Building a Culture

Not a Campaign

While this is an early installment of the Vocational Crisis series, it is also somewhat tangential, but hopefully I can convince you that it is connected, so that we can all work together moving forward!

Pope John Paul II, now St. John Paul said of missionary work that:

The Church proposes; she imposes nothing. She respects individuals and cultures, and she honors the sanctuary of conscience. To those who for various reasons oppose missionary activity, the Church repeats: Open the doors to Christ!

— St. John Paul II, encyclical letter Redemptoris Missio (Mission of the Redeemer), 39

We need to do more work to build a Catholic Culture, and as some on LinkedIn are doing, even a Catholic Economy. I would suggest that the place to begin with either of those concepts, would be to look at the United States as a mission field, in the same way St. Patrick looked to the land of his slavery Ireland, and then Ireland looked to the whole world. *I'm not that Irish...

Sure, the United States is majority Christian, with a sizeable number of Catholics. However, even in that we are a pluralistic society made up of individuals of different faiths, or no faith, different cultures, or no discernible culture. From the nuns to the nones, we all have to assent to be governed by the same civil law. That requires consensus. It also means that even if we hold the truth, we have to bring others to appreciate and adopt that truth.

We should cool our jets on the battlefield of the Culture Wars. There are enough talking heads (not the cools ones fronted by David Byrne) shouting and attempting to impose a morality on the entire society. While those pundits swing in both directions, neither group is converting hearts and minds to a true Christian mindset. Neither side tends to dwell on or in the fact that we are all created in the image and likeness of God, and thus innately worthy of dignity.

Two issues at the core of our reputation are cultural impact, also our battle in the culture wars have been marriage and abortion.

I won't go into either of these issues individually, because that isn't exactly the point here. Instead, we'll consider similarities. In both cases the representatives of the Church, either through Amici Curiae briefs (friend of the court) or lobbying/ demonstrations made political points regarding culture war issues.

Where there was space to bolster values such as the innate dignity of every human being made in the image and likeness of God, and the sacramental graces of baptism or holy matrimony another path was taken. Time, energy, and organization went into lobbying for favorable case law.

Seems somewhat important to say that the movement was for legal decisions, instead of legislative change, which would be representative of cultural change.

Here is where I have to call out Sisters for Life, Legacy of Life, Mercy House of the Archdiocese of Newark, Several Sources, and other agencies that focus on human dignity, and support of individuals in dire circumstances.

If we want to build momentum for true cultural change, we have to fight to make real lasting changes. Health care, education, safety nets, and care have to be provided for women and children in dire circumstances. We have to shift the language used in society in regard to single parents, and make sure that every child is cared for and loved by their community. A judge cannot make that happen; a movement has to.

The Strongest Tool at Our Disposal

Here is where I will call out formed.org they do great work designing entertaining, motivational, and faithful content in the form of movies, documentary, guided prayer, studies, audio dramas, comic books, fiction and nonfiction titles. For what they seek to provide they are A-1.

There are also various television channels, newspapers, magazines, and websites that provide excellent Catholic non-fiction content.

The best way to build a Catholic culture is to develop entertainment, that is good, true, and beautiful, and as a community work to make sure that it becomes mainstream.

We cannot ride on the coattails of J.R.R. Tolkien and the likes forever! We have reason to hope because there are amazing men and women out there fighting the fight today.

However, we have to start pushing our Catholic/Christian children to explore the arts such as literature, graphic art, film making, screenwriting, and music. We need to generate amazing content that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the other things that are other there. Yet, we have to be exceptional.

The messages don't need to be used to beat people over the heads. Yet, we need to make the message of the dignity of human beings, the air we breathe every day.

Our children and teens shouldn't be mandated to look at the good content as a Lenten penance, as we jokingly like to say about formed.org. Instead, they should want to grab it, view it, and enjoy it, as a matter of course and quality!

If you have made it this far...

Congratulations! So how does this play into vocations? Well as we convert a number of Cultural or Cape Catholics to Cultured Catholics, or more importantly disciples of Jesus Christ, we refocus our families. As we strengthen the Domestic Church we can expect individuals in the context of the community to discern a deeper call to faith and conversion through Holy Matrimony, Religious Life, or Holy Orders.

The work won't be easy, but if we can revitalize something that we deeply care about, what a better world we'd be living in!