The Coming (and Present) Persecution

Whenever I refer to the likelihood of a real persecution of the Catholic Church in this country, most Catholics I know immediately tune me out. First they force an indulgent smile of the sort you'd offer a small child when he says something patently absurd. Then they begin to plan their exit strategy. Their eyes search left and right for something or someone that might offer an escape or refuge from the crazy deacon. To them religious persecution is just not something they can imagine happening in the good ol' USA.

Too many Catholics seem blind to what's been happening in this country. Maybe for some it's because their faith is something they consciously practice only once a week when they attend Sunday -- or, all too often, Saturday -- Mass. Unless you live your faith, every hour of every day, it's unlikely you will notice the very real threats to and attacks on the Catholic Church that have become increasingly acceptable in our society.

I worry about these folks because I suspect that many will not hold up very well under the threat of real persecution. The majority of Germans and other Europeans simply "went along" with Nazism because to do otherwise was flat-out dangerous. We see the results in the tremendous loss of faith that Europe has experienced since World War II. I believe I can safely say that today most Western Europeans are, at best, agnostic. This is the Europe that Pope Benedict has been preaching to, pleading with them to revisit and return to the Christianity that formed them, the Christianity that enabled them to confront and defeat the many threats to human freedom over the centuries.

Much the same happened in the Soviet Union after the Revolution and later in Eastern Europe under communism. The only nation that was able to cling to its faith during those years of overt persecution was Catholic Poland. And from Poland came the beginning of the end of communism in Europe.

I could go one, but others have written about these things and done so far better than I. The following article, written by Deacon Keith Fournier of the Diocese of Richmond, is a beautiful example. Written five years ago, it shows remarkable prescience. Here's a direct link to the article, Please read it...

The Beginning of a Persecution Against Catholics is also the Beginning of a new Missionary Age. By Rev. Mr. Keith A. Fournier

...and remember, "Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven." [Mt 5:11-12]