Have we lost our Way?
The history of Christianity has had its ups and downs, its own share of joys and sorrows. Through it all, the coming of the Son of God into the world and His rising from the dead have become the bedrock of our faith and our only hope.
Jesus Christ conquered the world albeit His own had rejected Him. He was crucified; and as though one crucifixion was not enough, we keep crucifying Him every single day. And alas, it is shocking that Christ’s foremost representative on earth put a spin on His divine declaration: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’ (Jn 14: 6).
Many ‘ways’?
Jesus has categorically stated that He is the only path to salvation and eternal life. Yet, on a recent visit to Singapore, Pope Francis, going against two millennia of Catholic teaching, put forth the idea that ‘every religion is a way to arrive at God…’. Not only did he say that there are different ‘ways’, he failed to name Jesus as being the God arrived at!
You and I believe that Christ is the only Way and the sole reason why we are Christians. Nonetheless, some fainthearted souls encountering newfangled ideas may suddenly see no point in trudging the challenging path of Christianity… They have just been tempted with a fruit bowl of religions, haven’t they? What, then, is the point of our faith, they might ask, if people of all beliefs can easily arrive at the Beatific Vision?
It is a pity that the tenets of our faith are being despised, not to say wilfully distorted by those at the helm. A foundational teaching has been very unceremoniously cast away! And we might soon begin to believe that agnostics and sceptics, atheists and satanists, too, are in the know of a secret way to Heaven! A sorry state of affairs that brings tears to one’s eyes…
In short, supernatural revelation has been brushed aside. Which straightaway makes divine grace non-existent, the Sacraments empty, evangelization meaningless, martyrdom and sainthood a fraud. What a far cry from what the Church has taught down the ages! This is a sure shot scheme to scatter the sheep, causing turmoil and distress in the fold.
Indefensible
It is anybody’s guess why the Pope made those outrageous public statements in the tropical island city-state of Southeast Asia. Was he playing to the gallery in a country with large pockets of at least five religions?
Instead, is he is not expected simply to proclaim Jesus? If the Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church doesn’t show the way, who will?
Many theologians have dubbed those utterances heretical. And unlike diplomats and politicians who attribute their gaffes to a slip of the tongue, misreporting or mistranslation, the Vicar of Christ doubled down on what he said, showing no qualms about having contradicted the Son of God.
Some allege that only ‘traditional Catholic quarters’ have taken exception to the Pontiff’s statements. The fact of the matter is that it can by no means be seen as a dispute between conservatives and liberals, traditionalists and progressivists, for the Patriarch of the West has hacked at the very foundation of Christianity.
How were the Pope’s indifferentist views received by other religionists? Polytheistic religions may not find the views offensive but monotheistic religions find religious pluralism proposals subversive. The Pope’s efforts may even come to be regarded as veiled poaching.
Of course, there are those who have hailed his break from the traditional interpretation of Jesus’ seminal statement. Such thinkers should rather quit the Church and start their own club. When not even secular institutions, however liberal, will ever entertain fifth columnists, why should the Church permit misinterpretation or twisting of her doctrine?
Be that as it may, self-respecting Catholics should watch out for a fresh salvo of secularist/irreligious cannon fire at the Synod on Synodality coming up in October this year.
End Times
The march of events in the last decade have been quite mystifying. Who can tell what else is in store for us? But then, ‘there is nothing hidden that won't be revealed, and there is nothing secret that won't become known and come to light’ (Lk 8: 17).
We are faced with a pontificate that is arguably one of the most controversial in modern Christian history. Almost every second interview or encyclical of the present pontiff has been contested, be it by cardinals, theologians, or other specialists.
Under the circumstances, it is very important to consider if we have lost our way…
This chaos, humanly speaking, may sound the death knell for the Church. At this rate, she might be replaced by a human-centred, New Age religion and church far removed from Christ. The saving grace is that the Church founded by Jesus Christ is both human and divine, and we have Our Lord’s promise that the gates of hell will never prevail against her.
Similarly, from our Blessed Mother we have this assurance: ‘In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.’ These words addressed to the shepherd children of Fátima in 1917 are a beacon of hope amid the present warmongering, both literal and metaphorical.
But none of that can justify self-complacency or passivity on our part. Rather, our response should consist of prayer and action. And teetering as we are on the brink of a world war, who knows if, when we least expect it, a one-world government and a one-world religion will be foisted on us as being a magic solution (similar to the vaccine against the once dreaded Covid-19 pandemic)!
In fact, in view of the unprecedented state of world affairs, many people have begun to wonder if we are living in the end times. Let us therefore continue to submit ourselves to the perennial Magisterium of Holy Mother Church, steadfastly following Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and serenely awaiting the justice of God in the voice of history!
Banner: https://rb.gy/lxowxs
