Joyfully shipwrecked

Last updated on: December 15, 2014 at 2:30 am by Daniel Leckman, SJ

Joyfully shipwrecked 2014-12-12T10:31:17-08:00 Daniel Leckman, SJ

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There once was a ship that travelled far and wide. Some said it was as old as time. It wasn’t necessarily a majestic vessel, but it always remained an important part of the lives of people wherever it sailed. In the Canadian province of Quebec, the history and identity of French and English-speaking people were deeply intertwined with this ship’s long and illustrious journey. It was believed that the ship would endure forever. In many hearts, this journey continues today, but for the majority of people in the province, the voyage ended years ago, and all that is left is a shipwrecked vessel that is impressive to look at on the outside, but desolate and empty on the inside. Some say the ship has run it’s course, either because it tired itself out from all the travels or it simply fell in the hands of incompetent captains who did not know how to navigate the waters of modern times. Interestingly, while its journey may seem at an end, there are some who look to the old ship longingly, as if yearning to go back on it for one more great journey, and rediscover the joy, freedom, and clarity they once knew when they saw the world from its deck.

I suppose there are many places in the West where the metaphor of the shipwrecked vessel describes the Catholic Church rather well, but there are few places where it’s more apropos than Quebec. Especially the city of Montreal, a city that was once known as Ville Marie (The city of Mary) and La ville au cent clochers (The City of a Hundred Steeples); a city where one can find some of the most impressive churches in North America. It seems, however, that its Catholic heritage is less vibrant within the churches themselves. With some exceptions, like Notre Dame Basilica, St. Joseph’s Oratory, and a few others, most of them are half-full at best. The reality is that many of the local parishes are ageing, and will probably disappear within the next 20-30 years. I realize this is not an uncommon story in certain other parts of North America, but it seems that the secularism and liberalism that came in the 1960’s in Quebec has led to a full-out societal rejection of religion.

Yet, I also witness in many Quebeckers a longing for… something more. It’s this longing for spirituality that a recent Quebec documentary made by a Protestant couple, titled l’heureux nauffrage (Happily shipwrecked), explores. The film interviews many Francophone persons on the subject of the ‘emptiness’ of our age, and the yearning for something more. It’s a powerful film in many respects, as the people interviewed declare that while they reject organized religion, they are looking to the Bible and to Jesus for answers, and openly admit that Quebec is in urgent need of a spiritual renewal. There are also some problems with this film. The makers were unable to depict anything positive going on in the Church today. Their focus seemed to be limited to the distortedly critical view of the Church that many baby boomers espouse. It’s also a little disappointing that it’s mostly boomers who are the spokespeople in the film’s final cut. Younger people of faith are poorly represented. Nonetheless, the overall message is encouraging, and it’s even inspiring to see these intellectuals and artists critique modern day culture, and express their longings for a return to a simpler, more spiritual way of life.

L’heureux nauffrage is beautifully enhanced with a melancholic soundtrack that accompanies animation of a man on a journey, who is depicted walking around the village where he grew up, a place that is mostly empty today. He seems to be looking for answers to big questions. The climax comes in the last scene, when he walks into the church, a building that holds a lot of memories for him. Even though it’s completely abandoned, he takes a seat, and almost instantly, a smile comes on his face. It’s as if some of the weight he was carrying was suddenly removed.

What this final scene illustrates to me is that even though the Church is facing troubled times here in La Belle Province, it is still capable of speaking God’s hope and love to many people, even in an aggressively secular culture. The Church may never be what it was once here, but contrary to what many have predicted, I believe it will be around for generations to come, providing answers to hard questions, and pointing the way to a more authentic way of living in this topsy-turvy world. Even memory is a channel of grace.

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