In the past few days, most of us online have been made aware of comments by a leading cardinal here in the States.
One of the greatest evils of our times has been the misguided ideal of dialogue with unbelievers. Spread through-out the seminaries both here and in Great Britain, this ideal, based on a false premise of discussion in order to come to understandings between those in the secular world and those in the Church, has brought about close to zero conversions, and confusion among the faithful.
As Solzhenitsyn said, how can one have detente with evil?
Sadly, I think too many Church leaders have fallen into a habit of telling people what they want to hear. This is true in Germany right now as well as in New York. Is this to avoid conflict? Is this to be popular? Telling people what they want to hear is not evangelization.
The Church has always been a sign of contradiction in the world until the last hundred, when a middle-class Americanism or nationalism, as in the case of Great Britain, has watered down the message of the Gospel of Christ.
Unless we are willing to speak the real truth of salvation, as only possible through and in Christ, through and in His Church, we shall lose the war against evil.
Christ died for our sins, and He died so that we would be redeemed.
St. Peter left Rome trying to avoid the cross, his cross. God called him back.
Too many leaders among the clergy deny there is anything from which we need to be redeemed.
Too many leaders are telling people merely what they want to hear, instead of what Christ said.
Either we believe in the radical Gospel, or we do not. Either we accept suffering for Christ, like Peter, or we do not.
There is no middle ground.
I suggest prayers and fasting for our cardinals both in the States and in Europe.
