Years ago, a saintly man traveled to a distant land and spent nights sleeping in trees. The reason? The populace, fearful of local leaders, would not let him into their homes.

The man was St. Francis de Sales, who as a bishop, experienced firsthand the religious persecution of Catholics in the Chablais, an area which surrounded Geneva, his diocese from which he was exiled.

(This is the topic for our Sunday, Oct. 21 Living Jesus Chat Room., 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM Eastern Time U.S. Join us!)

Persecution Today

Today, American Catholics are faced with a similar kind of religious persecution. But instead of pressure from a specific religious group, as were the Calvinists, today’s government, in its HHS mandate, is trying to force Catholic institutions to provide employee health care coverage for contraception and abortion-causing drugs.

Pope Benedict XVI, in his Jan. 19 Ad Limina address this year to the U.S. Bishops, warned the Church of “cultural trends” that represent “a threat not just to Christian faith, but also to humanity itself….”

In his speech, the Holy Father also suggested that “a more consistent witness on the part of America’s Catholics to their deepest convictions would make a major contribution to the renewal of society as a whole.”

Tied Himself in Trees

Can learning St. Francis’ approach help us in a more consistent witness?

In the 1600’s in southeastern France, near the Switzerland border, people suffered in the religious wars involving Catholics and the Hugenots, who followed the writings of the Protestant John Calvin. St. Francis, eager to win back Catholics in the area of Geneva, Switzerland, ventured into the land to preach. At night he sometimes had to tie himself in trees to protect himself from ravenous wolves. No one would take him in at night because they feared persecution from the local government, which was under the control of the Calvinists.

And yet he was persistent. He printed small paper tracts – the high tech of his time, since the printing press was a relatively new invention. He slipped the leaflets underneath doors. “If the people won’t come to me, I will come to the people,” he said.

He announced church sermons on the Catholic faith, and when only one or two people showed up, he would give it his all, as if the pews were filled to capacity. He later would discover frightened listeners, like Zaccheus, just outside the doorways and windows of the building.

Helped His Enemies

And although his enemies reviled him, he was always ready to lend them a helping hand, to show them Christ’s love. “We will bring down the walls of Geneva, not with arms, but with love,” he said.

He also constantly asked others for prayers for needy people, such as those who lost their jobs due to their conversion to the Catholic faith. Such conversion sharply affected the upper class, who stood to lose their entire inheritance when turning to the Church. He asked for prayers for the conversion of hardened hearts as well. And he promoted the Rosary and public processions of the Blessed Sacrament, when there was enough support for it.

It was his kindness that broke down the barriers of hostility. There was a saying, “If you want someone to help you, attack the Bishop.” With persistence, humility, and gentleness, he thus converted the entire Chablais, although he was not able to penetrate Geneva itself.

It was said that to see Francis de Sales was to see Christ walking on the earth again. The conversions were like that of the early Church, when Christians were admired for the love that they had for one another.

Join us this Sunday in our Living Jesus Chat Room!

Some points of discussion for this Sunday’s chat:

  1. What can we as Catholics do to learn about this issue? How can we support our Church’s leaders?
  2. What is meant by religious freedom? How can we tactfully raise this issue before others?
  3. How can we follow the example of St. Francis de Sales in dealing with those who don’t understand the issue, or who are opposed to it?

Take a look at our most recent chat in the Living Jesus Chat Room, Sunday October 21, at 7:30 PM EST. Share with others who are journeying the same path as you. Our moderator, Sister Roberta, will guide us.

If you haven’t done so already, sign up for our Living Jesus Chat Room. Or just come on Sunday and sign in as a guest.