Last night I dreamt that a friend started an order:The Canons of Wrigley Field. If only.
I haven't watched Bull Durham in about 6 years. Honest.
Recently in Catholicism Category
I'm surprised this isn't making bigger headlines.
We have uncovered what we believe to be the first church in the world, dating from 33 AD to 70 AD," the head of Jordan's Rihab Centre for Archaeological Studies, Abdul Qader al-Husan, said.He said it was uncovered under Saint Georgeous Church, which itself dates back to 230 AD, in Rihab in northern Jordan near the Syrian border.
[...]
These Christians, who are described in a mosaic as "the 70 beloved by God and Divine," are said to have fled persecution in Jerusalem and founded churches in northern Jordan, Husan added.
[...]
Inside the cave there are several stone seats which are believed to have been for the clergy and a circular shaped area, thought to be the apse.
UPDATE: Duh. Mike Aquilina has been on the case all week. He even links to pictures (scroll past the ads).
Zenit has an interview with Missionary of Charity Father Joseph Langford, author of a new book about how Mother Teresa's faith sustained her during decades of darkness.
Q: How would you describe Mother's periods of darkness, and what do you think about the recent controversies over her "dark night?"
Father Langford: Contrary to reports in the press, Mother Teresa did not suffer a "crisis" of faith. In fact, her struggle was not with faith at all, but with the "loss of feeling" of faith, with the loss of a felt sense of the divine. As she stepped out of the convent and into the slums of Calcutta, what had been her usual consolation in prayer abruptly ended.
Though she would not understand it until later, she was being asked to share the same inner darkness, the same trial of belief suffered by the poor and destitute -- and to do so for their sake, and for the love of her Lord.
She was allowed to feel as though God was absent, and at first she agonized at the disconnect between her emotions and her belief -- though never did her lack of feeling become lack of faith.
In fact, her dark night revealed the hidden depth of Mother Teresa's faith in a way that any lesser challenge could not. Her darkness not only allowed her to exercise her extraordinary faith to the full, it allowed us -- modern disciples too often of "little faith" -- to discover the true dimensions of which faith is capable, even under duress, even in the night.
She would want to encourage us to do the same in our own Calcutta, in our own dark night: Instead of allowing our trials and pain to become a prison, we can, as she did, make our pain a bridge into the pain of others, a bond of solidarity, a catalyst for charity.
Q: How did her relationship with Mary assist her in these times of trial?
Father Langford: Just as the Israelites were given a column of fire to lead them by night, so Mother Teresa was given her own guiding light through the night of faith, in the person of the Virgin Mary.
The gift of Jesus' mother -- given to St. John on Calvary, and to disciples and saints through the ages -- strengthened Mother Teresa in carrying her own pain, and in tending to the pain of the poor.
Our Lady would help her to not only believe in the night, but to love in the night -- to transform the mystery of the cross, both within her and around her, into seeds of resurrection.
As it was Our Lady who brought St. John, alone among the Twelve, to stand faithfully at Calvary, so it was Our Lady who would bring Mother Teresa through the sea of suffering opened before her, that she might shine the light of God's love on the poor.
Some articles to drink your coffee over this weekend :
- Sandro Magister, Vaticanista extraordinaire, reruns a decade-old account of a pilgrimage to Mt. Athos.
Saints, centuries, empires, earthly and heavenly cities – everything seems to oscillate and flow, no longer distant. The monastery's treasures – golden and silver boxes with sapphires and rubies that are set in the Virgin's belt, the skull of Saint Basil the Great, Saint John Chrysostom's right hand – are offered to visitors for veneration. The light of the sunset sets them aglow, makes them pulsate. And the frescoes of Theophanes – master of the Cretan school in the first part of the 16th century – are also lit up, as are the blue majolica tiles on the walls, the mother-of-pearl on the iconostasis, on the lectern, on the episcopal throne.
After vespers one leaves the catholikon in procession and, facing the square, enters the refectory, which is also built like a church and frescoed by the great Theophanes. The same liturgy continues. The igoumenos takes his place at the center of the apse. A monk reads stories of saints from the pulpit, almost singing. One eats blessed food: soups and vegetables from old iron dishes – and on feast days even amber-colored wine – on thick, roughly hewn marble tables, themselves resting on marble supports. They are a thousand years old, yet evoke prehistoric dolmens. The exit is also made in procession. A monk gives everyone a piece of blessed bread. Another incenses it so artfully that the perfume remains a long time in your mouth.
- Two recent articles about human trafficking and prostitution caught my eye. The first is this lengthy but excellent New Yorker profile of a Moldovan woman who works for a non-profit that helps women who have been trafficked into prostitution get home. The second is this First Things daily article from last week that discusses a new book about the modern day slave trade by a reporter who has investigated trafficking all around the world.
- Lastly, Zenit has a brief article quoting Fr. Joseph Fessio talking about Pope Benedict XVI's recent trip to America. This quote stood out to me:
"Most people already knew [Benedict XVI] is extremely intelligent and articulate. Many weren't aware of the personal warmth, what in Bavaria they call 'Gemütlichkeit,'" Father Fessio said.
I don't know about you, but to me, nothing says "personal warmth" like Gemütlichkeit
This is pretty sweet
Hat-tip to my old accy teacher who emailed it to me.
- The Catholic Fantastic of Chesterton and Tolkien -- a review of Alison Milbank's Chesterton and Tolkien as Theologians: The Fantasy of the Real
- One for my brother: The Gospel According to Frank Capra
- From Fides News -- a list of missionaries killed in action in 2007.
Some Catholicish stuff from around the web:
- NCR's John Allen previews next week's meeting of the American bishops, where they are expected to elect Cardinal Francis George as president of the conference (Woo Hoo! let sociology majors everywhere be cheered!).
- Spengler on the Catholic Church as the west's "indispensable institution," featuring an interesting take of Vatican I vs. Vatican II and Catholic theology in general.
- It's a shame that Greg Popcak had to waste precious time rebutting what has to be one of the worst op-eds ever written, but kudos to him for doing it.
I just finished perusing the Aug/Sept issue of First Things. Some thoughts:
- This piece on global warming is one of the best attempt at denial I've seen, and I'd be interested in a rebuttal.
- I was surprised at some of the negativity of this review of Jesus of Nazareth. It makes sense though - it must be tough to edit the Pope. In the Pope's defense, he did turn 80 this year and one could understand how the pressure to get the thing published would lead to some of the omissions that irk the reviewer.
- I skimmed Harvey Mansfield's article on politics and it didn't really make much sense. Furthermore, I was so bored by it I didn't go back to give it a closer read. If somebody wants to try to persuade me to revisit it, fire away.
- Victor Davis Hanson's review of a new book about the Battle of Lepanto is enjoyable.
- Algis Valiunas' review of a revisitation of Victor Hugo's life and Les Miserables is a charming, adventurous read. There's much, much good in there.
Eve Tushnet:
I can get it for you wholesale: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's rejection of "cheap grace" was a huge turning point in Morrison's life, specifically w/r/t homosexuality. And while I think that language gets appropriated very quickly and easily, such that "he jests at scars who never felt a wound" and straight people get to tell gay people we're seeking "cheap grace" if we don't accept a fairly deep and humiliating sacrifice, I really did like how Morrison presented the idea in this talk: I felt like he was challenging all of us to look at all of the places in our lives where we were seeking cheap grace.
RTWT, as they say.
The Monastery of the Holy Cross in Chicago's near south side has a Website with a homily podcast and a chant podcast as well as a ,a href="http://www.chicagomonk.blogspot.com/">blog by the prior. Check it out!
"I bought 13 of my 15 books today. $270. When the last two come in, I'll have spent over $300. They like to keep us poor and reading. Not a bad strategy."
It was with a bit of skepticism that I accepted a review copy of Champions of Faith earlier this summer (sorry Mr. Walsh, I have a pregnant wife and a new house, I've been busy). It's a movie produced by the good folks at Catholic Exchange that profiles the faith lives of Catholic pro baseball players. Given my love of baseball and my faith (not in that order), you might find my worries strange, but then consider that the last movie to combine baseball with spirituality was Bull Durham and you might understand1.
Though the DVD is excellent overall, as with anything, parents should watch it with their children as there are some troublesome parts. For one, there are simply too many moments in Champions of Faith where the players and coaches profiled show a Prayer of Jabez-ish mentality. Says one: "If you put God in first place, he'll put you in first place, if you put him in second place, he'll put you in second place." Really? Tell that to Job. Or, if you prefer a more contemporary example, tell that to the Devil Rays. Sorry Tampa Bay! Nobody on your team puts God in first place!
More seriously, the structure of the movie tends to promote this idea. It's great that Jack McKeon is a devout Catholic (and I'm generally inclined to appreciate an old man chomping on a cigar talking about his devotion to the Little Flower) but is that why the Marlins won the World Series in 2003?2 The movie doesn't quite say so, but it does talk about McKeon's faith in the context of that season. The same goes for the Cardinals' 2006 World Series. Jeff Suppan and David Eckstein are evidently faithful Catholics, but, but.... come on!3 Like I said, watch this with your children.
So why watch it at all if it's so problematic? Well, like I said, overall it does a good job. For the most part it gets out of the way and simply lets the players talk about their faith, which is always a good thing (except when it's not, see above). Specifically, though, there are two great parts of the movie that could be useful for teaching boys. The first is a powerful montage where a couple dozen players profess their belief in the real presence. It's powerful because they are clearly sincere. Boys sometimes just need to hear these things from somebody who's not mom or dad. You can argue all day about why that is and it's probably not a good thing, but there are many kids out there who will be moved by seeing their heros confess their faith in Jesus present in the Eucharist.
The second great part is the profile of Mike Sweeney. It's a real, well-presented example of humility. A few years ago, Sweeney took a beanball from Jeff Weaver and went after him, causing a bench clearing brawl. Now, if you know anything about Jeff Weaver, you can instantly sympathize with Sweeney, but Sweeney explains his realization that he needs to ask for forgiveness, and it's a great concrete lesson in one of the hardest parts of our faith to put into action. Most school age boys would benefit from that part.
All in all, it's a good movie. The camera work is excellent, capturing not only some of baseball's greatest shrines (shots of Wrigley Field feature prominently) but also some magnificent images of the St. Louis cathedral and a mission in California (maybe San Diego). Really, except for the few prosperity gospel moments, it succeeds in showing that real people, even people many children regard as heroes, take seriously and put into practice in their lives their Catholic faith in Jesus Christ.
Papa-Lu's rating: Three stars out of 4
Endnotes:
1 Entertaining movie if you can tolerate the constant blasphemy and Susan Sarandon. Back to post
2 Obviously, my being a Cubs fan has a lot to do with it, although Steve Bartman might favor the thesis that stealing a foul ball out from Moises Alou was divinely guided. Back to post
3 Interesting dynamic going on with this movie. It prominently features the 2003 and 2006 World Series, and the closing sequence begins with the White Sox winning in 2005. In fact, some Cubs fans may actually have their faith damaged by this film (j/k of course). Back to post
John Allen's weekly dispatch covers a panel discussion session devoted to Italian polemicist Oriana Fallaci at this year's Communion and Liberation annual meeting in Rimini, Italy. The panel included an Italian bishop who had a close friendship with Fallaci and was with her during her dying days. He gave a moving account of that time. Check it out.
Is this a good time to admit that the first time I ever heard of Oriani Fallaci was an episode of Cheers?
I don't know what "Twitter" is, or whether verbing* it is appropriate as I did in the title of this post, but somebody took the time to email me that he's posting little bits of "The Imitation of Christ" to it (140 characters at a time), so I thought I'd share in case any of you are Twitterers.
*Verbing weirds language
Much was made the past few weeks about the decision by Francis Beckwith - philospher, professor at Baylor University and blogger at the excellent Right Reason blog - to convert to Catholicism. Beckwith, who was raised as a Catholic but left the faith long ago and was president of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) when he decided to return to Catholicism (he has since resigned his post and left the ETS).
As inclined as I am to do back-flips or maybe a fancy end-zone dance at this victory for Christ and His Church, I also recognize that if we were to lose, say, Janet Smith to the Evangelicals, we wouldn't look on it very kindly if they were to gloat.
That said, it is a great thing and we Catholics should be happy.
My reason for blogging this belatedly is having stumbled across the June 2005 issue of Touchstone Magazine which contains an essay from Dr. Beckwith reflecting upon the teachings of then recently departed Pope John Paul II entitled, wait for it, "Vatican Bible School: What John Paul II Can Teach Evangelicals."
It would seem that he learned very much indeed.
My wife and many others will surely appreciate this feature from the NY Journal News on Alice von Hildebrand.
If Imus Had Called Mother Teresa a "Ho" He’d Still Have a Job
He draws largely on Bill Donohue, who, despite making me crazy sometimes, has a job for a reason.
Some Chicago guy sneaked into a closed down Chicago church to take pictures. The result benefits us all. Why oh why!?
Link courtesy of Daniel Mistsui, who got it from the Society of St. Barbara.
The church's name, by the way, is St. Boniface.
In Britain it seems like it will soon be illegal to teach kids that the truth is true.
After this April's implementation of the Sexual Orientation Regulations (SOR's), British religious schools may no longer be allowed to teach school children that the Christian viewpoint on sexual morality is "objectively true," a government report says.
The Joint Committee on Human Rights, made up of members from Parliament and the House of Lords, has issued a report on the implementation of the Regulations recommending that religious schools be required to modify their religious instruction to comply with the government-approved doctrine of "non-discrimination".
Although religious schools will be allowed to remain open and may continue to give instruction in various religious beliefs, instruction must be modified "so that homosexual pupils are not subjected to teaching, as part of the religious education or other curriculum, that their sexual orientation is sinful or morally wrong."
The report says the Regulations will not "prevent pupils from being taught as part of their religious education the fact that certain religions view homosexuality as sinful," but they may not teach "a particular religion's doctrinal beliefs as if they were objectively true".
British priest Tim Finigan is cited in the article. For further developments, keep an eye on his blog.
Novelist Dean Koontz is a Catholic who converted when he was in college. I had no idea, but it figures. (Incidentally, a companion article mentions his unlikely friendship with bio-ethicist Wesley Smith, who, until he corrected the piece on his blog, I always assumed was Catholic).
Speaking of the genre, Stephen King is not a Catholic. It's not up on their website yet, but the February issue of First Things has an outstanding essay by Ross Douthat on the God of King's novels. As a former King fan (I started reading him in 4th grade, which honestly explains some s*** about me), I found the article dead on and a great read.
Yet here is an excerpt from Balthasar’s foreword for the book” Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey Into Christian Hermeticism” (Referred to herein as “Cardinal” Balthasar). “A thinking, praying Christian of unmistakable purity reveals to us the symbols of Christian Hermeticism in its various levels of mysticism, gnosis and magic, taking in also the Cabbala and certain elements of astrology and alchemy. These symbols are summarized in the twenty-two “Major Arcana”of the tarot cards. By way of the Major Arcana, the author seeks to lead meditatively into the deeper, all embracing wisdom of the Catholic mystery.”
-Hans Urs von Balthasar
Uhhh... anybody out there shed some light on this? I can generally deal with the rest of the author's issues with von Balthasar, but this is downright kooky.
Soloviev on the Papacy, courtesy of Fr. Kimel. Warning: its lengthy.
I doubt I'll be blogging again 'til next week, so I want to wish all who stop by here a very blessed and joyous celebration of Christ's Nativity!
Berlin, Nov. 24, 2006 (CNA) - He was born during the Pontificate of Leo XIII, was ordained to the priesthood before World War II, and was able to witness a fellow German become successor of St. Peter. The oldest priest in Germany, Father Konrad Fuchs, died this week at the age of 109, after 83 years in the priesthood.
Zenit has a brief interview with French Cardinal Albert Vanhoye on the Sacred Heart and Humility. Cardinal Vanhoye is a Jesuit who was created a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in this year's conclave.
A snip:
Q: Benedict XVI's message to Father Kolvenbach, general director of the Society of Jesus, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Pius XII's encyclical Haurietis Acquas on the Sacred Heart, has re-launched this subject.
Cardinal Vanhoye: The Pope wished to underline the anniversary forcefully precisely with a message because the Society of Jesus was always active in promoting this fundamental devotion, above all thanks to the Apostleship of Prayer and to its proposal of spirituality not at all sentimental but which involves the whole of human existence.
Now in the encyclical Deus Caritas Est, Benedict XVI speaks several times of the pierced side and of the Heart of Jesus, true source of love. It is clear also in the Pope's words that the devotion to the Sacred Heart cannot stay only with the humanity of Jesus, precisely because the latter is expression of the love of God for the world that can be experienced and therefore witnessed only by looking at that pierced side.
Between 1994 and 2004, various European institutions have condemned the Holy See on 29 occasions for supposed violations of human rights, while Cuba has been condemned only 25 times and China just 15.
via CWN's Off theRecord.
Practices effective immediately include priests using only chalices and bowls made of precious metals for the distribution of holy communion. "Research has shown that metal chalices are less likely to contribute to the spread of diseases," church bird flu epidemic protocols state.
This week, John Allen uses the occasion of a Salesian becoming the new Vatican Secretary of State to devote half of his column to taking a look at that order, one of the Church's largest and most prominent, especially in the poorest areas of the world.
Some snips:
It's hardly an accident that the job went to a Salesian. In an era in which many of the great orders of the church have been rocked by internal ideological divisions, the Salesians are seen as robustly reliable -- not theological innovators, but down-to-earth pastors and educators, and generally with a good sense of humor.
"We're not complicated people," Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras, another Salesian in a high place, told NCR June 25. "Our spirit is family, especially with the young and the poor."
Side note: Cardinal Maradiaga was on many commentators' papabile lists last year and at age 64 is on the younger side of the College of Cardinals. I don't know how credible that is, but the fact that he's a Salesian gives that possibility an added appealing dimension.
Back to Allen:
The great orders have usually been born in response to some crisis -- the Franciscans, for example, to urbanization and the need to evangelize the cities; the Jesuits to the Reformation, and the need for a Catholic counter-offensive.
For the Salesians, it was the Industrial Revolution, especially the zones of despair, turmoil and revolution on the outskirts of the great industrial cities.
St. John Bosco (1815-1888), known affectionately as "Don Bosco," was shocked by the plight of the poor in Turin, especially the young -- the peddlers, shoe polishers, stable-boys, factory workers, vendors, and errand boys who formed the lowest cogs in the wheels of the new industrial machine.
Bosco became a tireless catechist among the young, hearing confessions, saying Masses, and organizing "oratories" where his boys could play, study and worship. He was also something of a labor organizer, negotiating contracts for young apprentices insisting that employers use them only in their acknowledged trade, that corporal punishment be abandoned, that proper wages be paid, rest periods be honored, and that decent sanitary conditions be maintained.
Thus the Salesian pastoral model was forged: solid, orthodox Catholic piety; an "in-the-trenches" commitment to the young, the poor, and to education; and a smiling closeness to the people, as opposed to the rather foreboding and aloof profile of the typical Italian monsignore. (In this sense, Bertone's penchant for hanging out with young people in Genoa's discos, and offering color commentary for soccer matches, is considered classic Salesian behavior).
"Don Bosco wanted us to be religious with our sleeves rolled up, not afraid of hard work," [Fr. James Heuser, superior of the Eastern province of the Salesians in the United States,] said, "whether it's in the confessional, in the classroom, or on the soccer field."
Later in the column, Allen visits the scene of yesterday's Vatican celebration of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul and notes the presence of the Orthodox Metropolitan John Zizioulas:
As Benedict XVI processed into the basilica, he made a special point of spotting Zizioulas and smiling at him. Later, the two men exchanged the Sign of Peace. At the end of the Mass, Benedict and Zizioulas went down the stairs under the main altar together and prayed before what are believed to be the bones of St. Peter. The two prelates stood shoulder-to-shoulder, with no distinction in "rank."
Zizioulas pioneered the concept of "communion ecclesiology," the idea that the church is constituted by the celebration of the Eucharist around the bishop, which has had great influence also in Roman Catholicism in the period after the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). In his own theological work, Joseph Ratzinger has written that the "ecclesiology of communion" is a useful point of departure, though he's warned that it must not exalt the local church at the expense of the universal. For his part, Zizioulas has argued that Orthodoxy can accept the universal primacy of the pope, if it is "fundamentally qualified," meaning that it respects the autonomy of local churches and acts through a synodal structure.
Austin Ruse tries to peer into the soul of my favorite Vatican reporter. A very interesting article. I pretty much agree with Ruse, but I hasten to add that I don't much care where Allen's sympathies lie because he performs a marvelous job as a reporter. He doesn't editorialize and he treats a subject with a precise fairness.
Still, Allen's prejudices can sometimes bubble to the surface, such as during his coverage of the release of Deus Caritas Est when he told NPR that the encyclical was Pope Benedict's version of "compassionate conservatism." Blech. Thanks for gettin' the message out, John. In that light, it is good to keep in mind that despite the great pains he goes to to present his stories fairly and accurately, he is a man with beliefs and a point of view, but nobody is immune from that charge.
So here I am facing another Minnesota winter, looking to expand my mind. Naturally I turn to "The Winter & Spring 2006 Community Education Catalog" of the Eden Prairie, Minnesota public schools, where I see the very first course offering is
Da Vinci Code Historical SeminarDid you find the historical events in the 2003 fictional best-seller interesting but too fantastic to believe? Actually, most of the background items cited in the book were tied to events purportedly recorded in history.
"A Society Without God Ends Up as a Society Against Man."
Father Larranaga is the author of an incredible biography of St. Francis: Brother Francis of Assisi. It is a deeply spiritual and deeply psychological work full of insights into Francis' inner life. He also has written a life of Christ and a life of Mary, but I've never been able to get my hands on them.
I don't know too much about the Prayer and Life Workshops he founded, but he outlines them a bit in Transfiguration, a short treatise on prayer. The movement seems to simply be about teaching people to pray--as worthy an apostolate as there can be.
If Judge Alito is confirmed to the Supreme Court, a majority of the justices will be Catholic: Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy (boo), Roberts and Alito. Benedict (not the Pope) blogs the "Top Ten Changes a Catholic Majority Would Make to the Supreme Court."
Here's my favorite:
8) The bones of Chief Justice Marshall will be disinterred and placed in a glass coffin in the center of the Supreme Court bench;
Go read the whole thing.
I didn't note the author right away and was surprised to see such a positive piece from Newsweek.
Nick emailed a link to a somewhat gentler translation of the Summa.
I'm not one. Nothing against him, I recognize the importance of his work, and I certainly appreciate his sanctity. Just not my cup o' tea, as the kids say.
Many of you are, however, and here is a link for you.
Welcome to Thomistica.NET, a website devoted to the academic study of St. Thomas Aquinas (a.d. 1225-1274), the medieval Italian, Dominican saint. This site is designed to provide ready access to up-to-date information about resources for scholars of Aquinas, via a constantly-updated news page, which in turn is the source for an RSS newsfeed. In addition, about once every quarter, the site will also sport a downloadable newsletter detailing research ideas, suggestions, and other items of note. The site is owned and operated by Mark Johnson, of the Department of Theology at Marquette University (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA).
Semi-official journal of the Vatican Secreariat: professional boxing immoral.
Apart from what the journal called boxing’s violent nature, Civilta Cattolica condemned it because of the way it is run and promoted. "In reality, professional boxing is manipulated by powerful economic groups, which are often ruthless and cruel, and for whom the boxer is not a man but only a machine to make money," the journal said.
Um, that's all of pro sports and most of the business world...
The bishop of Ponce, Puerto Rico - hometown of my mother and her 13 siblings.
H.E. Most. Rev. Félix LAZARO MARTINEZ, Sch.P., Bishop of Ponce (PORTO RICO)
Number 74 of the Instrumentum laboris urges the importance of a catechesis that clarifies the bond between the Eucharist and the construction of a just society.
This same number 74 expresses, "The Church has great hope in her young people who are increasingly being drawn to the Eucharist".
My intervention is in the sense that:
1. The importance that the youth have and of what is hoped of them should be emphasized more with a specific calling and a direct invitation to them to participate "in" and live "from"
the Eucharist.
I asked a young person what message he wanted me to transmit at the Synod on behalf of the youth, and the reply was: "to listen to us".
In front of the reality that young people live today, particularly in developed countries, it's becoming necessary and urgent to offer, present, and celebrate the Eucharist with them, in a way that, in the words of John Paul II, they feel “the Eucharist as the vital centre, around which young people gather to nourish their faith and enthusiasm".
2. The Catechism needs to de deepened in more [sic]. Today we hear about the loss of the sense of sin.
Many Catholics are very far away from being able to render or give account for their own faith, such as St. Peter proposes in his first letter: “and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you have".
On the other hand, it is not possible to love that which is not known. And not having the knowledge of the Church, the Eucharist, or of Christian faith, it is difficult to be able to love the Church, the Eucharist and that same Christian faith.
Catechesis is what is required. It seems to me that we suffer from lack of catechesis. I have the impression that no solid and deep catechesis is in progress. Our people are grateful and hungry for catechesis, that the truths of faith be explained to them.
The absence of catechesis and religious formation can perhaps also explain the facility with and reason for which some of our faithful go to other denominations and religious sects, drawn by the fireworks that a pseudo-religious science offers them, because they were not illuminated in time with the light of the Gospel through an adequate and good catechesis.