By JOSEPH MATT
Satan continues to tighten his grip on the direction of our culture. In just the past couple of weeks, our nation has witnessed brutality and evil revealing themselves in shocking and exponential ways.
We have seen the savage murder of a beautiful young Ukrainian immigrant on the Charlotte light rail, the ruthless killing of two young children at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, and now, the assassination of a public figure—Charlie Kirk—murdered for holding ideas contrary to a growing segment of our population. Many within that segment have already succumbed to, and even embraced, the very arguments of Satan himself. Shockingly, some reactions on social media fanned the flames of this evil further by openly celebrating the assassination.
How did we get here? How can such things happen in a nation once founded on faith and moral order? Consider how quickly our culture has embraced abortion on demand—even up to, and after, birth. Reflect on the public acceptance of same-sex marriage, gender mutilation, and the grotesque celebration of abortion, which is the most brutal assault on the most innocent among us. As a society, we have stripped away the value of human life from conception to natural death. Is it any coincidence that we have alienated God from every aspect of everyday life? We now claim the power to determine when life begins and when it ends. In doing so, we have arrogated to ourselves authority that belongs only to God.
We stand at a crossroad. Our civilization hangs in the balance and cannot endure if this trajectory continues. The latest display of unrestrained evil should serve as a turning point—ironically, the very name of the organization Charlie Kirk founded and built. Encouragingly, even in the face of his death, Turning Point is experiencing renewed interest and growth, suggesting that truth still resonates and that hope is not lost.
The words of the late Cardinal Francis George have never rung more true: “I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison, and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the Church has done so often in human history.”
The steady removal of God from every corner of society—our institutions, government, media, schools, churches, and even families—lies at the root of our present decay. Today, the battle lines between good and evil are drawn more clearly than ever. The solution, though difficult, is not complicated: we must bring God back into our homes, our institutions, and the public square.
If we are to learn anything from these recent atrocities, it should be this: we must be emboldened, not silenced. We must ignite within ourselves a fire to live the Gospel of Christ and bring His truth to the world. This week, The Wanderer features a homily by Fr. Johnson that speaks powerfully and directly to this urgent call. Preached just one week before the Kirk assassination, his words remind us of where renewal must begin—within each of us.
The Catholic laity, and Christians across the world, desperately need more messages like his. Our clergy and shepherds must speak with courage and clarity, and we must echo that among our families and the people we interact with throughout our lives. Silence is no longer an option.
