Can We Alter the Course?
A new year always begins with speculation, hope and resolutions. This year not only appears to follow that course but may be one of the most pivotal times in history. It is a major election year and the choices in front of us are monumental. Once again, we look at candidates and issues and know that the very redefinition of our culture is in front of us. Can we alter the current course of change by electoral choices, or is a more fundamental approach to stem the tide of instability more appropriate?
Participation in the electoral process is necessary and our duty filling in a space on a ballot is not the end of our participation. On the contrary, eternal vigilance is the price of freedom, and sadly, many of us accept the outcomes of elections as the final word in public policy. However, we must always let our support or displeasure be known. This is the hallmark of free speech in the public square.
The progressive momentum, which is the current today, posits that centuries-old norms are not only outdated but evil and demands that all be abandoned for a new societal model which is on a sliding scale of morality. The main target in this assault is Catholicism. As Catholics and Christians, we must continually call out office holders who, with impunity, deny the reality that they are bound by an authority much higher than the civil structure. To be a person of God, we all must follow the laws handed down through the ages. Those who hold public office have an even greater responsibility to be guided by this beacon.
Rejecting the Redefinition of the Culture
To some, the drastic redefinition of the culture is not alarming and even welcomed. The very foundation upon which our culture is based, however, is being redefined and the long-term effects of this revolution will be laid squarely on the shoulders of the next generation. Many dangers exist in this brave new world envisioned by idealistic theoreticians. There are few, if any, new ideas in forming the perfect model for society. Many have tried and failed. Successful societies do not form and flow from the ideas of the well-meaning few or the sinister machinations of those motivated by evil, but from the collective efforts of those guided by a higher authority.
Contrary to common belief, the basics of our Faith and the society constructed around it are not the evil holdover of restrictive confines. These are not the byproduct of oppressive thought and religious rules invented to subjugate the masses, as the propagandists bent on the overthrow of the present order profess. They are the rules of life found in the Ten Commandments, accepted since the Old Testament.
The Catholic Church is the Root of Life
Revisionist historians have always conveniently ignored the contributions of the Church and its adherents in establishing and operating the most influential institutions in Western society as well as being at the forefront of academic and scientific breakthroughs. I attended Mendel High School in Chicago. I knew little of the contributions of Gregor Mendel, the Augustinian Friar who is known as “the father of modern genetics.” The medical infrastructure in most of the world finds its origins under the patronage of the Catholic Church, even in locations where there are few adherents to the Faith.
It is imperative to eliminate the self-hatred instilled by those who claim we are partakers in an intrinsically evil culture which has exploited the world. In fact, we are a country which has taken up the call to charity beyond anything in human history. The generosity of our nation to friend and foe has been our identity. Charity as defined in the Christian ethos has historically been our guide. Cultural pessimism is the byproduct of self-loathing, which leads to living in fear of the future. Only by overcoming this paralyzing mentality can we boldly proceed in preserving our culture and work to make it better than ever.
Proper electoral choices are necessary and are the key to the preservation of Christian society. More importantly, however, is restoration of proper living, the byproduct of objective truth. This is the guidepost of civilization. Choices without moral foundation bear no good fruit and inevitably lead to moral compromise. Strict adherence to the laws of God must be the goal of those who wish to restore right order.
Fatima Message Calls Us to Change the Culture
I have been told that the evils of today exceed those in the time of Noah. Perhaps this is true and, yes, God might intervene in a major way. But how much more pleasing might this be to Him if we as a people turn back to Him, recognizing that the outline of success lies in Divine law? Like the people of Nineveh, we can partake in collective penance and avoid destruction while setting a course for a just future.
First, however, we must admit our own guilt and point out the errors in thought that lead many to embrace positions contrary to Divine law, not in a condescending manner towards those who promote evil, but as brethren who hope to convert them to the truth. Charity wins the day. The Fatima message calls us to this mission.
We stand at the crossroads of a God-centered boulevard and a desolate alley, which leads only to destruction. The choice of which direction we will follow is ours.
God bless you and Mary keep you in her Immaculate Heart.
David M. Carollo is the Executive Director of the World Apostolate of Fatima USA/National Blue Army Shrine. He wrote this for his Voice of Fatima column.
If you would like to comment on this post, please contact him at [email protected].
