In history, the Church has often become stronger after great adversity, and that will be the case here in the years to come, although in ways that we might not expect or even welcome. What the Church has to do and what she has to bring is unique in society. Sometimes this is called “spirituality,” and I am working on setting priorities for strengthening the spiritual life of the Catholics of the Archdiocese. Spirituality is not an escape; it is a way of bringing to the world what the world cannot bring to itself. The Catholic Church also brings to this or any society a vision, a reminder that the world is small and limited. No more than the Church, should society be pretentious. The Catholic Church is an already universal institution in a globalizing society. The great religions have been the primary creators and carriers of culture, and they will continue to be so as nation states become relatively less important to the future of the world. The primary challenge to American Catholics, it seems to me, is not how to be American and Catholic. Despite some adversity and prejudice, we’ve shown that is possible for
