Eighteen years ago this May, 4 million people — the largest public gathering in the history of the world — came together for the funeral of Pope St. John Paul II. Over 1 billion people watched it on television.
The Catholic Church gets a lot of attention in the world. Pope Francis is covered by global media. Yet we recognize with pain that not all the news about the Catholic Church is positive. Throughout the history of the Church, some individuals and leaders have harmed people and lived lives contrary to the Gospel. And even though we may not be the ones to blame for the sins of our history, we are all responsible to be a people of reconciliation, reform and healing.
There are other moments when the Catholic Church is part of different cultures and societies. In my lifetime, I can’t even count the number of movies about nuns, priests, bishops and popes. When it comes to horror movies about the devil, even Hollywood looks for a Catholic priest.
The Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination; Christianity is the largest religion in the world. In the United States, the Catholic Church is the second largest provider of social services — second only to the government.
Whether professional athletes, movie stars or the leaders of nations, it is an amazing search on our “googlebingyahoo” machines to look at famous Catholics. Throughout the history of the Church, when it comes to art, music and architecture; hospitals and schools; food for the poor and housing for the homeless; no other religion in the world has had such a positive impact on civilization as the Catholic Church.
To be Catholic is to have as our spiritual leader the successor of St. Peter, Pope Francis. We know that the ministry of the Apostles continues through the bishops as their successors.
To be Catholic is to know the real presence of Jesus Christ in the sacramental life we celebrate and to live our lives as joyful witnesses to the Gospel. In the Gospel of Luke, we hear of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-32). So, too, do we still study the Scriptures, invite the Lord to stay with us in our homes and then recognize his real presence in the breaking of the bread. We are formed by the Scriptures in which is found the revealed truths of our Catholic tradition. Some of the prayers of the Mass were already a thousand years old when Jesus used them at the Last Supper.
“To be a Catholic means that we go forth from here into the world to proclaim and protect the sacredness of all human life, the mandate of service and the stewardship of God’s creation.”
To be Catholic is also to belong to a parish where we grow in our holiness and find our unity. In a world of separated religions and no-religion, to be a Catholic means that all kinds of different people around the world are in the same Catholic Church, the same parish and even in the same pew. The Catholic parish is that place where we are united as one family; where we give to God our gifts of gratitude and through these first fruits, we provide for the needs of our Church and for the common good.
To be a Catholic means that we gather as a community of faith for Sunday Mass. We recognize in each other the presence of the risen Christ. We encounter this presence in the Word proclaimed and receive this real presence in holy Communion. To be a Catholic means that we go forth from here into the world to proclaim and protect the sacredness of all human life, the mandate of service and the stewardship of God’s creation.
