Per Christum

America Magazine published an old article from the great Hillaire Belloc describing the state of the American Church, as well as a few of his predictions about its future. I found him to be quite prophetic and wanted to focuse on a couple of quotes.

The American national tradition as a whole is opposed to the Catholic culture. No matter how much the doctrinal force of the original American Protestantism decays the old feeling that Cathol­icism is alien survives, in spite of that decay.

I think Belloc was exactly right about this. Although the USA is becoming more secular each year, there still exists a general Protestant spirit of individualism. Catholicism, at least authentic magisterial Catholicism, is still seen as alien (and always will be) because it challenges fundemental American attitudes towards individualism and dissent. Although Americans may no longer fear the Jesuits or the Pope setting up the USA as a Vatican satellite, many now condemn the Pope for daring to call Catholics to respect life, uphold traditional morality, or apply their faith to political life. In fact, many Catholics have embraced the spirit of individualism and dissent found in the prevailing culture. Why? A quote from Belloc addresses the issue too:

Today, comparing one’s experience with that of the first days in which I knew America, nearly fifty years ago, the increased weight of Catholic wealth, not only collectively but in the shape of private fortunes, is very striking. If one could strike a curve, as one can in some simple social matters, one might predict with firm confidence a steadily increasing influence for America in numbers and in social force generally, until with the absence of any other positive philosophy to oppose her the Church there might triumph.

Catholics, through upward mobility, have become part of the American mainstream; we’ve made it (for better or for worse)! For example, although Kennedy was subject to anti-Catholic bias, no one really cared that John Kerry was Catholic. In fact, many Catholics and Protestants lamented that he didn’t listen to the Pope on moral issues. However, with this assimilation into US culture, Catholics have lost a good deal of their unique identity. Catholics often act more like their social or cultural group than as a community desiring to become saints. Thus, we have Catholics who are pro abortion or defend torture because of their political party. The long fought crusade for acceptance in American society turns out to have been a mixed blessing or a negative altogether.

Fortunately the future looks bright as committed Catholics tend to embrace Church teaching and the rest recognize that waking up on Sunday morning for something you don’t believe in is a waste of time. While I’d like to see everyone be committed and active, for those who want to transform the Church into a mirror of American society, golfing or sleeping in is a better alternative to active dissent.