displeasure, but I digress) probably would not have to exercise as much of their teaching authority on the neuralgic issues if “The Times” and other media and cultural outlets didn’t focus on the morally problematic by promoting it as the morally desirable and righteous. The shepherds of the Church are doing their job and they must continue to do so.

As far as the assertion that the successors of the Apostles are speaking “in hushed tones” on the other important issues of the day, this is simply not true. One need only read diocesan newspapers containing pastoral messages or regularly view the USCCB’s webpage for starters to know that the assertion of Faith in Public Life is flawed. Ah, but if “The Times” doesn’t report these matters, then the bishops must be speaking “in hushed tones.”

I fear “The Times” would like to see the shepherds of the Church abandon their important and essential teaching office. But I don’t think they will do this. The pressure on them to do this exists without doubt as it exists on many of the faithful who work in the temporal world to bring the Good News to everyone.

Yet the members of the Church must not lose faith; neither must they be afraid even of “The Times.” Right now the pressure on the Church is subtle, but it is also becoming less so.

Hence all the faithful need to recall the dangers posed by the “enlightened culture of the day” highlighted by Christopher Dawson many years ago when he noted that if Christians cannot assert their right to exist, “they will eventually be pushed not only out of modern culture but out of physical existence.” He knew that the totalitarian state of the first half of the twentieth century was capable of doing this. But he also forecast that the western democracies possessed the capacity to do the same.

“The bishops” are doing what they are called to do to see that this does not happen. Clearly this annoys those who would like to see the Church that Christ gave us disappear. But the shepherds are meeting their charge and guarding their flock with grace, prudence, and courage. Nolite timere!

 

RJA sj