Will Catholics dare to be countercultural and prophetic in these threatening times?
On the other hand, I believe that there is an urgency to educate others as to the reality of the horrors that are going on all around us and help motivate them to join in the movement. There is an urgency to display evil for what it is -- to bring it out into the open -- especially to those who might act and fight for what is right if they were only aware of the situation and knew what to do. Sadly, there are still many people out there who need to be educated on the situation. And, there are those who need and may even desire to be told what they need to do to help change things.
According to Sawicki's article, it took an outspoken Canadian Bishop, Frederick Henry of Calgary, to recently pronounce what all Catholic Bishops and priests should publicly state: “Too many Catholics are too complacent.”
I am so happy to see Catholic clergy speaking up on this issue -- that is the way it should be!
Bishop Henry called upon Catholics to “push back” against the overwhelming forces of secularism in our society. “We are not nearly countercultural enough or prophetic enough. Catholics need to feel more obliged than ever not to neglect their duties as citizens in this world. Theirs is the task of contributing with the light of the Gospel to the building of a more humane world, a world fully in harmony with God’s [Divine] plan.”
Yes, we, as Catholics, have an important role to play. We can no longer remain indifferent! God calls us to partake in his Divine plan. He calls us each by name to evangelize -- to go forth and preach the gospel to all nations. We are each called to go out into the marketplace -- our work, our homes, our parishes and stir things up a bit. To remain in unity with Him and His plan for our lives and the lives of others, we must say "Yes" to this calling.
As the Church in Canada faces increasing attempts by the government to privatize and marginalize religion, resulting in increased discrimination and restrictions – even arrest - he suggested that the Human Rights Commissions and Tribunals “will in all likelihood act as the thought police” in coming years, to demand politically correct thinking by force.
This is already happening in our society today and we can not let it continue to escalate!
It is that “politically correct” thinking that so many so-called “Catholic” politicians in Congress have bought into. Somehow they become morally incoherent to their fundamental religious convictions regarding the human person and obligations to uphold the truth when they venture into the political sphere. They act in a manner scandalous to the faithful, harmful to society, and gravely immoral.
We all know who these liberal Democratic & (yes, and even a few) Republican politicians are, so there is no need to name names here.
I would urge my fellow Catholics not to support candidates for office who call themselves "Catholics," but deny the fundamental truths of their faith, and bring scandal to themselves and the Church.
Election year 2006 is the time for “complacent” Catholics to come alive and clearly express their opposition to duplicitous candidates who abandon their moral convictions as they exit the Church door. These hypocritical politicians are clearly in support of a national movement aimed at attacking our traditional Christian culture and beliefs.
Will Catholics dare to be countercultural and prophetic in these threatening times?
My thanks go out to Larry for bringing this article to my attention!
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