By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK
It’s a cold winter and a difficult one for those facing a historic snowstorm in the northeast U.S. as I write this week’s missive. Colder still is the climate in the public square for anyone unwilling to redefine nature and submit, even privately in some cases, to the forced imposition of immorality and legislated disobedience of God.
At a recent deanery meeting of fellow priests I took part in a discussion about the changing cultural climate wherein a minority is imposing its agenda of immoral “dogma” through unjust laws and policies and captive courts. We were reminded of recent developments in this vein, such as Marquette University’s suspension of a tenured political science professor after he blogged about his disapproval of the actions of a teaching assistant there: that assistant forbade a student from discussing an opposing view to same-sex marriage in her class.
Elsewhere a university professor was fired for publishing an article expressing concerns about homosexuality. She lost her wrongful termination lawsuit because the court deemed the university’s action appropriate. The D.C. government revoked religious exemptions that protected Catholic schools and universities from having to provide recognition, funds, and space to groups engaged in political homosexual activity.
These and other legal and social attacks on our ability to freely adhere to, express, and defend our Catholic faith are certain to increase in frequency, according to one of the priests.
“I’m concerned,” he wrote, “that we are not doing enough to challenge this trend, but instead are relying upon others, like our bishops, to confront it, which clearly is ineffective. I feel that we’ll continue to be marginalized and our people will be swept up in this cultural downward spiral because, let’s face it, most Catholics are influenced more by our society than we are by our faith.
“Shouldn’t we begin a discussion and strategize ways to collectively address these issues in our parishes, with our parish leaders, with the intention of informing and mobilizing our people? Our schools, particularly our universities, are under attack and a great many colleges are assuming a culturally friendly approach to these issues in ways that plainly deny our Catholic teachings. Shouldn’t we, as priests, begin to address these issues in a collaborative way?”
One pastor spoke up to share that he is indeed concerned with these issues, but believes that the first step to addressing them and thus the most important matter for Sunday homilies is a relationship with Jesus Christ. When he preaches on Sundays, he places emphasis on the source of Catholic witness in the public square which is Christ Himself, who must be embraced by our active Catholics in a living way by grace through faith.
Another agreed and added to the discussion by saying that conversion of entire families, attendance at Mass by families together, and a life of prayer are the most powerful ways to energize our people for better witness in the public square in opposition to the wholesale sanitizing of God from the social landscape.
I offered the opinion that our people need to learn the practicalities of living their faith in a personal and daily way before being able to witness to that faith in the public square: One cannot give what one does not have. I urged that we teach again about the lives and examples of the Roman martyrs. I joked that we unfortunately do not have soft tufa stone in which to dig the new catacombs as we are forced once again underground by an increasingly hostile culture. That culture more and more resembles the ancient Rome of Nero.
On the national level the homosexualist lobby is turning up the heat in a very effective way with a resulting chilling of public witness in a particularly damaging way. A recent example was the cancellation by well-known public figures of their scheduled commitment to speak at a Legatus conference. Gary Sinise, Bret Baier, and Pete Coors, all three of whom are Catholics, gave into public pressure to distance themselves from Legatus’ Catholic position on sexual immorality.
Legatus adheres to Catholic teaching opposed to all immorality, including any sexual expression outside of marriage between one man and one woman. These public figures canceled their commitments to speak at a Legatus summit in fear of a lobby which threatened to bring down worldly condemnation on their heads if they refused.
Whatever the source of their positions, they show by example that it is possible to be Catholic and avoid “controversy” when challenged to stand up in public for the faith and morals they took an oath to uphold when they became Catholics. The opposite is the truth: Being Catholic increasingly means that we must stand up to the controversy that results from adhering to the Christ the Lord as our Church teaches what this means for us.
The internal life of the Church is weakened and the individual faithful suffer from the effects of liturgical disobedience on the part of priests and bishops. How can the lay faithful be expected to obey the faith in public beyond the walls of our churches when they see a contrary example on the part of priests as they undertake their most important role inside our churches?
“Hi Father: I need some help,” a Catholic man wrote, “as I travel around our country, I continue to find the same issues at Mass. What can be done about the abuses at Mass that continue? I have witnessed about five bishops take part in Mass with no changes to the problems. Do you have any suggestions? Of course I’ve prayed about this. I’ve tried sending the proper response from documented Church teachings. Some [of this] has helped to correct the problems. But for the most part the issues continue. I could list the problems, but I know you understand what I’m talking about. Do you have any suggestions?”
I replied, “Pray that young obedient priests take over the reins in our parishes sooner rather than later. This is a generational problem that will pass only with time in many places. When you meet young traditional priests greet them warmly and let them know of your support and prayers. And thank you.”
Thank you for reading and praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever.
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(Follow on Facebook at Reverendo Padre-Michael Cusick and on Twitter @MCITLFrAphorism. Father blogs occasionally at APriestLife.blogspot.com and mcitl.blogspot.com. You can email him at mcitl.blogspot.com@gmail.com.)
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