The Catholic Moment + 2 Decades

I was at Father Neuhaus' St. Mary's talk last night (see below) with Peter Wolfgang of the Family Institute of Connecticut (and of its blog).

Wolfgang asked the night's best question: He noted that it was 20 years since the publication of The Catholic Moment. He noted that 10 years after the book's publication, Father Neuhaus had written an article for Crisis magazine for the occasion, though I can't find it online. He wanted to know, 20 years later, how Father Neuhaus would reassess the state of the Church in America.

Father Neuhaus' answer nicely distinguished optimism ("a matter of optics, of seeing what you want to see and not seeing what you don't want to see") from the Christian virtue of hope and pointed to some signs of life in the Church. It would be interesting to hear more from him on the question, once he has had time to reflect on it.

The mood in the Church is very different from what it was in 1998, even among the "JPII Generation" of Catholics. The abuse scandals took the wind out of many sails. When will it kick up again?

-- Tom Hoopes

Comments

[Zaccheus Treed]

Neighbor New Havenite here. I noticed that the most appreciative applause came when Father Neuhaus suggested U.S. bishops echo the Holy Father's expression of deep shame over The Situation -- all together, on their knees. I'd almost call the cheer that went up for that line "thunderous."

A public display of penitence like that just might help blow the Church out of the doldrums. It sure couldn't hurt.

[Tom Hoopes]

I was puzzled by that line ... and the response.

The bishops failed in many, many ways ... but expressing repentance in heartfelt ways and with Catholic language wasn't one of them.

http://www.usccb.org/bishops/presidentialaddress.shtml