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ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN

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September 27, 2009

The Good News...

           ...ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC

During the past six months, a  terrible conflict has emerged among some Catholic people in the Oklahoma City area. Last spring I addressed this matter with an article in the Sooner Catholic titled “Our Citizenship Is In Heaven.” I urged the proponents of each side to pray and study. I recommended the study to include Catholic Social Teaching and especially a re-reading of Pope Benedict’s Encyclical Letter DEUS CARITAS EST. I also said I would try to arrange for a formal lecture. Unfortunately, the very competent speaker I had chosen later had to cancel. In the meantime, Pope Benedict XVI, prolific writer that he is, issued another Encyclical titled CARITAS IN VERITATE.  

Caritas In Veritate is a further official teaching of the Holy Father on the important current development of Catholic Social Doctrine of the Church.

I believe that my challenge to all our people to read and study these two recent crucially important documents has resulted in many people who never before read an Encyclical  to do so. The problem now is that an Encyclical, like any other written document, including the Bible, can be misunderstood or taken out of context.  It is most important therefore that Pope Benedict's official teaching through an Encyclical be received as an expression of the ordinary Papal Magisterium. Catholics should adhere to this teaching with religious assent. In this way, we are all safely guided by the Church in our daily pilgrimage of faith. We are sinful human beings, hopefully on our way to claim our citizenship in heaven. But first, however, we must be good and holy and faithful people right here on earth, loving God first and foremost and our neighbor as ourselves.

Following my own advice to you, I too have prayed and studied and observed. I have witnessed the growing conflict which has no place in the Church. I regret that the present historical moment in our country and indeed throughout the world is filled with fear, distrust, anger and hostility. This negative atmosphere seems to be creeping into the Church. This should not be. The Church is the Body of Christ. The Church is built on the Good News of Jesus.  The members of the Church share the responsibility of living, proclaiming and sharing this Good News. We are not called to insulate ourselves from the world but we are directed to make this world a better place in which to live. Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save it.

When Jesus established His Church through the apostles whom He called and commissioned, He promised us special guidance. The apostles and their successors act in the Name of Jesus and on His authority. Since the apostles (and their successors) as individuals are human beings, as individuals they will not always be good or faithful or perfect. However, the Holy Father, as successor of Saint Peter and the visible head of the Church enjoys infallibility when he proclaims by a definite act a doctrine of faith or morals. The infallibility promised to the Church is also present in the body of bishops when, together with the Pope, they exercise the supreme Magisterium.

Since the Magisterium, (the Pope, and the Pope and Bishops) is the authentic and official teacher of the Catholic faith, even those teachings which are not infallibly defined but presented as the ordinary teaching of the Church must be adhered to with religious assent. Thus an Encyclical and the commentaries of various bishops constitute our official Catholic teaching.  

The Social Doctrine of the Church is not a recent innovation in the life of the Church. It goes back to Jesus. In the last hundred years, however, the public teachings of the Popes clarified and advanced that social teaching in view of the radical changes in society. From the time of Pope Leo XIII (1903) until this present moment, all 10 Popes have issued official teachings on the social doctrine of the Church in the form of Encyclical letters or other documents.

The Social Doctrine of the Church is based on the fact that all human beings are created in the Image and Likeness of God.  Therefore, human life is sacred and is to be respected and cherished. Moreover, Christian people, reborn in the Sacrament of Baptism, have an obligation to share the Good News of Jesus with others. Catholics have even a greater obligation than others — to the rest of    society — because we have the promise of Jesus to protect and watch over us through the Magisterium which teaches us in His Name.

Through our Religious Education, Family Life Office, Catholic Charities and other offices or agencies of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, we have always followed the guidance and direction of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The American Bishops have faithfully and enthusiastically presented the teachings of the Holy Father and the Magisterium of the Church. The Social Doctrine of the Church is not partisan or political. It is, however, based on the dignity of the human person and the sanctity of life. Therefore, it touches on every area of human life including the public, civic and political areas. (Read carefully the excerpt from Pope Benedict’s Encyclical Caritas in Veritate.)

Last spring, a number of parishes, following the principals of Catholic Social teaching, joined together with churches in a coalition to work together in areas of common concerns. They formed the Oklahoma Sponsoring Committee (OSC). Upon doing this, they were challenged by some Catholic people for using the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) guidelines for organization and training for "community organizing."

IAF was severely condemned as a liberal political entity conspiring to seduce the churches. The term "community organizing" was called into contempt. In my April article I mentioned some of the failures of the past where IAF used bad tactics and undo force to meet its goal. However, I also mentioned that during the past 30 or 40 years, interfaith groups inspired by the good organization of the IAF have been formed in many dioceses. They have withstood the test of time and proven to be solid and helpful for people, for the Church mission and for the local societies. I have consulted with the bishops of these dioceses and they all attest that such interfaith coalitions are good and effective.

When a group forms and seeks to address common concerns, the outcome will be good or bad depending on the vision, beliefs and dedication of its members. This is the reason Catholic Social Teaching encourages our people to be the leaven in the world.  Catholics with a vibrant faith and nurtured by the sacramental life of the Church are the very best candidates to give leadership and inspiration to these organizations. As I said in my earlier article:  "Our present secular society does not seek truth nor does it engender faith. The current political climate does not uphold the dignity and worth of the human person. Only those who profess faith themselves can share faith with others. Only those who believe in God can restore a true respect for the intrinsic dignity of human beings." Therefore, I want to encourage the committees of the six parishes as representatives of the Catholic Church to continue their efforts of being witnesses and leaven in the world. I thank your pastors for their commitment to Catholic Social Teaching. These pastors have assured me that they will always follow our Catholic teachings. If they saw any danger to our Catholic faith, practices or beliefs, they would immediately withdraw from the group. They did not have to express this assurance in words as their pastoral dedication and service to God's people portrays a faithfulness and love of our Holy, Catholic Church. Thank you, Fathers!

I also wish to commend the good women and men of our Archdiocese who expressed their concern fearing potential danger or harm to the Church. Your calling this to my attention has increased our examination and study of Church teachings, including these beautiful Encyclicals of Pope Benedict XVI. Your continuing prayers and study, especially of our Catholic Social  Teachings, will be informative and liberating. Grounded in faith, guided by the Magisterium of the Church and strengthened by the sacramental life we share, we will all overcome fear, sin and evil.  Our hope and our trust is in Jesus Who gave us this Church. Jesus alone is our Lord and Redeemer. He never abandons us.  Sometimes, however, we are not true to His call as we tend to settle our own problems solely in human terms. The nasty notes written to me and the Sooner Catholic lacked the charity that must underlie all our activities. The damage done to people's reputations must be healed. The false attacks which are being spread undermine the good works of our Catholic Charities. Public radio and the Internet cannot be used to slander the mission and work of the Church.  Otherwise, it leads to scandal, hatred and contempt of our Catholic faith.

It is my hope and my prayer that the events of the past six months will have been a blessing for all of us. We must continue our pilgrimage of faith on this earth to life everlasting in heaven through the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church with which the Lord has gifted us.