Reality facing friends of ‘cafeteria Catholicism’

Recognising the powerful and fast changes of society and culture, the effects linked to the introduction of divorce and the suffering and humiliation caused by the case of abuse of minors by some priests, the bishops’ latest pastoral letter seeks to drive home the message that a situation has developed where each member of the Church “must make an important decision: to live as a Christian in these circumstances”.

Now, of course, such a decision is far from easy and the bishops acknowledge this. It involves a challenge that, over and above the three realities identified by the pastoral letter, is further fuelled by an ever-growing tendency for one to believe what is convenient and to reject what is difficult or tough.

There are believers who are reluctant to accept that, for Catholics, the obedience of faith obliges them to do what the Church expects them to do in all situations of life, even on matters and in instances when doing so means going against the grain. These individuals claim to hold “personally” to the truth of the faith. As The Times has already said editorially, given today’s way of life, a member of the Church can easily fall into “cafeteria Catholicism”, that is a practice of faith that picks and chooses what part of the deposit of faith to believe and practise.

For such members of the Church, the latest pastoral letter proposes a moment of truth: it calls on them to decide for themselves whether their faith in Christ, their commitment for Him and the Church are stronger than the circumstances around them.

The bishops have no illusions. They know that “there will be persons who decide to stay away from, or leave, the Church”. They hasten to add, though, that one should not judge such persons. Indeed, if a person freely decides to separate him/herself from the Church, so be it. That is his/her choice and there should be neither room for tirades of condemnations or, on the other hand, uncalled for and pointless exhibitions.

The direction and spirit of the pastoral letter by Archbishop Paul Cremona and Gozo Bishop Mario Grech aim to prove that the Church is not trying to impose itself on anybody and neither is it basing its “success” on numbers.

While referring to past centuries when the history of the Church in Malta “was endowed with cultural backing and large numbers of her members”, the pastoral letter argues that it would be a mistake if one were to think that these conditions are of central importance. “When we recognise that the cultural and political support is only the crust of the Church and of our faith, we must look to unite ourselves to that which is central to our faith, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and build a new reality in the circumstances of today. It is the challenge of a new evangelisation that the Church is looking for today,” the bishops declare.

The faith is living. According to Catholic teaching, it is, first of all, the “personal adherence of man to God”. Therefore, the choice is much deeper than that which tradition and culture may push believers to do to remain fully united with the Church. For the Catholic it is a choice which, in the bishops’ words, “means whether we are ready to be part of the Church that wants to portray Christ”.

Some decisions are difficult to make but make them we must.