THE DEATH OF CHRISTENDOM

This statement is meant to be provocative. It does not mean that Christianity is dead – that will never happen, of course. Rather, it can no longer be taken for granted that Christian values are the norm. In 1974, Archbishop Fulton Sheen declared, “[W]e are at the end of Christendom.” He could see how people were turning away from God and the truth, in order to refashion God in the image and likeness of humanity. Like our first parents, we were disregarding our dignity and declaring the Church to be unnecessary – even a detriment – to our happiness. In our day, Pope Francis has said, “Brothers and sisters, Christendom no longer exists.” 3 We see it even more clearly today: the Church – and her leaders – are often suspect, ridiculed and dismissed. To be sure, many members and leaders of the Church have engaged in sin, infighting and scandalous behavior, sowing doubt about the truth of the Gospel and its transformative effect on the lives of believers. The people of God must go forward in a spirit of humility, penance and service, in order to show forth the presence of Christ in our midst. For many people today, there are few (if any) objective truths. “Truth” for them is what matters most to them and their happiness. Any restrictions on their freedom or happiness are regarded as suspect or even as intolerance. “That may be truth for you,” they say, “but not for me.” We may argue and debate over where this attitude – this ‘hardness of heart’ – is coming from, but we cannot dismiss the fact that it is the prevailing attitude of our time. What has worked in the past will not work in the same way today. We can no longer be content with opening our church doors and watching people come in. In fact, they are leaving faster than they are joining, and they have been for quite a while.
Questions for reflection:

• Bishop Wack says, “We can no longer be content with opening our church doors and watching people come in.”

What can we do instead?

• How have you experienced in your own life the transition from Christendom to a predominantly indifferent or hostile society?
•  What cannot be taken for granted when sharing the Catholic faith with others?
• Have you seen any of your family members leave the Catholic faith? How did you respond?

Bishop William A. Wack