Catholic Action

The connotation for that name has changed considerably over time and continents.

In the churches and universities of America, a new activism is gaining momentum. It was generated by last year’s elections and its consequences, and ongoing social policy formation gives it forward thrust. Stories in the news keep the focus on what the Catholic identity is, and what actions ought to flow from that or not.

The Georgetown affair is the latest glaring example. Cultural Catholics, Fr. Sirico contends, are now so assimilated in a culture hostile to their religion, they are virtually indistinguishable from Americans whose social views are not informed by faith.

If this thesis is correct, then it is not far-fetched to assert that nominal Catholics are in the midst of an identity crisis. They are embarrassed by the distinctiveness of their more faithful brethren who observe fast days, don’t approve of abortion, think marriage is what their grandparents thought it was, and hold conservative views on the other hot-button issues that Catholics in public life frequently get asked about by reporters.

Of course, nominal Catholics would deny such an identity crisis. We simply believe in a pluralistic and tolerant society, they would insist. But if the Georgetown episode doesn’t reflect an identity crisis — the religious family that was once the Church’s leading defender blots out their name (Jesuit) and their historic inspiration (Jesus) — then what does?

Think of it: A Catholic university was willing to cover up the name of Jesus, hide it from the cameras, because the president of the United States was coming and asked them to do so. The fact alone gives me chills.

Cultural confusion deepens.

We have come to the point that the most significant contribution Georgetown or Notre Dame could make to society’s diversity would be to become, once again, Catholic — and not be embarrassed about it.

Which is a prescription another priest calls for, in so many words, to reverse another (and related) tendency: Catholic inaction. This snip especially nails it:

In the older paradigm, Catholics had a clear identity with the Church; their subsequent inactivity violated that identity.

But in the newer paradigm, we acknowledge younger generations who have a relatively weak identity with the Church; because of this, there is no clear pattern for them to violate or betray.