Archbishop Chaput: Catholics responsible for evangelizing US
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Archbishop Charles J. Chaput told the Los Angeles Catholic Prayer Breakfast Sept. 18 that Catholics must take responsibility for the evangelization of the country, and pursue this goal through humility and spiritual discipline.
“The task of preaching, teaching, growing and living the Catholic faith in our time, in this country, belongs to you and me. No one else can do it,” he told the crowd gathered outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
“The future depends on God, but he builds it with the living stones we give him by the example of our lives.”
During his remarks, he said Christians must rediscover God’s joy, “radiate” God’s word, and make their Christian witness “frank and contagious.”
He noted Christianity’s historical rise from a “fringe” religious group to become the official religion of the Roman Empire. However, he warned that Christianity can decline into corruption and has even become extinct in some regions, like some areas conquered by Islamic expansion.
“We need to discipline ourselves to be ready for God’s grace,” he said.
“If our hearts are cold, if our minds are closed, if our spirits are fat and acquisitive, curled up on a pile of our possessions, then the Church in this country will die. It’s happened before in other times and places, and it can happen here.”
Archbishop Chaput cited several negative trends in his own archdiocese: low Sunday Mass attendance and rare use of the confessional; a decline in church marriages, infant baptisms and priestly vocations; a clergy abuse crisis; and years of deficit spending.
Nationwide, he added, about ten percent of Americans say they are ex-Catholics. [More]
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19 Comments
The archbishop Chaput neglects to say that evangelization by the Catholic laity is always under the direction and control of the local bishop, at least according to current canon law.
With episcopal credibility in shreds (according to Bp Conlon of Joliet) over the coverup of clergy sex abuse, one can only wonder about the intent and motivation of the archbishop’s statement. As the nuns (sisters if you will) have irked the Vatican by their evangelization efforts, what can the laity expect under current church law?
Jim, Jim, sinse you cannot come out of the cave into the light, I will try to educate you and bring some light into your cave. Priests havev always been married, Easter church and western church. It was in the middle ages that the Bishops needed realistate that Rome declare that priest in the Roman rite of the universal church could no longer get married. It was an administative law. If you can’t come our of the cave, at least look outside, thats a beginning. This is one of the obstacles toward Christian Unity with the Orthodox church. They are asking Rome, if ever we were to re-unite with you again do you really believe you are going to tell our priests they cannot marry? Are you saying that our married priests are less priests because of marriage? Jim it so safe for you to stay in your cave and safty zone. Now I am beginning to see what Tony is up against with you.
JF — so, Benedict XVI would certainly know what you posted if it were true. So, by implication, Benedict XVI is complicit in this conspiracy — that is, he won’t allow priests to marry for administrative reasons. So, here is the choice I have — either I can believe in the integrity of Benedict XVI and the purity and goodness of his motives for keeping a celibate priesthood, or I can believe you. Who do you think I’m going to believe, JF?
As a side note, JF — I really like that you started your post with “Jim, Jim” — and, I’m not being sarcastic here, but serious. Your kindness and concern come across in that repetition of my name. So, I think you must be a nice man — plus, I think you said you are a drug and alcohol professional, so you have a soft spot in your heart for others. Nevertheless, even compassionate, kind people are wrong at times — and you are wrong here, JF. End of post. Heard now in background, as Jim walks away from the conversation: “Bartender, another seven and seven, please!”
Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman’s revolutionary emphasis on the role of the lay person in the Church was his most important contribution. He insisted on the need for a well-educated active lay faithful – insisting that holiness and evengelization are the goals of all in the Church. Newman was quoted in premlimary documents in preparation for the Second Vatican Council..
Archbishop Chaput is one of the truly great lights of God’s Church — the people of Philadelphia, as one poster earlier said, truly are blessed to have such an on-fire bishop!
Jim, you mean well but are living in the past. The Eastern Catholic priest do very well being priests and caring for their familys and are insulted by Rome that they some how are less priests because they are married. The Episcopalian priests who I know personally staff large parishes and manage their familys beautifully. What you have here is the bishops would loss some power and control and they can’t handle that. Jim get your head out of the sand. Celibacy in 2012 and beyound has become a stunbling block for the priesthood. We have lost more then half of the Priests who have left the active priesthood to get married. The Episcopalian Bishop of the Diocese of Long Island is a former Catholic Priest from the Catholic diocese of Long Island. For those call to live a celibate life, they can join religious life. There are some diocese who have approched deacons that are widowers and have offered them the priesthood. A dear friend of mind is now a catholic priest with a 22 yr old daughter. I rejoice as I watch him show other priests his daughters picture and is so proud of his daughter. Jim, come out of the cave
Sorry, Joseph Francis, you’re right. And, I’m sure God has changed too — I’m sure God is saying to me, “Jim, live in the present. That was then, this is now!” God is changeless, as you well know, Joseph Francis. Being celibate is a powerful intercessory offering to God for the faithful flock. With regard to the Episcopalian priests you know — well, unless they’ve cracked the secret of time, they have the same number of hours in a day as a celibate priest. Since wives are human and relationally oriented (Genesis 2:18), I simply do not believe the wives would not press their priest-husbands at times to spend time with the family that a celibate priest would have spent ministering to parishoners. It is you, Joseph Francis, who is in a cave of myopia, blinded by your desire to see married priests. I think the Holy Father and the College of Cardinals know better than you about the desirability of celibacy for priests. Just consider that, Joseph Francis — by your assertion, you literally are saying you know better than the Holy Father and the College of Cardinals. Sorry, JF — as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
Perhaps it is a male thing, or you just cannot imagine yourself living a celibate life and see such a life as lacking in something – Celibacy is a wonderful gift that anyone can give to our Lord and His Church and in return (because I know that you are asking; what is in it for me?) the person who emprases celibacy receives many blessings; one of which is freedom..God has never requested anything of us for which He has not given us the graces needed..
A person who is celibate gives not only a clean heart to Our Lord but a clean body as well.
Thanks, Catholic Lady, and good point — notice, the Blessed Mother was ever-virgin — this very fact should help us appreciate the great blessings and graces that accrue to those who are celibate. In turn, the graces those celibate priests receive are passed to their congregation.
Catholic lady a married person living out the holy sacrament of matrimony has just a clean a heart and a clean body as well. Marriage is a sacrament instituted by Chist it is a lofty vocation.
But Jim, by allowing married priests we won’t negate celebiate priests. There will still be monks and friars and religious and celibate secular clergy. It’s about choice, and the are married Catholic priests in the eastern rites, the Anglicans who convert and get reordained, So what’s the big deal? Foe one to be critical of married priests is a slap in the face to the priests of the eastern rites united to Rome.
Tony — I wasn’t being critical of married priests in other traditions. All I have said is that a celibate priest is preferable to a married priest. God bless the married priests — but again, I don’t believe they can be as effective as a celibate priest, both for practical and spiritual reasons. “Offering up” their celibacy for the sake of the kingdom is a powerful intercessory prayer.
Joseph Francis you hit the nail on the head our faith is a relationship with Jesus and us, and it affects how we interact with God and one another.
Arch-Bishop Chaput, O.F.M. cap. states actully the trend in the church today. Low attendance at Sunday mass, rare use if the confessional; a decline in church marriages and infant church baptisms, priestly vocations. I work with the baptismal team and intervew couples wanting to have their child baptized. 9 out of 10 couples will responed to the question, “Why do you want to have your child baptized ? with, “BECAUSE OUR GRANDPATENTS ARE STILL ALIVE AND HAVE A SHOT GUN UNDER THEIR BED AND WILL BLOW ARE BRAINS OUT IF WE DON’T” If they weren’t alive, we would now be here. And that is honest!When I ask them what is their understanding of the sacrament of Baptism? They see it as some ‘rite of passage’ but to what specifally it is, they have know idea. It is then that I educate them about THEIR OWN BAPTISM and what they recieved and have. Which they had no knowledge of. All in hopes that they will find some reason to re-connect with God, Jesus and his church.I tell them that Baptism can be summed up in one word, “RELATIONSHIP.” Baptism is not a rite of passage, but entering into a lived out, long team love relationship with God, If that is what your interested in, we can move on, if not, God loves this child already, (Baptism is not deniel, but can be postponed)Regarding Priestly Vocation, It is my firm belief that America culture CANNOT ACCEPT A CELIBEATE priesthood. We now have married deacons. Eastern Orthordox priest are married, Protestant clergy are married, Eastern-Catholic Priests living in europe are married. Priests from other countrys who cannot relate to American culture will be imported here.
Joseph Francis — the solution to the vocation crisis is NOT to have married priests. We had a lot of priests back in the 1950s and 1960s, when celibacy was required then as well. The solution is for the country to turn back to God, to have holy families bringing up children to have a close relationship with God. Families that attend Eucharistic Adoration together will, without a doubt, reverse the decline in the number of religious vocations.
There are almost 20,000 permanent deacons in the USA today, many are former seminarians, these guys preach at mass and sacramental celebratin like baptisim, marriages ajnd wakes, and funeral masses. The serve the community in many areas and are a great help in a Priestless community. They are the presence of Christ in our world.
These men do a wonderful service to Christ and the World, and are a perfect example of the fact that priests could and should be married.
Tony — as one married man to another — we all understand that having families would complicate a priest’s life and ministry immensely. Even St. Paul explicitly says this in one of his epistles. I am glad we have a celibate priesthood. In addition, the sacrifice involved in giving up sexual pleasure and children make the work of the priests much more effective at a spiritual level.