J.M.J.
A November 11, 2005 Catholic News Service (CNS)
article entitled “Mass absence—Poll reveals most American Catholics believe Mass
attendance not obligatory,” published in Catholic Online, reported
on a national survey of Catholics in the United States. The result of the poll?
76 percent of the respondents maintained that “they could be good Catholics
without fulfilling the weekly Mass obligation.”
And that is not all. “A majority also said that a
person could be a good Catholic without obeying church teachings on birth
control, on abortion and on divorce and remarriage.”
The CNS text goes on to describe how Mass attendance
compares between older and younger Catholics as well as to mention various
other topics from which many of those polled freely dissent.
One could spend much time debating the findings. Who
were the participants? How were the questions stated? Did the inquirers
demonstrate a bias?
Although those are legitimate concerns whenever
evaluating a survey, perhaps our time would be better spent if instead of
arguing as to whether the majority of Catholics in the United States adopt such
positions, we acknowledge that, evidently, whether a majority or not, quite a
few do.
This realization is both disappointing and sad, but
very real, nevertheless. A large number of Catholics in our country appear to choose
their “own way” in accepting—in effect, rejecting—the fullness of the Catholic
Faith.
This discouraging fact of public dissent from the
authoritative and monolithic Teaching of the Church, agonizing as it is, must
not diminish the esteem for the proclamations of the Magisterium. Christ
Himself, Who is the basis for all of the Church’s doctrines, spoke the
“difficult words,” particularly in the famous “Bread of Life Discourse,” even
when He knew that some of His followers would abandon Him (see Saint John 6:60-71).
More than ever, we must pray and fast for those
Catholics who, for whatever reason, spurn the Church’s mandates. Furthermore,
we must make a pointed effort to know what the Church teaches and to embrace
it, convinced that when the Vicar of Christ speaks in specific matters, it is
the Voice of Jesus that we hear. “He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects
you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him Who sent Me.” (Saint Luke
10:16)
Finally, we confess that by virtue of our Baptism, we
are teachers and evangelists. Our words and actions can sway other Catholics to
adhere anew to the Teaching of the Church. Should we be ridiculed for standing
up and promoting the Truth, then we will take solace from the perennially
comforting words of Our Savior, Jesus Christ: “Blessed are you when men revile
you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My
account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in Heaven, for so men
persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Saint Matthew 5:11-12)
O Mary, Mother of the Church, help us and all
Catholics to obey your Divine Son as He presents the Truth to us through the
only Church that He founded.
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