By M K George

Rome, Jan 16, 2022: It is not a good time to be a Catholic. Let alone, being a priest, religious, bishop or even Pope. It is all over and around: abuse cases, financial malpractices, clerical arrogance, and cries of simple sheep left high and dry by the shepherds. It is so disconcerting when even a soothing phrase like ‘Praise the Lord’ becomes a laughing stock.

Conspiracy theories

We are fed with a lot of conspiracy theories. “Oh, the evil forces against the Church are out and virulent.” “Can’t you see who those on the streets protesting against the Church are?’ While there are factual evidences of concerted attack on Christians in various majoritarian rightwing led countries like India, there are those theories spread by some that the crises in the Catholic Church is primarily caused by those external forces.

In fact looking at the conspiracy theories from another angle, ‘in recent years, the number and volume of conspiracy culture in Catholicism has grown,’ said Massimo Faggioli. “A perfect storm of institutional crises, the polarization of perceived winners and losers and an influx of evangelicals has made Catholicism fertile ground for conspiracy theories,” adds Claire Giangrave in a report.

An impotent silence

A large majority of believers probably have fallen into a kind of impotent silence. They know something is rotten, but do not have the courage to speak up. Who am I to speak up? Am I a saint to call others sinners? As I speak up may be the skeletons in my cupboard will rattle and so I fall into an impotent silence that slowly kills my own faith.

There is also the silence of those who benefit out of the ‘institutional church.’ They will find it difficult to question the very structures that feed them with privileges.

Silence or discipleship is the crucial question. Can I break my silence, fully acknowledging that I too am part of the sinful structures? Can I listen to the Call of the Lord within all this mess?

Listening to the call

Going beyond the conspiracy theories, it is time the Catholics listened to the call within these traumatic and very unsettling times. There is the first call, to humility. The Church has to become humble enough to accept that we have failed in a myriad ways, even as we continue to be doing some wonderful service.

But now is the time to be humble and acknowledge that we have failed in some crucial ways. We need to listen to the secular world and the media, not always alleging conspiracy. Is there truth that we need to accept in humility, is a question everyone should ask.

This would naturally lead to the second call to repentance. The call to repentance is very central to Christian faith. Recall John the Baptist. He called on the people to repentance and baptism. (Lk3, 1-14). Jesus began his ministry by proclaiming, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”(Mk 1, 15).

In one of his Masses in St. Martha’s Pope Francis said, ‘The humble, poor people that trust in the Lord: these are the ones who are saved and this is the way of the Church, isn’t it?…This is the path I must follow, not the path in which I do not listen to His voice, do not accept correction and do not trust in the Lord.”

Avarice for money and power has always killed faith and charity. A highly institutionalized church with money and power is bound to become arrogant and forget the primary call of a Christian. Why did Jesus insist that the good news be shared in poverty?

The value of evangelical poverty, not the de-humanizing poverty that kills, should be revived. Didn’t Pope Francis remind all of us, ‘a poor Church for the poor?” A poverty that is lived and not just preached. With the massive institutional presence and power, the Church will need a herculean effort to live lives of evangelical poverty.

Unsettling times call for unseen courage

The times we live in are very unsettling, not only because of the crises of the Church, but the pandemic, the economic deterioration, death of democracy, climate crisis and growing suffering in the universe. The earth itself cries in agony.

This is the time for great courage. Can ordinary Christians pluck the courage to be humble, repentant, and love evangelical poverty in order to preach the good news of Jesus to a world in shambles?

(Jesuit Father M K George is based in Rome.)