Sun Chat July 5: Identity and Witness

Often times when I am out in public, at an airport or a store, someone I have never met will come up to me and ask me questions about the faith. Or they will simply

address me, “Hello, Father.” I don’t need to ask them, “How did you know I am a priest?” The Roman collar that I and other priests wear identifies me.

We do not all put on a collar or wear a distinctive religious habit, but all are called to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus (Romans 13:14). We can all manifest Christ’s kingdom of truth and love and by this, we will be known as his disciples (John 13:35).

Within a Christianity that spans the globe with more than two billion members – some of whom are not fully within the communion of the Catholic Church – we know that there are many different expressions of a Christian way of life. In fact, the rich diversity of the communion of saints honors those numerous ways men and women have lived the perfection of the Gospel.

Nevertheless, being identified as authentically Christian requires some essential elements so that those we meet have an encounter with Jesus Christ. First, the truth and love of the Lord should shine in us and through us. Our faith must be an active,

living faith.

One may choose to be a member of the Catholic Church or not. No one is forced to belong to the Church. We never lose our baptismal dignity of being part of the family of Christ, but we are free to choose to participate or not participate in the life of our family. If one becomes a member of the Church, he or she is expected to believe

what the Church believes and attempt to live it out as best he or she can, including participating in the Mass and other sacraments, providing a good example and witness to others, and helping others to know Christ.

When we come to the institutions of the Church – its parishes, schools, universities, charitable organizations, health care facilities and more – these too must reflect a genuine Catholic identity with visible communion with the Church, both universal and local, and fidelity to Catholic teaching. As Pope Francis has implored, each of

these institutions and those involved in their operation must be oriented toward the mission of the Church (Evangelii gaudium, 27). The purpose of these entities – and the task of those who work for them – is to lead people to Jesus.

During his visit to the United States in  2008, Pope Benedict XVI addressed  Catholic educators at The Catholic  University of America and spoke so  encouragingly about the ministry of  education. He said, “Education is  integral to the mission of the Church  to proclaim the Good News. First and  foremost every Catholic educational  institution is a place to encounter the  living God, who in Jesus Christ reveals  his transforming love and truth (cf. Spe  salvi, 4)”.

Furthermore, a particular responsibility is incumbent upon the bishop with regard to Catholic institutions and their Catholic identity (Veritatis splendor, 116). His is the

responsibility to see that our Catholic institutions are places where the faith

permeates the culture. Our schools, for example, at all levels, should provide

the environment where revealed truth, reason and charity are engaged in an

ongoing effort to shed greater light on the human condition. In whatever area of endeavor, the Catholic identity of the effort should be found, for example, in a mission statement. And the message it voices should exhibit a vision of life that is rooted in

Christ, articulated in his Gospel and manifested in his Church. Catholic institutions should be distinguishable from secular ones. I often remind students, in our Catholic schools, that they should expect their school, since it is Catholic, to be different. The school should provide a moral climate where excellent education in a faith-based

situation benefits each student. The lessons learned about faith and love in these institutions help graduates build a better world.

Similarly, those who agree to assist the Church in her mission and ministries represent the public face of the Church. Whether Catholic or non-Catholic, they should respect our Catholic identity and avoid behavior that contradicts the very mission of the Catholic institution.

The wider community benefits from the presence of authentically Catholic institutions and faithful Catholic disciples because the richness of Catholic teaching can engage the secular culture in a way that the light of the wisdom of God is brought to bear on the issues of the day. On the other hand, members of the Church, those who serve in Catholic ministries, those people served by them, and the community at large are all

impoverished, not enriched, when the ministry’s Catholic identity is diluted or lukewarm.

In recent legislation in various parts of our nation, efforts are being made to force the Church to accept on our teaching faculties, staff and charitable services personnel those who live in a way that publicly repudiates the teaching of the Church. The Church does not require others to believe or live by her teaching. But we do ask for

and insist on the freedom to present and publicly demonstrate our faith in our Catholic schools and faith based institutions. Those who participate in the ministry of our institutions also share in the obligation to help them achieve their goals and purpose. The respect for religious freedom that we ask for is enshrined in the

Constitution. But we hope that our elected officials and those who seek to shape public opinion through the media can also see that such freedom is a matter of basic fairness.

Pope Francis writes eloquently of the act of assent that is required of those who want to belong to the Catholic Church or who seek to share in her mission and work. His words were addressed specifically to teachers but are applicable to all the areas of Church ministry. “We need to remember that all religious teaching ultimately has to be reflected in the teacher’s way of life, which awakens the assent of the heart by its nearness, love and witness” (Evangelii gaudium, 45).