Staying Positive
In politics people try and stay positive but when things get a little more intense they tend to abandon that and just start throwing mud. It usually works. That is the public elects people who use this strategy. They complain about the sleazy political games but very worst tactics work time and time again. So how much do voters really hate them? They could end them very quickly by voting for the victim of such schemes but that never happens. Their words say they are unimpressed but their actions say they are convinced.
Pope Benedict has tried to stay positive. He has heard many people complain that the Christian message is to negative. The focus is all on “thou shalt not.” So the pope has taken this to heart. He hardly ever spends any time addressing what we should not be doing and why. There are a ton of things he that are common practice for bishops that he does not like. He told them what they should be doing. This is how you address a scandal. This is how you teach the faith. This is what should be happening with pro-abortion politicians. But he didn’t tell them what they should not be doing. Now some might say that is obvious but I am not sure it is. Those who are already of that mind think it is obvious but those who are thinking differently might need it to be made even clearer.
The same thing is true of the Catholic university presidents. Sure he tells them that academic freedom is not in conflict with Catholic truth. You can embrace both and in fact one without the other ends up in a bad spot. OK, but what does that look like? Are they open to this type of reasoning? I doubt it. Maybe a few will think it through because it is the pope. But more specific examples of what is happening that should not be happening would have helped. You need to remember that they are very worried about secular respect. I wonder if subtle is the right approach.
I wonder if Pope Benedict should take a page from politics and just not worry about being labeled as to negative. People who are going to think that will think that no matter how untrue it is. That does not mean going all hell fire and brimstone but at least mentioning the serious sins that are causing so many problems in the church. If you look at the scriptures there is a balance of positive and negative. There are many references to the beaty of the Christian life but there are also many clear warnings about the ugliness of the alternatives.
Contraception is a good example. He didn’t mention it at all. Does that mean he is OK with what US Catholics are teaching and practicing with regards to contraception. No. It just means he chose not to go into details about what we need to give up in order to embrace Christ as out hope. But many people need those details. Sure they can still get them. Yes, they should be attracted by the joy of knowing Christ fully but they need to know what they can’t take with them. Besides, people who want to accuse the church of being negative will still do it as we see here.
Pope Benedict did not so much call for people to make a decision for Christ as much as he gave encouragement and instruction to those who already want to follow Jesus. He is hoping that many will do that and become models for others. He is a firm believer in the idea that making a few good Catholics into great Catholics will cause them to become magnets for all those who currently are not serious about their faith. Maybe it is true. Maybe it is the pope’s role to strengthen the more mature sheep and allow them to be shepherds to the wandering lambs.