Sixth Sunday of Easter (Acts: 15:1-2, 22-29) “Are Catholics Fundamentalists?”
Sixth Sunday of Easter (Acts: 15:1-2, 22-29) “Are Catholics Fundamentalists?”
“All men and women form one community. This is so because all descend from the one stock which God created to populate the entire earth….and because all share a common destiny, namely God.” (Declaration on the Relation of the Church to non-Christian Religions). These are words from the Second Vatican Council. The Council wrestled with how the church would deal with pluralism in society almost sixty years ago. The diversity has become even more complex since then.
But this is the way it has been for two thousand years. At key moments, the Church could have faded into obscurity, but for some reason the church made choices that led to tremendous growth. Four moments stand out.
The first concerns the episode we read about in the Acts of the Apostles today. We read about the Council of Jerusalem. One line grabs our attention at the start of the story, “There was no little dissension and debate.” That was a polite way of saying that there was a heck of an argument. As modern people we find it odd that the first great argument in church history was over circumcision. We guess that perhaps non-Christian men did not want to undergo a painful medical procedure to follow Christ, but it was more than that. The devout Jewish Christians realized that if they compromised then this would mean other practices of the Jewish faith would be irrelevant. Jerusalem might no longer be the center of Jewish faith. Jewish Christians would not be the sole arbiters of the ethical norms that would guide believers. To put it simply, it was about who would make decisions. Paul won the argument. Christianity followed the promptings of the Spirit. Power was shared. The consequence was explosive growth. Christianity became the largest religion of the Western world.
The second key moment in Christian history happened at the time of the reformation in the 16th Century. The argument that occurred at that time about whether the Catholic Church was the sole dispenser of grace. Reformers said the corruption of the church had compromised her authority. New Christian Churches emerged. But also, there was a massive reform in the Catholic Church. Roman Catholic Missionaries traveled throughout the world. Catholic Churches were started on five continents.
The third great event was Vatican Council II. Again, there were arguments in the church over governance. Would Western Europe continue to dominate the church? Or would the church be a worldwide church? Vatican II led to shared governance and a greater respect of diverse cultures. Again, there was explosive growth. The church has doubled its membership the last 60 years.
Which leads us to the present moment in church history. Again, there are arguments going on in the church. We have a polarized world, don’t we? The polarization has spilled over into the church. And the issue once more is about power. Will the economically powerful control the church? Or will the poor who cry out for justice exert influence on the church? We could paint the struggle as some have as a struggle between the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. The church in the North seems to be struggling as agnosticism and atheism take hold. Some in the North would say the way to save the church is to keep the church the way it is. Many are like those Jewish Christians in the 1st century. There are many who say there is only one way, our way. But do we ask what Jesus would say.
Jesus’ view of the nature of the church is presented in John 14:2 where he said, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” Perhaps we might translate that as rooms. We have a choice between a fundamentalist Christianity that says that there is only one room in the Father’s house and that is our room. Or there are many rooms? Catholicism, through the ages, has often moved from fundamentalism to charity. Jesus had no room for intolerance, religious bigotry, racism, economic injustice, political infighting, in his Kingdom. When the church proclaims this message, it grows.
What does this way of being represent? Does it exemplify a vanilla Christianity that doesn’t take a stand? Or does it reflect the desire to listen to the Holy Spirit and move towards greater love of our neighbor. Ultimately, the Gospel message will prevail as it always has. When that happens, a great power will be released, the power of the Spirit, a power will not be stifled.
Reflection Questions:
- Am I a fundamentalist? How do I know?
- Does the Spirit bring surprise? Does the Spirit maintain the status quo?
Dear Parishioners,
Memorial Day we always have Masses in our Catholic Cemeteries. This Monday there will be a Mass at Calvary Cemetery in Rock Island at 9:00 a.m. and St. Mary Cemetery in Moline at 9:30 a.m. Please bring your own chairs if you are coming to St. Mary.
Memorial Day began as a day to remember all those who have died in our nation’s wars. The day was called Armistice Day (The Day WWI ended) when it started, but now we remember all those who have died.
We are reminded of the importance of cemeteries on this day. In the present day, many seem to feel like a dignified resting place for the dead is unimportant. Perhaps it has to do with our American values system which is all about individual freedom. We need to personalize everything. Everything is about “me.” I want to be able to scatter my remains at a sports stadium, throw them in a lake, etc. because that represents my life.
Once it was thought that the ultimate insult was to try and destroy evidence that someone ever existed. Bodies were burned, ashes were scattered as a way obliterating the fact that another person lived.
In contrast to that idea was how soldiers’ bodies were treated. In war, bodies were not left on a battlefield, but the desire was for the body of a soldier to be returned to his home country “for a fitting burial.” We are still retrieving American soldiers from Asia to be buried to this day. It is a sad fact that Ukraine must ask Russia to take back the bodies of dead soldiers. This does not seem to be a priority.
The body is sacred. When I go to visit my relatives’ graves it is a way of mourning. When I decorate their graves on Memorial Day, it is a cathartic moment. It would be appropriate and healthy for everyone to celebrate Memorial Day as intended. Take your children to visit the graves of their relatives when you go. It would be a great gift to them. It reinforces the respect we have for human life.
May Our Lady of Peace Pray for Us.
Fr. Mark