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UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME LIBRARY

'JUL 26 1974

A REVIEW OF THE PRINCIPAL

TRENDS IN THE LIFE OF THE

CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE

UNITED STATES

UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE
DAME

MEMORIAL UBRARY

FtB U 1 1979

COLLEGE UBRARY
VERTICAL FILE

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF

CATHOLIC BISHOPS

1974



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https://archive.org/details/reviewofprincipacath



A Review of the Principal Trends in the

Life of the Catholic Church in the

United States

National Conference of Catholic Bishops

1974

The word “malaise’' is often used to describe the current state

of U.S. society in general and, in particular, the condition of

organized religion in the United States. Many observers find in
both the secular and religious spheres a disturbing degree of po-

larization, confusion, self-doubt and uncertainty about fundamental

values and purposes. The more optimistic view this as the neces-

sary prelude to a new era of committed purposefulness, or, as they

might say, the birth pangs of a “new consciousness.’’ The more

pessimistic hold that the current situation reflects decadence and

portends collapse.

It is not the purpose of this paper to suggest that either of

these viewpoints is entirely true or entirely false. If history is any

guide, it seems possible that both will be proved right to some
extent and wrong to some extent. Both secular society and or-
ganized religion are passing through a time of rapid and dramatic

change. It is probable that both will be different in significant

ways in the future. At the same time, many areas of continuity
with the past are likely to remain. The present era of change does

not represent a total sloughing off of tradition but rather a winnow-

ing process in which some values and institutions may be dis-
carded but others will be reaffirmed and strengthened.

The problems of secular society in the United States and the
problems of organized religion are not identical. At the same time
it is Impossible to dichotomize the “secular’’ and “religious,’’

particularly when attempting to reflect on the state of mind of
individuals, who themselves do not experience their lives as di-
chotomized. Certainly many issues in the “secular’’ sphere have

1



"religious" dimensions, and vice versa. Problems in one area

tend to reinforce and aggravate those in the other.

I. Secular society

Many elements enter into the current malaise of secular society
in the United States. Only a few can be mentioned here.

It is obvious that the deep divisions caused by U.S. military

involvement in Southeast Asia have not been healed. Fundamental

questions of conscience raised by the Vietnam war remain un-

answered. Considered in this context, the current political crisis in

the United States has occurred at the worst possible moment for
the well being of the nation. With the end of active U.S. military

Involvement in Southeast Asia the American people stood urgently

in need of political leadership which would help them achieve

reconciliation and regain consensus. Instead disclosures of wrong-

doing by public figures have contributed to divisiveness and, worst

of all, to feelings of cynicism and disgust with regard to the entire

political process. There is evidence that many Americans simply
no longer trust their public institutions, and that among these
institutions government is trusted least of all.

One result of the weakening of public consensus has been to
reinforce the selfish tendencies of groups and individuals. Deep-

seated social problems such as poverty and racism seem little

closer to solution than they were a decade ago; worse still, in

some sectors talk of poverty is regarded as a bore, and racial
separatism is advocated as a positive good. The current energy

crisis raises additional questions about American altruism and

willingness to sacrifice. There is fear that the burdens of the

energy shortage will be shifted to those least able to bear them

and least able to raise an effective protest: the poor and lower-

income individuals and families. Neo-isolationism, following on

the Vietnam war and reinforced by the energy crisis, has caused

many Americans to Ignore or discount the imperatives of Inter-
national social justice.

Radical changes in individual moral values have also occurred

in recent years and are continuing to occur. Whether or not It Is

accurate to speak of a "sexual revolution," it is clear that many
people now regard sex primarily as an Instrument of Individual

gratification rather than a means for the expression of mutual love

2



and commitment between husband and wife, fundamentally

oriented to the begetting of new life. Changing attitudes toward

sex, toward the roles of men and women, and toward relationships
among members of different generations have subjected family
life to unusual strain. Divorce is widely accepted and divorce rates

are extremely high; it is not farfetched to suppose that the easy

availability and social acceptability of divorce encourage a “divorce

mentality." There is now widespread, although by no means uni-

versal, acceptance of abortion on grounds of convenience. The

right of each woman to exercise control over her body is frequently
advanced as a total and self-evident justification for the destruction

of unborn life. Similarly self-centered and individualistic attitudes

underlie the growing movement for legalized euthanasia. Although

“humane" arguments are generally put forward in favor of eutha-
nasia, the reality is that many people now accept the idea that
persons whose age, illness or incapacity renders them burden-

some, have thereby forfeited the right to life.

Many tend to blame communications media for the deteriora-
tion of traditional moral values in American society. To some
extent this is unfair, since to a significant degree the media simply

reflect what Is happening in society. However, it Is apparent that

the media experience great difficulty—some would say unwilling-
ness—in exercising self-control in their depiction of violence,
sexual permissiveness, and the pursuit of materialistic values.

2. The state of organized religion

Much of the confusion and uncertainty apparent in American
society In general is mirrored, in one way or another, in organized

religion. Granted that there are few reliable empirical indicators

of religiosity (which makes it difficult if not impossible to general-
ize about the state of religion considered as a matter of individual

experience), the fact remains that the churches as institutions

seem in many instances to be ailing.

Some describe the current difficulties of organized religion in
the United States as a “crisis of faith." Whether or not such a

crisis exists only God—literally—can say. Beyond question, how-
ever, in the United States at the present time transcendent reli-

gious belief finds itself engaged In direct contestation with a secu-
laristlc, humanistic worldview which rejects supernatural religion

and absolute moral values.

3



The difficulties of organized religion express themselves In
^ such ways as declining membership, declining church attendance,

and declining contributions. To be sure, a “church” is not consti-

tuted by entries in a ledger. Nevertheless the statistics point to

basic problems. The churches themselves are in some cases ex-
periencing a crisis of self-identity. The social activism of the

1960s (identified with such causes as civil rights, anti-poverty

efforts, and the anti-war movement) has declined and is regarded

as passe in some quarters. At the same time many sectors of
organized religion have found nothing to take its place. The quest

for religious “relevance” continues, but there is little agreement

as to what now constitutes relevance. Religious fads come and go
with regularity.

Simultaneously, however, the other phenomena of quite a dif-

ferent sort have begun to appear. Some ultra-conservative, funda-
mentalist churches report all-time high memberships and financial

contributions. Pentecostalism and the Jesus Movement continue

to attract adherents. There is strong, although In many instances

obviously superficial, interest in Eastern religions and the occult.

It is extremely difficult to interpret these phenomena with much

certainty; perhaps it does them an injustice to lump them together.

Nevertheless one may hypothesize that, to some extent at least,

each represents In Its own way a reaction against socially oriented

religion and a retreat to a more Individualistic approach.

It is generally recognized that the positive influence of orga-

nized religion on public policy and public morality has declined

sharply in the United States In recent years. Court decisions inter-

preting separation of church and state along narrowly absolutist

lines have excluded religious observance and, for all practical

purposes, religious education from the public schools. Many

parents, church leaders and others are justifiably concerned about

both the immediate and longrange implications of this situation

for the religious and moral formation of the young and, therefore,

the religious and moral bases of American society in the future.

It is perfectly true that perfunctory and pro forma religious activi-

ties in the classroom are unlikely to accomplish much. The special

tragedy Is that even the perfunctory and pro forma are now re-

garded as beyond the pale of constitutionality.

4



3. The state of the Catholic Church

It has been customary in recent years to discuss tensions

within the Catholic Church in the United States in terms of confict

between “conservatives'’ and “liberals." It may be, however, that
the time has come to cast such discussions in different terms.
The emerging question for the Catholic community in the United

States may well be whether it will in the future, as in the past,

derive its fundamental beliefs and attitudes from the traditional

value system of Catholic Christianity, or whether its beliefs and

attitudes will be drawn more and more from the secularistic,

humanistic value system of the society around it.

Historically, the Catholic community in the United States until

recent years lived in a certain isolation from attitudes and values

which prevailed in the larger society. This is not to say that

Catholics were uninfluenced by the experience of living within

American society—something which would have been both un-
desirable and Impossible to effect. It Is to say that the Catholic

community was relatively Isolated and homogeneous, and that in

a host of different ways, ranging from the trivial to the urgently

important, the distinctiveness of “Catholic" beliefs, “Catholic"

values, and “Catholic” practices was affirmed and reinforced.

This state of affairs has changed markedly in the last fifteen

years and with increasing rapidity since the end of Vatican Council

II. It Is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss the reasons for

this change, although no doubt some are to be found in the Internal
life of the Catholic Church during this period while others are due

to social trends and forces at work in secular society. In any case,

and leaving aside the question of what has caused the change, the

pertinent issue now is whether Catholics in the United States are
more powerfully formed and influenced by the Church or by secular

society. At the very least, many would say that for a large number
of Catholics, the influence of secular society—and all that implies,
for good as well as ill—counts more heavily than the Influence of
the Church.

Viewed in this light, it comes as no surprise that the Catholic
Church in the U.S. has many of the same problems as the rest of
organized religion. Polarization and ferment are widespread in the

Church, not least in the religious life. The shortage of vocations
to the priesthood and religious life remains a serious problem.

5



The reaffirmation of clerical celibacy by the 1971 Synod has helped

-reduce confrontation on that Issue; yet departures from the active

ministry continue at a disturbingly high rate. There Is even evi-

dence that weekly Mass attendance has begun to decline signifi-
cantly among some Catholics. This Is particularly striking since
very high rates of weekly attendance at religious services have up

to now been one of the distinguishing traits of the Catholic com-
munity. Evidence of the same tendency—toward assimilation of
the values and attitudes dominant In the general society—appears
in data indicating that many Catholics are tolerant of abortion in
at least some circumstances, reject official Church teaching on
means of family limitation, have a divorce rate not markedly
different from that of other Americans, and regard most social

issues very much as their non-Catholic countrymen do. It would
be an exaggeration at the present time to say that such Catholics

have rejected the Church. There is no reason to think they have;

for the most part they continue to perceive themselves as Cath-

olics. But Catholic beliefs and values no longer occupy the same
central place in their lives that they did in the lives of their parents

and grandparents—and may have done In their own lives in years
gone by. And their attitude toward the Magisterium is ambivalent

at best.

This is, however, only part of the story of the contemporary

Catholic community in the United States. The situation Is con-

siderably different for that other segment of the community for

whom Catholic beliefs and attitudes do continue to hold a position
of centrality.

The experience of these Catholics has not been particularly

happy In recent years. Increasingly they have found themselves

at odds with dominant trends and values in the society in which

they live. Their discomfort has reached the point at which it now

is described by some as “alienation." Two events of 1973
dramatized and exacerbated such alienation In an especially acute

way: the January decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing

abortion on demand and the June decisions of the same Court

apparently closing off most avenues of new and substantial public

assistance to nonpublic schools and nonpublic school children and

their parents. The January decisions on abortion were a fiat con-

tradiction of traditional Catholic attitudes concerning the right

to life of the unborn child, as well as traditional Catholic beliefs

6



concerning the role of law and public policy. The June decisions

on educational aid were perceived by many Catholics as a callous

repudiation, with some anti-Catholic overtones, of their claim

to equitable treatment and full, unimpeded participation in the

American educational enterprise.

It is extremely risky to attempt to predict the future course of

events as far as the Catholic community in the U.S. is concerned.

The tendencies noted here have become pronounced only recently

and with surprising speed. It is possible that a new change of

direction will occur with equal suddenness, but it would be pre-

sumptuous to assume that such a change will take place. A

simple return to the past seems out of the question In any case.

It would be a mistake, however, to conclude that the current

condition of the Church in the United States can be adequately

summarized by cataloging problems. The problems described here

are real, but they do not exhaust the reality of U.S. Catholicism

today.

Many observers feel that a profound spiritual renewal is now
taking place among many American Catholics. Centers and move-
ments for the study and practice of spirituality among priests,
religious and laity are springing up in many places. There is a
deep and growing interest in prayer. Although comprehensive

data are lacking, there is reason to believe that the practice of

frequent confession is growing again after several years of decline.

Many young people, as well as their elders, are active participants
in charismatic groups. Spiritually-oriented movements for married
couples are attracting increasing numbers of husbands and wives.

After a period of transition, liturgical reforms are now widely
accepted and working well.

The spread of parish and diocesan councils has involved

more people than ever before in the exercise of shared respon-

sibility. Many priests and religious, after a period of uncertainty
and confusion, manifest renewed and selfless dedication to the

mission of the Church. The Holy Year theme of renewal and
reconciliation has been welcomed with interest and enthusiasm,

and many dioceses and parishes are now Involved in Holy Year
programs.

There is a strong and healthy interest in the future of religious

education, which in recent years has already been much enriched

7



in both Catholic schools and out-of-school programs. Well planned

efforts are underway at many levels to develop or strengthen
programs in which fidelity to the teaching of the Church is com-

bined with the best in contemporary educational methodology.

The bishops have given leadership to this movement by their
collective pastoral on Catholic education, To Teach as Jesus Did

(1972) and the document Basic Teachings for Catholic Religious
Education (1973), as well as by their plan for a national Cathechet-

ical Directory. There are many new and successful programs for
the continuing education of clergy and religious, as well as lay

persons. National organizations and dioceses manifest a

heightened awareness of the social dimensions of the Church’s

mission to minority and ethnic groups and a greater sensitivity to

such issues as women's rights. Ethical and moral abuses, such as

legally sanctioned permissiveness concerning abortion, have

helped create a renewed sense of unity among concerned Catholics
and have awakened them to their responsibility to be a positive

force for good In the nation's life.

In short, the Catholic Church in the United States faces many
difficult problems at the present time, but along with the problems

there are also many signs of underlying strength and vitality.
American Catholicism is changing, not collapsing, and while a

period of change is not a time for complacency, neither is It a

time for gloom.

4. Conclusion

In seeking to Influence change positively, the Catholic Church

In the United States cannot pretend to have easy or failure-proof

answers to the problems outlined here, whether of secular society,

organized religion, or the Catholic community. In a sense the

message of Christ is the “answer” to them all. But In nearly

2000 years of trying, the Church has not been consistently suc-
cessful in communicating this message. There is no reason to

suppose it will discover a panacea in 1974; yet certain avenues

to improved performance are well worth exploring.

As far as the transmission of values from generation to genera-

tion is concerned, the role of parents is crucial. The Church could

perform a significant service by increasing its direct assistance

to parents who are engaged In this vital task. Supportive efforts

by the Church are now more essential than ever, since society at

8



large not only no longer offers such assistance to Catholic parents

but in many ways fosters values which directly contradict those
they wish to transmit to their children. This calls for strengthening

Catholic schools and other educational programs in all ways

possible. At the same time, however, it must be recognized that,
important as these are, they can only reinforce the parental effort;

they cannot substitute for it where it is lacking or deficient, nor

do they really constitute ‘‘direct assistance" to parents themselves.

Serious thought should therefore be given to what forms ‘‘direct"

assistance to parents might take in the future to help them in

the task of transmitting values to their children. Efforts to involve

parents directly in the religious and moral education of their

children, already underway In many programs, should be fostered,
and new means and media should be explored for reaching both
parents and children.

Many of the Ills now apparent in secular society (and reflected
in one way or another in the religious sphere) are manifestations

of an almost atomistic individualism. Yet paradoxically, to judge

from popular literature and rhetoric the quest for ‘‘community"

has never been more urgent and widespread. It may be, of course,
that many are now seeking community precisely because they have
lost It or never experienced it. The Church could play a crucial

role of reconciliation In society by speaking movingly to men and
today of the community envisioned and brought into being by

Jesus. To do this, however. It must become much more of a loving
community—and be perceived as such—than it is now.

Effective evangelization lies at the heart of what is needed now.

In order to evangelize effectively In the modern world, the Church
must do at least two things. First, it must achieve a clear under-

standing of what evangelization means in the contemporary
context. Second, it needs to assess all means of evangelization
now at its disposal (and perhaps some which are not now at its
disposal but which potentially could be) in order to determine

which can best reach and touch minds and hearts today. The

pastoral reflections of the Synod can be of inestimable value in

responding to these two pressing needs.

9



1974

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UNITED STATES CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
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