June 30, 2002

Catholics now number nearly 23 percent of the U.S. population. There has been a 2.5 percent increase in just the past year, to 65.3 million. The distribution of the population keeps shifting. Neighborhoods in New York can change radically in a few years. It is good to see a growing number of young families in Murray Hill. We have to be available to those who are trying to be loving parents in a culture that is very difficult for family life. We also have to be more open to the call of the Holy Spirit for priestly vocations. During the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, the number of seminarians worldwide has remarkably increased over 73%, but that has certainly not been the case in the United States. This shows a need for a more thorough understanding and practice of the Faith.

Growth without a purpose can become top heavy and even destructive. Biology distinguishes "growth" which is healthy from "a growth" which can be malignant. Many have said that it would be better if the Church were to be reduced in numbers if that be the price of eliminating corruption. In 1985 the Pro-nuncio, personal representative of the Holy Father to the United States, warned of immorality and heresy. A few leaders did what they could to preach authentic Catholicism, but others preferred to placate dissenters so as to avoid controversy. A wise teacher taught me what I wrote in a book called A Crisis of Saints: vice can destroy individual souls but historically more damage has been done by weakness than by vice. Michael Uhlmann, a contributing editor of the Washington magazine Crisis summarized our scene well:

"There will be new committees, new rules and regulations, new procedures, new apologies, and much heartfelt talk about healing wounds and reaching out to victims. All this is no doubt necessary and useful, but it won't mean much in the absence of genuine intellectual and spiritual reformation A generation or more of Catholics has been subjected to happy-talk catechetics of little substance and to liturgies dominated by displays of feel-good-ism that reduce the Eucharist to some sort of vaguely spiritual meal. Trendy theologians have been allowed to undermine the intellectual foundations of the faith Confession has fallen into desuetude, the idea of sin into moral relativism and psychobabble. Is it any wonder that sins of the flesh should have acquired such a prominent hold? Bureaucratic and procedural reforms will accomplish nothing unless the bishops reaffirm the prime importance of orthodox teaching, sacramental devotion, and rigorous spiritual discipline. In short, it's back-to-basics time. Who among the bishops will rise to lead us?"

Fr. George W. Rutler