I think people within our Church need to watch they don’t become too cultural or ‘forced’. We can see the dangers of this in countries like France and Italy where Holy Days are remembered but little attention is paid by most people to their actual significance. Religious practice just seems to become part of the landscape and loses all meaning – much the same as it can do in Catholic schools I think.
Sometimes when something is marginalised it actually strengthens people’s faith and the Church because everyone there understands and is fully committed and enthusiastic because otherwise they wouldn’t be there. I think that’s why protestant churches can also sometimes have the upperhand over stale Catholic congregations who don’t understand their faith or feel they have to go to Church out of some guilt complex or family tradition. It seems like a very hard task to know how to approach faith with children – I guess actions always speak louder than words on the part of parents, as does sound teaching and reasoning.
Pope Benedict recently said this month that the mission of the Church– to bring Christ to all mankind– should never be identified with any nation or culture.
The Pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading “You are Peter and upon this rock I shall build my Church.”
“This is the first time that Jesus speaks of the Church,” he said. As he gives Peter the commission to lead the Church, Jesus also indicates the purpose of the Petrine ministry: to build up the Church by protecting against division– by serving as the one rock upon which the Christian community is founded. I have often heard friends say that they don’t like it when people talk about the “New Zealand Catholic Church” as if it is something different from the universal world Church to which we all belong.
The Pope told his audience that he felt the weight of this responsibility, and asked for the prayers of the faithful to help him with his duties. It must be a very hard task being Pope, and bringing together so many different cultures, but I think Pope Benedict is doing well.
Further to the repression of Catholics and other Christians in China, it is sad to hear China’s most prominent “underground” Catholic bishop was arrested on August 24, the day of the Olympic closing ceremony.
Bishop Jia, who is 73, already spent 15 years in prison from 1963 to 1978. Since his release he has been re-arrested at least 12 times; ordinarily he has been detained for a few days of interrogation each time. He has been living under house arrest since 1989. In this year in which the Church is especially remembering St Paul, it is important we realise there are still Christians all around the world who go to prison for their faith, just as Paul did.
During the Olympic Games, Chinese Christians had been warned not to organize public worship. Despite this, about 1,000 Catholics in Zhengding joined Bishop Jia for a Mass celebrating the feast of the Assumption at Wuqiu cathedral on August 15. Some members of the underground Church have predicted a crackdown now the Olympics have finished and media attention decreased.
There’s something beautiful about simplicity, like the way it cuts straight to the point and misses out all the rest. So, instead of another long ramble, I thought I’d share a short anecdote and thought from one far wiser than me.
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