London, GB | Formerly of New York, Buenos Aires, Fife, and the Western Cape. | Saoránach d’Éirinn.

The Victory That Conquers
the World is Our Faith

BACK IN SCOTLAND, there is a cinema I once attended often that served from its snack bar the most watered-down soda in the world. It was still recognizable as cola of some kind, but was watered down to such an extent that, while one wanted a cool refreshing Coke, that was not what was on offer. Consequently, few people took advantage of it. And so it is with the Faith (no, really!). In the past half-century there have been many who have sought to water down Christianity. Sometimes inauspicious clerics (and others) hoped that if we just dumped or ignored this or that part of Christ’s teaching we would be able to win so many more souls for Christ. Sometimes it was an evil attempt to sow the seeds of doubt among the faithful. Sometimes it was an hubristic attempt by the created to overcome the Creator.

The watering down of the Faith, nonetheless, has never produced a more fruitful and more holy church. Everywhere it has been attempted, the result has been confusion and dissension, instead of the concord and unity which God brings to His people. Christ himself taught that “not one iota” — to put it in modern terms, not one cell, not one atom — of God’s teaching would be changed (Mt 5:18).

It is heartening, then, though not at all surprising, to see throughout much of the world a certain reinvigoration in the Church, under the guidance of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. Hearts once thought to be cold as stone have warmed, and fields which once produced only chaff have yielded wheat. From surprising quarters, we hear more and more good news, and the root cause is the unashamed and unabashed proclamation of the Gospel. Pope Benedict is not interested in scolding sinners, but rather in encouraging their repentance and bringing them closer to our Divine Saviour. First and foremost is our love of God, a love which grows stronger and deeper when we live in accordance with that love. Then there is our natural love for one another, which results in our zeal that our friends, family and loved ones should share in that wonderful love of God.

John Allen, the veteran Rome correspondent, has termed this Benedict’s “affirmative orthodoxy”:

By “affirmative orthodoxy,” I mean a tenacious defense of the core elements of classic Catholic doctrine, but presented in a relentlessly positive key. Benedict appears convinced that the gap between the faith and contemporary secular culture, which Paul VI called “the drama of our time,” has its roots in Europe dating from the Reformation, the Wars of Religion, and the Enlightenment, with a resulting tendency to see Christianity as a largely negative system of prohibitions and controls. In effect, Benedict’s project is to reintroduce Christianity from the ground up, in terms of what it’s for rather than what it’s against.

Wherever this affirmative orthodoxy has been maintained, or reintroduced, it has borne fruit.


Madrid, Spain. Protesters — over two million according to Spanish newspapers — pour onto the streets to show their opposition to the Socialist government’s plan to introduce same-sex unions, “express” divorces, and a mandatory curriculum promoting radical secularism in schools.

Colombo, Sri Lanka. Amidst the horrors of an ongoing civil war, rival ethnic groups come together to worship Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, processing Him throughout the capital city, taking him from his tabernacle to bless the world.

Chicago, Illinois. A closed, run-down, inner city parish is reopened by an order of priests devoted to the traditional Latin Mass. Piece by piece, bit by bit, it is renovated and restored, and is dedicated as a shrine to Christ our King, who is crowned and enthroned on the altar by the Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago.

Paris, France. The relics of Saint Genevieve, patron of the “City of Lights” are processed by the faithful through the streets in thanksgiving for the holy woman’s prayers to the Almighty on their behalf. Visiting the Pope in Rome, the President of the Republic, despite the scandals of his own personal life, signals a growing spirit of rapprochement with the Church, which is still legally restricted by the government in ways unimaginable in the United States.

Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist simply don’t have enough room for all the vocations of young women seeking to dedicate their lives to Christ. Sisters are sent out to teach in schools, relieving the families of those parishes of the financial burden of lay teachers while also bringing income to their mother house. The average age of the sisters is 28. Founded only ten years ago, they have 44 sisters, 25 novices, and 10 postulants.

Lancaster, England. The Bishop of Lancaster, Patrick O’Donoghue releases a document promoting enthusiastic adherence to Christ’s teaching in Catholic schools. The document is unabashed in its defense of essential truths and willingly confronts worldliness and secularism. “To be honest,” His Grace writes, “I have been overwhelmed by the positive response! Before Christmas, my office was inundated with congratulations, enquiries, and requests for copies … from within the diocese, from around the country and internationally.”

AND THESE ARE mere snippets. It would be impossible to tell of all the wonderful work that Catholics are doing all over the world for the increase in holiness and the promotion of peace. But they are signs, not only that change for the better is possible, but that Christ answers the prayers of the faithful.

Right now, the General Congregation of the Jesuits is meeting in Rome to select the new Superior General of the order — still the largest in the Church. We should all join with St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Edmund Campion, and the holy Jesuits who have gone before us in praying that the reverend fathers choose wisely, so that the Society of Jesus may once again cling firm to the Saviour whose name they bear.

Yet, needless to say, there is still much to be done! We must pray constantly, especially for our priests and bishops and pope, our monks, nuns, sisters, and brothers, and for all those who have the care of souls, and indeed for all the souls. It’s a long fight. Along the way, parishes will close (but new parishes are opened), and some orders will die out (as new ones are being founded). As the little vicissitudes of our lives wax and wane, we remember that while the world turns, the Cross stands, and as St. Paul wrote in his First Epistle to John: “The victory that conquers the world is our faith”.

Published at 7:24 pm on Monday 7 January 2008. Categories: Church.
Comments

I’m an orthodox Anglican and not a Catholic because I believe “not one cell, not one atom — of God’s teaching would be changed”, but I’m heart-warmed and pleased with the good news in the Roman church, particularly impressed by Benedict, and cheered to bits by this post. You are quite right that watering things down in matters of religion is on the level with cinema beverage dilution. No-one really benefits, and it leaves a very poor taste in the mouth.

— Scott 8 Jan 2008 7:45 pm

Excellent article.

Yes, it is true that many try to water-down the Faith. This is the essence of so-called Cafeteria Catholicism.

As G.K. Chesterton once quipped, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.”

Your readers might enjoy a related post on my blog: “On cafeteria Catholicsm,” http://www.miserere.org/m/archivedposts/271

God bless.

— Alessandro 8 Jan 2008 11:41 pm

Wonderful post! Bravo!

Though I did see something which makes me recommend a refresher:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01137a.htm

— M.J. Ernst-Sandoval 9 Jan 2008 9:37 pm

If Mr. Ernst-Sandoval would be so kind as to point out what prompts the recommendation of his link, it would be most helpful.

— Andrew Cusack 9 Jan 2008 10:24 pm
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