In the aftermath of Pope Francis’ recent visit to America, I am left challenged in the best of ways. Prior to his arrival I was a culture warrior: a person who attacks what is wrong with the culture, particularly the moral, political, and ethical things that go against Christian values. Someone who goes against the grain of society and stands up for the fullness of truth despite what others think.
For the last fourteen months, I have been following the rapid moral decline of our society, particularly regarding marriage, abortion, and assisted suicides. The culture of death that St. Pope John Paul II warned us about in his 1993 encyclical, “Evangelium Vitae,” is enveloping our nation at record speed. Many Catholics, including myself, look to the Church for direction and guidance in dealing with these areas, but little is being mentioned from the pulpit. Except for the few priests who talk about it on Sundays, the only places that seem to address these issues come from Catholic media sources like Relevant Radio or EWTN TV. This is why I was relieved when I first heard of Pope Francis’ plan to visit America for the World Meeting of Families. “Finally,” I thought. “The Vicar of Christ will set foot on U.S. soil to affirm the Catholic Church’s teachings on these moral issues and help us fight our country’s spiritual and culture war.”
Moments away from hearing his live address to our U.S Congress and members of the Senate, I reminisced on Blessed Mother Teresa’s speech at the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast where she said in front of President Clinton and Vice-President Gore, “But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself.” She appeared so small behind the podium, but her directness of Truth was like that of a warrior. These were the kind of words I was hoping to hear from Pope Francis.
To my disappointment, my hope was dampened when his speech concluded without uttering the words “abortion” and “re-definition of marriage.” Abortion was left to interpretation when he “alluded” to it by saying, “The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.” Remember, the pro-abortion supporters typically don’t consider life’s first stage to begin at the moment of conception.
And what about the defense of marriage as being only between man and woman? He said only this: “Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family.” Although this is much better than his abortion reference, he fell well short of informing our nation about the Church’s teachings of marriage and why the re-definition of it is wrong. I was so disappointed that I didn’t know what to think at that moment so I just prayed for understanding.
On the following day, God began revealing the answers to my prayers during the Go Ask Your Father show on Relevant Radio. I was listening to Msgr. Stuart Swetland respond to a Protestant caller’s complimentary comments about Pope Francis, when midway into his response, the light bulb turned on when I heard him tell the caller:
For the last fourteen months, I have been following the rapid moral decline of our society, particularly regarding marriage, abortion, and assisted suicides. The culture of death that St. Pope John Paul II warned us about in his 1993 encyclical, “Evangelium Vitae,” is enveloping our nation at record speed. Many Catholics, including myself, look to the Church for direction and guidance in dealing with these areas, but little is being mentioned from the pulpit. Except for the few priests who talk about it on Sundays, the only places that seem to address these issues come from Catholic media sources like Relevant Radio or EWTN TV. This is why I was relieved when I first heard of Pope Francis’ plan to visit America for the World Meeting of Families. “Finally,” I thought. “The Vicar of Christ will set foot on U.S. soil to affirm the Catholic Church’s teachings on these moral issues and help us fight our country’s spiritual and culture war.”
Moments away from hearing his live address to our U.S Congress and members of the Senate, I reminisced on Blessed Mother Teresa’s speech at the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast where she said in front of President Clinton and Vice-President Gore, “But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself.” She appeared so small behind the podium, but her directness of Truth was like that of a warrior. These were the kind of words I was hoping to hear from Pope Francis.
To my disappointment, my hope was dampened when his speech concluded without uttering the words “abortion” and “re-definition of marriage.” Abortion was left to interpretation when he “alluded” to it by saying, “The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.” Remember, the pro-abortion supporters typically don’t consider life’s first stage to begin at the moment of conception.
And what about the defense of marriage as being only between man and woman? He said only this: “Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family.” Although this is much better than his abortion reference, he fell well short of informing our nation about the Church’s teachings of marriage and why the re-definition of it is wrong. I was so disappointed that I didn’t know what to think at that moment so I just prayed for understanding.
On the following day, God began revealing the answers to my prayers during the Go Ask Your Father show on Relevant Radio. I was listening to Msgr. Stuart Swetland respond to a Protestant caller’s complimentary comments about Pope Francis, when midway into his response, the light bulb turned on when I heard him tell the caller:
. . . I think he’s doing a masterful job of doing what’s necessary to help people move from where we’re at to where we should be, and I think the age of the cultural warrior approach toward Christianity, that we’re just going to be seen as yelling at the culture about all that’s wrong with the culture. I just don’t think that’s going to convert the culture and I don’t think it’s going to convert people. I think the Pope is trying to find a new way for us to dialogue with people. The two things he keeps saying is the theology of encounter – encounter with the living Lord – encounter with the living Jesus Christ – encounter with the merciful love of God, and a culture of dialogue. He’s giving an example of that ability to dialogue with people that quite frankly disagree with him on many things, but he’s starting where maybe there’s some agreement, and maybe out of that agreement something better can happen. Because one of the metaphors the Lord uses for Christians is we’re to be leaven in our society; to raise the whole mess up, like leaven in the dough that raises the whole mess up. So we’re to be leaven in our society, and I think we’re seeing the Pope trying to be that leaven in his teaching and in his witness, and I think he recognizes that if ever the cultural warrior motif would have been effective – it definitely won’t be effective right now in our current place. It’s not going to save the lives of the unborn. It’s not going to change our culture to a culture that respects the natural understanding of marriage. There’s got to be another way to change that, and he’s looking for that way. I don’t know if he has all the answers. I don’t think he believes he has all the answers, but I do think he’s trying to show us a way forward. And one of the attributes to that way forward is to start with those who are marginalized because if we’re really serving them, not only do we serve them, and Christ is present in them in a mystical way, but in doing so we give witness to the wholeness of the Gospel that each life has a great dignity. And if the lives in the margins have dignity, be that the undocumented immigrant or the homeless person or the person suffering from mental illness or drug addiction or whatever, those who commit capital crime – he spoke against the death penalty yesterday; If those lives have value, then from that eventually people should see that the lives in the womb matter, that they count too. I think this maybe a better way to change the culture to a culture more like the fullness of life that we want.”
Moved by what he said, I found myself reflecting on the massive attrition of Catholics today. The fact that 80% of Catholics will leave their Faith by age twenty three has to be on Pope Francis’ mind and heart. How can he, or we for that matter, help keep people from leaving? How can we help bring back those who have left?
Pope Francis demonstrated that we need to begin by including people into our hearts without casting judgment upon their souls, for we are all sinners. By following his example of meeting people where they are and being more inclusive, we stand a better chance of engaging in dialogue. In essence, the Pope took out the “war” out of “culture war” so that we can engage in more dialogue, and thereby help more people encounter Jesus Christ.
Somewhere within this enlightenment, however, I found myself lost in all the disagreements surrounding Pope Francis. It’s apparent that his visit has been politicized on the religious and secular levels. Liberals on the left criticize him for canonizing St. Junipero Serra because they see the saint as a colonizer who harmed the indigenous American Indians. They criticize his stance on protecting life from conception to natural death. Let’s not forget his staunch support for religious freedom.
Conservatives on the right can’t stand the fact that Pope Francis never mentioned the name “Jesus” during his speech to Congress (even though Pope Benedict didn’t mention Jesus’ name at the White House either, and St. Pope John Paul II took the same diplomatic approach). Also, many are disappointed and/or angry about his less-than-direct statements about abortion and marriage during his speech to Congress. Oh, and many certainly don’t like his environmental take on things, particularly on climate change.
To be fair, I agree with both sides on certain issues, and that is why I found myself lost. “What side should I take?” I asked myself. “I thought I was conservative, but now I’m not sure.” Like before, I prayed for the answer.
The answer came to me when I remembered how the late Cardinal Francis George spoke strongly against attaching such labels to the Catholic Faith. In an interview, he said:
Pope Francis demonstrated that we need to begin by including people into our hearts without casting judgment upon their souls, for we are all sinners. By following his example of meeting people where they are and being more inclusive, we stand a better chance of engaging in dialogue. In essence, the Pope took out the “war” out of “culture war” so that we can engage in more dialogue, and thereby help more people encounter Jesus Christ.
Somewhere within this enlightenment, however, I found myself lost in all the disagreements surrounding Pope Francis. It’s apparent that his visit has been politicized on the religious and secular levels. Liberals on the left criticize him for canonizing St. Junipero Serra because they see the saint as a colonizer who harmed the indigenous American Indians. They criticize his stance on protecting life from conception to natural death. Let’s not forget his staunch support for religious freedom.
Conservatives on the right can’t stand the fact that Pope Francis never mentioned the name “Jesus” during his speech to Congress (even though Pope Benedict didn’t mention Jesus’ name at the White House either, and St. Pope John Paul II took the same diplomatic approach). Also, many are disappointed and/or angry about his less-than-direct statements about abortion and marriage during his speech to Congress. Oh, and many certainly don’t like his environmental take on things, particularly on climate change.
To be fair, I agree with both sides on certain issues, and that is why I found myself lost. “What side should I take?” I asked myself. “I thought I was conservative, but now I’m not sure.” Like before, I prayed for the answer.
The answer came to me when I remembered how the late Cardinal Francis George spoke strongly against attaching such labels to the Catholic Faith. In an interview, he said:
“The liberal/conservative thing, I think, is destructive of the Church’s mission and her life. I’ve said that publicly a lot at times. You’re taking a definition that comes out of nowhere, as far as we’re concerned, it’s a modern distinction, and making it the judgment of the Church’s life. It’s because we’re lazy. You put a label on people, you put a label on something, and it saves you the trouble of thinking. . . For us, the category that matters is true/false. I just reject that whole liberal/conservative deformation of the character of our lives. If you’re limited to that, as the press has to be because it can’t talk about the faith in its own terms, then somehow or other you’ve betrayed your vocation as a bishop and a priest.”
On a secular level, I recalled when President Reagan once said something to the extent that there is no left or right – only up and down. Knowing he was a Bible-Faith-based president, I’m pretty sure he didn’t limit that to economics and government, but also included the moral compass of the nation.
For me, it’s simple. I am Catholic. The Pope’s visit encouraged me to be the best version of God’s image that I was created to become. He challenged me to make my Faith the centrality of life, to see life and all its issues through the eyes of my Catholic Faith. He challenged me to see Jesus in everyone, and to meet people where they’re at without judging their souls. To embrace the theology of encounter and dialogue. To “be” the Jesus I believe in.
What am I to do about my warrior mentality though? This remained a dilemma. “Do I just drop it and focus only on being inclusive and accepting to every ideology that I encounter, even if it goes the teachings of my Faith?” I asked myself. Again, after praying about it, the answers were revealed.
On January 26, 1900, President Theodore Roosevelt included in his letter to Henry Sprague the now famous proverb, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” It has been altered since then to “Walk softly and carry a big stick.” Nevertheless, herein is the answer. It would behoove us be more inclusive by speaking or walking softly when first encountering others, thereby creating a more conducive environment for dialogue and encounter. There is a point though, when we need to share the fullness of Truth that is embodied in the teachings of the Church. If we are just accepting of everyone without sharing the Truth, we can fall into the trap of not truly loving our neighbors. We must not be afraid to share the Truth.
Perhaps the most misinterpreted words from Pope Francis are “Who am I to judge.” The secular media took it out of context and now people use it to defend their beliefs against Church teachings. Chris Stefanick does a wonderful job in making the case that we can be "unloving" if we do not speak the truth. Listen for yourself:
For me, it’s simple. I am Catholic. The Pope’s visit encouraged me to be the best version of God’s image that I was created to become. He challenged me to make my Faith the centrality of life, to see life and all its issues through the eyes of my Catholic Faith. He challenged me to see Jesus in everyone, and to meet people where they’re at without judging their souls. To embrace the theology of encounter and dialogue. To “be” the Jesus I believe in.
What am I to do about my warrior mentality though? This remained a dilemma. “Do I just drop it and focus only on being inclusive and accepting to every ideology that I encounter, even if it goes the teachings of my Faith?” I asked myself. Again, after praying about it, the answers were revealed.
On January 26, 1900, President Theodore Roosevelt included in his letter to Henry Sprague the now famous proverb, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” It has been altered since then to “Walk softly and carry a big stick.” Nevertheless, herein is the answer. It would behoove us be more inclusive by speaking or walking softly when first encountering others, thereby creating a more conducive environment for dialogue and encounter. There is a point though, when we need to share the fullness of Truth that is embodied in the teachings of the Church. If we are just accepting of everyone without sharing the Truth, we can fall into the trap of not truly loving our neighbors. We must not be afraid to share the Truth.
Perhaps the most misinterpreted words from Pope Francis are “Who am I to judge.” The secular media took it out of context and now people use it to defend their beliefs against Church teachings. Chris Stefanick does a wonderful job in making the case that we can be "unloving" if we do not speak the truth. Listen for yourself:
Going back to the big stick, think of a young skinny tree compared to a mature oak tree. Naturally, the oak has a much greater chance of standing up to strong winds. The same is true with a well formed Faith grounded in two thousand years of tradition and scripture. When I think about a big stick or tree, Truth comes to mind.
Pope Francis exemplified the unbending strength of our Catholic Faith more so in action than in words. What he “did” spoke more volumes than what he said. To my pleasant surprise, he showed me the warrior side of him that I did not see at first.
He did this by making two unscheduled and unannounced visits while in America. The first was to the Little Sisters of the Poor, wherein he expressed his solidarity in their fight against our government’s Obamacare birth control mandate. No speech about religious freedom could have equaled that action. The second visit was with Kim Davis, the Kentucky County Clerk who was jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to homosexual couples. In that meeting Pope Francis said to her, “Thank you for your courage.” Did he say “courage?” Indeed he did.
You see, despite what anyone might say or suggest, the teachings of the Catholic Church still remains the same, and will not change. The secular media is notorious for twisting, spinning, and taking things out of context so that you think otherwise. So, if you think Pope Francis will somehow change the Church’s teachings on marriage, divorce, annulments, homosexuality, caring for the poor, and whatever else people are misunderstanding – think again. He carries a big stick. He stands for Truth.
In the end, I have come to realize that the cultural warrior motif should be abandoned. Pope Francis is calling us to evangelize, but the new evangelization he encourages demands a new type of warrior that will "be" the joy of the Gospel while fighting the spiritual battle that we of the militant church have been fighting since the fall of man. Above all, we need warriors of Truth and Love.
Pope Francis exemplified the unbending strength of our Catholic Faith more so in action than in words. What he “did” spoke more volumes than what he said. To my pleasant surprise, he showed me the warrior side of him that I did not see at first.
He did this by making two unscheduled and unannounced visits while in America. The first was to the Little Sisters of the Poor, wherein he expressed his solidarity in their fight against our government’s Obamacare birth control mandate. No speech about religious freedom could have equaled that action. The second visit was with Kim Davis, the Kentucky County Clerk who was jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to homosexual couples. In that meeting Pope Francis said to her, “Thank you for your courage.” Did he say “courage?” Indeed he did.
You see, despite what anyone might say or suggest, the teachings of the Catholic Church still remains the same, and will not change. The secular media is notorious for twisting, spinning, and taking things out of context so that you think otherwise. So, if you think Pope Francis will somehow change the Church’s teachings on marriage, divorce, annulments, homosexuality, caring for the poor, and whatever else people are misunderstanding – think again. He carries a big stick. He stands for Truth.
In the end, I have come to realize that the cultural warrior motif should be abandoned. Pope Francis is calling us to evangelize, but the new evangelization he encourages demands a new type of warrior that will "be" the joy of the Gospel while fighting the spiritual battle that we of the militant church have been fighting since the fall of man. Above all, we need warriors of Truth and Love.
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