Why I’ve been spending more energy learning and discussing Catholic Social Teaching…

Last updated on: September 29, 2015 at 12:49 am by Mark Shea

Why I’ve been spending more energy learning and discussing Catholic Social Teaching… 2015-09-28T09:20:23-07:00 Mark Shea

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

…then rehashing Greatest Hits on Apologetic Stuff my readers have already heard:

“A Christianity which does little in practice, while incessantly explaining its teachings, is dangerously unbalanced. I would even say that it is stuck in a vicious circle.

A pastor must show that the ‘Gospel of the family’ is truly ‘good news’ in a world where self-concern seems to reign supreme! We are not speaking about some romantic dream: the perseverance which is called for in having a family and raising it transforms the world and human history.”
– Pope Francis speaking at St. Charles Borromeo seminary Sat. Sept. 26, 2015

I often hear the lament, “Why don’t you stick to apologetics? Why are you on about Catholic Social Teaching and all that liberal stuff? You’re such a huge disappointment!”

Well, there’s no denying I’m a huge disappointment. But it still seems to me that I have a duty to learn and try to live the Church social doctrine and not just stick to apologetics, and the Pope just said why. Apologetics is for helping people get past intellectual roadblocks so they can embrace the proclamation of the gospel. It’s a useful endeavor, but it has a danger: you can get stuck there at the pitfall of “Tell me again how awesome I am for being Catholic and how dumb Those Guys Are for Not Getting It”.

Worse still, it can create a subculture in which simply repeating a small round of Catholic apologetics talking points can become a substitute for the whole teaching of the faith, particularly in a political atmosphere where it has become very much in the interest of one party to massage the faithful into believing that opposition to abortion takes away the sins of the world.

This is part of why Francis is disorienting for many. He has forcefully brought back something that most conservative Catholics had somehow convinced themselves was either ignorable or even heretical: the Seamless Garment. After 30 years of a politics that had taught them that virtually all of Catholic Social teaching could be ignored or edited just so long as you embraced the five non-negotiables (and most of all, opposition to abortion) Francis has very forcefully made clear that the unborn cannot be used as human shields for support for unjust war, torture, contempt for the weakest and policies that harm the family or the refugee. All this, thought to be “liberal”, turns out to simply be Catholic and requires more from us than simply saying “abortion is non-negotiable and everything else is prudential judgement that we can blow off”. It *challenges us to act*, which is much less fun than hearing again that we have the Real Presence in the Eucharist and Protestants are wrong about that.

Don’t get me wrong. Apologetics will always be important. I don’t unsay a word I’ve written on it and I will doubtless write more. But it’s only a weigh station. Action in response to the full-orbed teaching of the Church is critical. This pope is making that call urgent.

Uncategorized

Apologetic stuff

Catholic Social Teaching

Pope Francis

Previous Post

September 29, 2015

Catholic365 Continues Looking at Atheist Objections to the Faith

Next Post

September 29, 2015 One Practical Way to Heed the Pope's Call to be *More* Prolife

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 September 2006 June 2006 July 2005 April 2005 May 2002 April 2002 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz