Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia has strongly rejected a critique of American Christianity written by two of the Pope’s associates.
He said the piece, published in the Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica, was an “exercise in dumbing down”.
The archbishop said the article misrepresented the nature of cooperation between Catholics in Evangelicals in the United States, adding that it seems “wilfully ignorant” of the cultural battles they face.
The Civiltà Cattolica article, written by papal confidant Fr Antonio Spadaro and Protestant theologian Marcelo Figueroa, accused American conservative Catholics of joining Evangelical Protestants in an “ecumenism of hate” on issues such as immigration.
Fr Spadaro and Mr Figueroa said this alliance was concerned with gaining political power over the state, and described senior politicians as holding a “Manichaean” mindset that divides the world into absolute good and absolute evil. But writing for Catholic Philly, Archbishop Chaput said Catholics and Evangelicals had traditionally had strong differences and only a “real and present danger” could draw them together.
“Their current mutual aid, the ecumenism that seems to so worry La Civiltà Cattolica, is a function of shared concerns and principles, not ambition for political power,” the archbishop wrote, adding that it was an “odd kind of surprise when believers are attacked by their co-religionists merely for fighting for what their churches have always held to be true.”
Archbishop Chaput said Christians who see themselves as progressive tend to be wary of the religious liberty debate, with some seeing it as a “smokescreen for conservative politics”. But the archbishop said: “The liberty of religious communities has always been a seedbed of social action and ministry to those in need.”
If Christians are afraid to tackle big moral issues, including biblical calls to sexual integrity, he added, they become “useful tools”of those who seek to undo Church teaching.
“This is why groups that fight for religious liberty in our courts, legislatures, and in the public square … are heroes, not ‘haters’,” the archbishop wrote. “And if their efforts draw Catholics, evangelicals and other people of good will together in common cause, we should thank God for the unity it brings.”
Cameroon bishops take legal action over prelate’s death
The bishops’ conference of Cameroon has launched a private lawsuit over the alleged murder of Bishop Jean-Marie Benoit Bala of Bafia, whose body was found floating in a river.
Archbishop Samuel Kleda of Douala, conference president, said the bishops were “not satisfied” with investigators’ findings that Bishop Bala drowned.
The lawsuit was filed to “ensure truth is established”, Archbishop Kleda told Radio France Internationale.
“If he’d died from drowning, there would have been water in his body, but there was nothing. Instead, it was clear there were many marks of violence,” the archbishop said.
He said the bishops’ conference would also file a complaint against unspecified officials for mishandling the case and would hand its file of evidence to lawyers acting on its behalf.
Bishop Bala’s body was discovered by fishermen in the Sanaga River, four miles from a bridge where an apparent suicide note was found in his abandoned SUV.
The funeral for 58-year-old Bishop Bala will be held on Wednesday.
An Interpol-commissioned autopsy said it was probable that the bishop had drowned.
German Church loses 160,000 members
About 160,000 Catholics left the Church in Germany last year, new figures show.
The number represents an improvement on 2015, when 180,000 faithful left the Church – or opted out of paying a church tax compulsory for members. Nearly a third, or 23 million, people in Germany are Catholic.
Fr Hans Langendörfer, bishops’ conference secretary, said: “We should not forget our real mission in the figures … to joyfully proclaim the Gospel.”
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.