Catholicism and the Modern World

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Revelation21.3-4

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I’m sure this question in some way, shape, or form has been asked before, but I have been unable to find it, so sorry in advance if this has been asked before.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately and doing research. I am very concerned with the direction that modern Catholicism is going. It seems that there are many Catholics who openly oppose the Church’s stances on moral issues, and societies as a whole seem to be rejecting these teachings. First it started with major Catholic powers such as France and Spain, but as time goes on, more states are following, even the strictest adherents (Ex. Ireland, Malta, Poland). Many Catholics are calling for the Church to change now too, and it just concerns me, it seems like Catholicism is just going to keep declining where it was once strong.

I have also taken to reading some of the Church’s writings, particularly those before the 20th century such as the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas or Pope Leo XIII, and I find the moral teachings to be very interesting and convincing, but I find it hard to discuss it with other Catholics as I feel they will find such views archaic, even if they are still upheld by the Church today.

So, my question is how can I have hope in the future for Catholicism? I know the Bible states a lot how we should not worry and that the Lord has already won, and that we should leave it to the Lord while doing the best we can, but I still find it hard to enter this mindset. I want to not worry and still help, yet I just don’t know how.

Another thing is that, as a young Catholic, I feel it is my duty to help stop or reverse this situation. Pope Francis called for a New Evangelization for this, but I don’t know what I can do to help. I want to do something, but I have no idea where to even start. As I said, many people don’t even seem to be open to many of the teachings, so I was wondering if there were any recommended paths or actions to take in helping this new process?

Sorry for any confusion and thank you in advance!
 
Revelation21.3-4 said:
So, my question is how can I have hope in the future for Catholicism?
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Yes, we can. I agree that the Church is in a major crisis right now, but it isn’t the first time we’ve been so.
If you look at Church history and on the history of Israel in the Bible you’ll see that the Faith not only has been brought to the point of extinction many times, but it has actually for all intents and purposes died out several times. And then, when all seemed hopeless, the Faith rose again and in the blink of an eye it had inexplicably conquered her enemies.

God has promised us to always preserve the Church, and He has delivered on that promise every time we’ve been in crisis before. So yes, we can have hope for the future, but for the present we must persevere.
Revelation21.3-4 said:
As I said, many people don’t even seem to be open to many of the teachings, so I was wondering if there were any recommended paths or actions to take in helping this new process?
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Unfortunately, there isn’t a set way to open someones mind and make them pious. Prayer is the best thing you can do here, although discussing the problems with them when it is appropriate can be helpful too. The important thing in a discussion is to show respect for the other person.
 
Apart from praying, maybe you can look at a community near you who does Evangelization.

I am since 2018 member of a Lay Movement in my country specialized in Evangelism; we conduct reteats, courses and the like, and I assure that it is very satisfying to “plant the seed of the Gospel” in new or lapsed Catholics, but it’s a one on one process.

Remember that only God knows the full process, maybe you convert one person but that person ends up being a preacher, a priest, a pope, a theologian, a father/mother of a numerous family, who knows?
 
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“Western” culture and society is still “post-Christian” and will be for the rest of our lives. One of the best books I ever read was The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton (published in 1925) and one of the best passages in that book describes how the next best thing to “being really inside Christianity” is to be “really outside” it; but the modern world is neither.
When the world goes wrong, it proves rather that the Church is right. The Church is justified, not because her children do not sin, but because they do. But that marks their mood about the whole religious tradition they are in a state of reaction against it. It is well with the boy when he lives on his father’s land; and well with him again when he is far enough from it to look back on it and see it as a whole. But these people have got into an intermediate state, have fallen into an intervening valley from which they can see neither the heights beyond them nor the heights behind. They cannot get out of the penumbra of Christian controversy. They cannot be Christians and they can not leave off being Anti-Christians. Their whole atmosphere is the atmosphere of a reaction: sulks, perversity, petty criticism. They still live in the shadow of the faith and have lost the light of the faith.
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This long decline of faith started in the 17th century and has accelerated in our lifetimes. It will continue until those places of the world are truly outside Christianity; and then, they’ll see it anew, and they’ll return to it, because only then can they see it clearly again as the greatest hope for human existence.
 
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Excellent point, especially the citation of Chesterton. He said that contrary to common thought, Europe was never completely depaganized. I think we’re seeing the fruits of that now. And as other posters pointed out, Asia and Africa are seeing a lot of new converts. Our culture, as westerners, is in danger but the faith survives.
 
Revelation21.3-4 said:
So, my question is how can I have hope in the future for Catholicism?
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Be a good Catholic yourself, set a good example and that’s really all you need. We don’t base our behavior on what societies, governments, or even other Catholics are doing. We also don’t care how big or how small the Church gets, only that we’re doing God’s will. If you have an opportunity to evangelize to someone, use it; if you want to do evangelization activities more broadly, I’d suggest joining a group.
 
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Revelation21.3-4 said:
my question is how can I have hope in the future for Catholicism?
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by placing your hope where it should be in God.

God’s Will will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Put you hope in God, if you are having trouble putting it in Catholicism, placing your hope in God’s will and His power to do what is necessary for Catholicism.
 
Blessed are the poor.
IMO the West will become more Christian again only through the reduction of material and financial wealth. Therefore one starts as others such as St. Francis did, by seriously decreasing consumption and limiting the increase in personal wealth (actually decreasing it if already rich).
 
Good point many people turn to God when times get difficult or when facing a hopeless situation.
 
Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

By this will all men know you are my disciples, that you love one another.

So, love is how you evangelize.
 
If I may, to expound a little on the truth you shared, to love:
Feed the hungry,
Clothe the naked,
Shelter the homeless,
…
then perhaps re-Christianizing will just fall into place.
 
Revelation21.3-4 said:
I am very concerned with the direction that modern Catholicism is going.
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Modern Catholicism is following Christ and the Magisterium.

You are confusing two groups of people: those who are baptized but have little or nothing to do with the Church - and in particular, with attending Mass every Sunday and the other group - who attends Mass every Sunday.

Real world statistics? Somewhere around 23% of Catholics in the US attend Mass weekly or more. And the age group which drops out the most is those 18 to 29. The numbers are about 18% attendance.

There are a multitude of issues, but underlying most of it is secularism, which seems to be the single most active “ism” in society. And for that there are a number of drivers; it started with the change form “listening” to “seeing”; it was not fast, but television changed the way we take in information, and the visual image is powerful.

That was followed by the internet with untold sources of “information”; and seems to be moving one step further with the telephone and texting.

Over the last 60 years there has been a gradual but exceedingly effective change within much of education starting with grade school, expanding in high school, and finding almost apparent lockstep between students and teachers in the college level. Our children and our grandchildren are fed a version of history that is beyond “selective” and appears to be based on the liberal view of reality, one part of which is to look at every;thing as a racial issue, with “white supremacy” as the new battle cry.

As an aside, I always find it interesting when a person of color is successful and they don’t buy into the claptrap, they are dismissed as “Uncle Tom’s” by the oh so (non) intelligent intelligentsia.

But enough of why the world is going to hell-in-a-handbasket. The Church is alive an well; but a significant number of those who were baptized have abandoned the faith. Don’t confuse the two.

If you want to learn about evangelism, start watching Bishop Barron and Word On Fire. Join if you feel that it would benefit you; even if you don’t join, you will learn much. There is a young woman who was an atheist, if I recall correctly, at one of the Ivy League schools, who converted; her story is particularly interesting - and she is part of the Bishop’s team

Learn about your faith - there is always more you can learn - and then volunteer to be a sponsor for RCIA.

Read what has been written by good theologians;; three I can recommend are Scott Hahn; Edward Sri, and Brant Pitre. And just about anything by Pope John Paul 2. Pope Benedict’s series on Christ is well worth the time also.

When someone is interested, share your faith, Don’t presume that you can talk anyone into being interested; they either are or they are not, and if they are not, they will shut you off and often shoot you down quickly. Christ came to save all, but even when He was on earth, many rejected him.

Live in a way that people wonder why you live differently; they should know by your actions, not by what you say.
 
Atheism is the leading factor that is letting oir church suffer that much because people who are criticizing and opposing our church are atheist that prentend to be belivers.
We must pray and believe in our church withour fear because God knows the direction the church will take and like the Virgin said once : my Heart will triumph.
Be not afraid
 
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