A relevant Church

In the imagination of much of the secular world, the Catholic Church seems to be out of touch with the modern world, unable to understand what it means to be alive in these times.

Presumably it was that sort of thinking which gave rise to the scoffing mirth that accompanied the reports of the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano declaring the eponymous family of TV’s The Simpsons “Catholic”.

It does not matter that the L’Osservatore article might have overstated their case. The derision was directed at the notion that the Church should have any opinion at all.

The secular headline-writers and commentators conveyed an impression that the Vatican, through its newspaper, was trying to be hip in a ridiculous attempt to be relevant.

Of course the Catholic Church is relevant in the modern world, and not disconnected from it, as the headlines would suggest. The welcome Pope Benedict received in highly secularised Britain showed that Catholicism is not obsolete there.

There are times, of course, when Church officials fail to explain its teachings adequately (or, sometimes, correctly), and wrongly ascribe evil motives to those who disagree with them. Indeed, some representatives of the Church seem to have made it a virtue to appear out of touch.

And yet, the Church shows its relevance when its contribution to the welfare of people around the world, even and especially for non-Catholics, is second only to that of governments.

In South Africa and worldwide, the Catholic Church is engaged in a quarter of all HIV/Aids programmes, often serving at the vanguard, as it did in South Africa in the distribution of antiretroviral drugs in its clinics. Education in many countries, including some rapidly secularising European nations, would be in danger of collapsing if Catholic schools ceased to exist.

The Church is involved in many peacekeeping initiatives, especially in Africa. If South Sudan manages to secede peacefully from Khartoum, a portion of the credit will be due to Catholic mediation (especially from the Southern African Church).

The Catholic Church has been at the forefront in campaigning for debt relief for the poorest nations — long before rock stars adopted the cause. Not a week goes by without either the pope or a Vatican representative speaking out for the poor in concrete terms, also noting the devastating effect which climate change is having on them.

In South Africa, the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office is highly respected by politicians, and is frequently invited to make representation on pending legislation, even if it is unrelated to specific religious interests.

By speaking sometimes uncomfortable truths on life issues—be they abortion, euthanasia or capital punishment—the Catholic Church acts as a conscience for a world that is not always showing great respect for human life. Definitions of what actually constitutes human life may differ sharply, but it is necessary that humanity never lose sight of the sanctity of life.

If the secular editors still doubt the Church’s relevance today, they may turn to Madrid next year and observe the hundreds of thousands of youths, maybe more than a million, who will gather from all parts of the world to celebrate the Eucharist with the pope.

There should be no doubt that the Catholic Church is very much part of this world, acutely sensitive to the issues facing our times and unafraid to address them.
Sometimes the Church might not do a great job of it. But at no time should be it denied a legitimate voice—even on the subject of television programmes.