NAPA, CA – Four bishops—Most Reverend Borys Gudziak, Eparch of the Ukrainian Greek Eparchy of Paris, Most Reverend Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, Most Reverend Samuel Aquila of Denver, and Most Reverend Thomas Paprocki of Springfield—joined by George Weigel, a distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, on the closing day of this year’s Napa Institute to discuss “Challenges for a New Evangelization.”
Bishop Paprocki began the discussion by outlining what he feels are three major challenges today. These include:
- Terminology – The use of the term “evangelization” to capture what we are trying to do is problematic, Bishop Paprocki said, due to its close association with evangelicals. He now uses “growth” to capture our mission of evangelization both inside and outside the Church.
- Apathy within the Church — Apathy, even among those who do come to church, he sees as an opportunity to inspire.
- Internal and external problems due to the sexual revolution — Bishop Paprocki has seen a fierce reaction by Catholics, including some priests, to his decree reaffirming that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. He says many priests are afraid to talk about crucial issues that are driving our culture, and he urged all Catholics to consider how we communicate. Scriptural passages such as The Beatitudes can serve to educate Catholics and non-Catholics alike on the critical issues of our day.
Archbishop Aquila continued the discussion, noting that Colorado has gone from a red to a blue state due to the emigration of residents from other states. This has become a challenge because those coming to Colorado are bringing in liberal, anti-Christian influences with them. He wondered if this is the reason so many Catholic NGOs (non-government organizations) such as FOCUS, a Catholic peer-to-peer collegiate outreach dedicated to countering this influence, are emerging from the Denver area.
Anti-Catholic, anti-Christian influence is everywhere, in places you don’t expect
The Denver Archbishop related a recent discussion with a preschool mother. The mother had overheard her four-year-old child say to another child “I could be a woman when I grow up and even change again.” It turned out that a public school teacher told her pre-K students that this was acceptable. The mother immediately pulled her child out of this school.
Archbishop Aquila concluded with a poignant observation, “Confusion is being sown into the minds of our four-year olds in the public schools.” He underscored that we are seeing a lack of recognition of the dignity of the human person throughout the culture.
“We can counter this,” continued Archbishop Aquila, “We have a tremendous message to teach about human sexuality, Truth, meaning and the dignity of humans.”
An absence of the language of God
There is also an absence of the language of God in our society. Pope Francis counters this with frequent mentions of the devil. “Have you noticed he always brings up the existence of evil and the devil?” asked Archbishop Aquila.
Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco first talked of fundamentalism. Fundamentalists insist that they are right and, if you disagree, they will annihilate you. “Conform or be annihilated,” as he succinctly put it.
Today’s leading fundamentalists include progressive secularists. Secularism has taken on elements of a faith, as noted earlier in the day by Mary Eberstadt, who explained that for secularists, “Abortion has become a sacrament of initiation.”
The San Francisco Archbishop ended his remarks with some items for us to consider.
“We need to focus on seminaries, schools, and liturgies,” said Archbishop Cordileone. “The way we worship leads to how we believe. We need to learn how to communicate. Social media is a means to an end, with the end being a personal—not an impersonal—encounter. And young people want the real thing. They are energetic and open. I have a hard time keeping up with them!”
The Christian Vacuum in Europe
Bishop Gudziak’s Eparchy includes Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Switzerland and France, one of the most secularized areas in the Western World. The average age of priests in these countries is 70 years old!
Bishop Gudziak urged attendees to take the long view: “Keep in mind: it has been worse, it is worse, and it will be worse.”
The radical dehuminization in today’s Russia
Explaining what he meant by that last comment, Bishop Gudziak advised that when considering what is going on globally, keep in mind that 2 billion people have been or still are under communist regimes. These people have been, and continue to be, dehumanized by communism. This self-destructive, individual-dehumanizing regime and philosophy has intervened in every aspect of human life, especially in family relationships.
Communist Russia was the first to legalize abortion, with the average woman having up to seven abortions. Communism severed the natural relationship between the child and the parent. This violated interpersonal trust, which is essential for genuine community. This destruction continues to this day, even with those no longer being held hostage to the communist ideology. These people do not trust.
Finding Hope in the Napa Institute
“This movement begun by the Napa Institute is important,“ said Bishop Gudziak. “Something special is happening here. Here we open ourselves up, trust one another, get fortified in prayer, and find we are not alone. We need to continue this walk together and I hope this can expand to Europe.”
“Remember that The Evil One is the enemy of mankind. He wins when we are anxious,” added Bishop Gudziak.
The Napa Institute was inspired by a 2010 essay, “The Next America,” (First Things) penned by Philadelphia’s Archbishop Charles Chaput and resembles the Aspen Institute, with provocative talks given by leading Catholic clergy, authors, and laypeople. The Institute, which celebrated its seventh year, was co-founded by the Rev. Robert Spitzer, S.J., former president of Gonzaga University, and Tim Busch, a successful lawyer and entrepreneur in the hospitality business. The aim of the Institute is to better equip Catholic leaders to face the challenges of the “next America.” Over 550 people from all over the world attended this year’s four-day conference.
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Thomas M. Loarie is the CEO of BryoLogyx, a rotating host of THE MENTORS radio show, and a senior editorial advisor and columnist for the Catholic Business Journal. For a more robust bio click here: http://catholicbusinessjournal.biz/content/thomas-m-loarie-0. He may be reached at TLoarie@CatholicBusinessJournal.biz