Is Apologetics necessary in the modern Church?

[outremer]

What is the goal of apologetics in the modern Catholic Church?

By now, many of us all familiar with two statements by Pope Francis:

One, according to major evangelical leaders, the Pope is “not interested in converting Evangelicals to Catholicism.” Pope Francis “Doesn’t Want to Convert Evangelicals”? (From Fr. Longenecker’s Patheos blog).

Two, there was his statement to his now deceased friend Tony Palmer, a Charismatic Anglican bishop:

**"At one point, when [Anglican Bishop Tony] Palmer was tired of living on the frontier and wanted to become Catholic, Bergoglio advised him against conversion for the sake of the mission.

“We need to have bridge-builders”, the cardinal told him."***

Pope’s Protestant friend dies, but push for unity lives (Boston Globe).

We see interfaith prayer services involving Popes, Cardinals, bishops, clergy, and laity. Never have I once heard an Ordinary Form priest state the necessity to seek the conversion of lost souls to the Catholic Church. Heck, I’ve never really heard a Byzantine priest say it either.

So, what is the point of Apologetics in today’s Catholic Church? Do organizations like Catholic Answers (among others) even have a purpose? I genuinely am curious.

 

[1ke]

I genuinely am curious.

I think we should not worry about what the media **SAYS **that Pope Francis says or does.

The mission of the Church remains the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

 

[Ignatius]

I think we should not worry about what the media **SAYS **that Pope Francis says or does.

The mission of the Church remains the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

 

[Church_Militant]

I think we should not worry about what the media **SAYS **that Pope Francis says or does.

The mission of the Church remains the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

I completely agree because the media yanks stuff out of context and misleads the public. I suggest that you find the date when such things were actually said and look at that. If it cannot be verified then it’s a lie.

Apologetics has always been necessary in the church look at 1st Peter 3: 8-17

The Gospel always needs explaining and defending. It always has and always will.

 

[Joe_5859]

Even if we granted that those media reports were accurate. And even if we granted as true the implicit assertion that Pope Francis doesn’t even want Protestants to convert to Catholicism. Even if we granted both those things, that still wouldn’t make apologetics unnecessary.

At its core, apologetics is about removing obstacles to belief. It’s not just about converting Protestants. I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools growing up, but I still have benefited tremendously from readings works of apologetics. If not for apologetics, I’d probably be just a nominal Catholic going through the motions without really thinking much about any of it.

Apologetics isn’t just the means by which Catholics convince Protestants that they are wrong. It is about illustrating how very reasonable the faith is, whether to Protestants, Catholics, atheists, Buddhists, or anyone else.

 

[AKDee]

I see it as more important than ever. America is being referred to now as “post-Christian” and more and more people are falling away from any type of belief in God. Nearly everyone I know (seriously) is either agnostic or atheist, or merely a cultural Christian (meaning they will call themselves Christian but they don’t pray, read the scriptures or attend Sunday services). Not only that but Islam is picking up a number of new followers.

 

[eightydeuce82]

I see it as more important than ever. America is being referred to now as “post-Christian” and more and more people are falling away from any type of belief in God. Nearly everyone I know (seriously) is either agnostic or atheist, or merely a cultural Christian (meaning they will call themselves Christian but they don’t pray, read the scriptures or attend Sunday services). Not only that but Islam is picking up a number of new followers.

We always look at Christianity from an American standpoint. Not sure that’s the right way of looking at it.

The world has been Post-Christian since the reformation.

 

[Genesis315]

The CDF under Benedict XVI answered this very question:

Therefore, the work of ecumenism does not remove the right or take away the responsibility of proclaiming in fullness the Catholic faith to other Christians, who freely wish to receive it.

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20071203_nota-evangelizzazione_en.html

Vatican II says we have a duty to vigorously defend our faith:

The disciple is bound by a grave obligation toward Christ, his Master, ever more fully to understand the truth received from Him, faithfully to proclaim it, and vigorously to defend it, never–be it understood–having recourse to means that are incompatible with the spirit of the Gospel.

vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651207_dignitatis-humanae_en.html

 

[AKDee]

We always look at Christianity from an American standpoint. Not sure that’s the right way of looking at it.

The world has been Post-Christian since the reformation.

I do tend to look at things from an American standpoint, because I have no other viewpoint to use. The only other country I’ve ever been to is Canada.

I don’t think I agree with you that the world has been post-Christian since the reformation, but would agree that it largely is now.

 

[eightydeuce82]

I do tend to look at things from an American standpoint, because I have no other viewpoint to use. The only other country I’ve ever been to is Canada.

I don’t think I agree with you that the world has been post-Christian since the reformation, but would agree that it largely is now.

Would you agree that 15-16 centuries of Christian faith and practice represents the majority of Christianity historically?

If so

What transpired afterward (reformation) was the age of “enlightenment” and the invention of secular humanism and the secularization of Christianity as a whole. The break offs went gradually secular. That’s a fact.

So really the Reformation spurred all of these things and cast off what had always been the Christian faith and retained only those things that each respective break off wanted to keep depending on their understanding rather than the historic understanding.

Its Post Christian and its been that way for the last 400 years.

 

[Ignatius]

What is the goal of apologetics in the modern Catholic Church?

It is to give an explanation (apologia) of The Faith.
1 Pt. 3:15 Always be prepared to make an answer to everyone that asks the reason for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.

It is needed now more than ever. The lack of good apologetics is one of the primary causes that adult, life long Catholics are leaving The Church. Priests, Bishops and even some Cardinals do not understand and cannot properly explain The Faith.

 

[eightydeuce82]

I do tend to look at things from an American standpoint, because I have no other viewpoint to use. The only other country I’ve ever been to is Canada.

I don’t think I agree with you that the world has been post-Christian since the reformation, but would agree that it largely is now.

I might add this too

The popes since the reformation have been harping on this incessantly…The modernist Heresy and the American Heresy. The introduction that the ultra Left wing modernists are bringing that secular post Christian life INTO the church. So we are and were starting to see that IN the church especially after VATII. In the spirit of VATII I should say. Our separated brethren have been living in a post-Christian world and religion for 400 years its not till recently that we are starting to see that effect IN our walls.

 

[tabycat]

I completely agree because the media yanks stuff out of context and misleads the public. I suggest that you find the date when such things were actually said and look at that. If it cannot be verified then it’s a lie.

Apologetics has always been necessary in the church look at 1st Peter 3: 8-17

The Gospel always needs explaining and defending. It always has and always will.

“Trust but virafy”

 

[Neofight]

If we consentrated more on cathechesis, there would be less need for apologetics…although it would ruin a rather large media selling industry.

 

[Joe_5859]

If we consentrated more on cathechesis, there would be less need for apologetics…although it would ruin a rather large media selling industry.

Not to be cynical, right?

I think you’re right that better catechesis would go a long way. A good catechesis should include a bit of apologetics.

 

[R_H_Benson]

We see interfaith prayer services involving Popes, Cardinals, bishops, clergy, and laity. Never have I once heard an Ordinary Form priest state the necessity to seek the conversion of lost souls to the Catholic Church. Heck, I’ve never really heard a Byzantine priest say it either.

Unfortunately, “ecumenism” practiced in this manner has done more to lead souls away from the Church than towards her. Finding common ground with our Separated Brethren is not the goal of ecumenism, and by itself it accomplishes very little. The goal is to use that common ground to lead them into the Church. When we seemingly place the truth on the same level as error, we inadvertently make it appear as if the Catholic Religion is merely the “better choice among equals”. This is dangerous for souls.

So, what is the point of Apologetics in today’s Catholic Church? Do organizations like Catholic Answers (among others) even have a purpose? I genuinely am curious.

One likes to think that such an organization exists to lead souls to the fullness of truth that is found in the Catholic Church alone. We cannot be afraid to boldly and unequivocally proclaim this truth because the eternal destiny of souls is at stake. I cannot think of a more charitable action than bringing souls the knowledge that salvation is found in the Catholic Church.

 

[Church_Militant]

If we consentrated more on cathechesis, there would be less need for apologetics…although it would ruin a rather large media selling industry.

Not to be cynical, right?

I think you’re right that better catechesis would go a long way. A good catechesis should include a bit of apologetics.

I think you’re wrong because every catechism is a whole volume on apologetics. The term just wasn’t used as much until recently.

There’s no way one can read any catechism and not see the clear explanation and defense of the faith in its pages.

Apologetics is more needed than ever due to the ever greater amount of both secularism and anti-Catholicism in most western societies. One could think of catechesis as the “explanation” side of Apologetics. If either one is done well then the person should be able to do the other as well without much difficulty.

 

[Church_Militant]

Unfortunately, “ecumenism” practiced in this manner has done more to lead souls away from the Church than towards her. Finding common ground with our Separated Brethren is not the goal of ecumenism, and by itself it accomplishes very little. The goal is to use that common ground to lead them into the Church. When we seemingly place the truth on the same level as error, we inadvertently make it appear as if the Catholic Religion is merely the “better choice among equals”. This is dangerous for souls.

One likes to think that such an organization exists to lead souls to the fullness of truth that is found in the Catholic Church alone. We cannot be afraid to boldly and unequivocally proclaim this truth because the eternal destiny of souls is at stake. I cannot think of a more charitable action than bringing souls the knowledge that salvation is found in the Catholic Church.

I would suggest that exposure to Catholicism is always a good thing and no matter what anyone says, we know that the fullness of truth resides in the Catholic faith so that means that all those seeking Christ, who said “I am the truth” will be drawn by the Holy Spirit to it.

I believe that it is up to each of us to find ways to share our most holy faith with others. This is a task that we Catholics have sometimes not done well in the past; sort of assuming that that was the sole forte of the priests. However, that flies in the face of both the New Testament and the life of the early church.

It goes without saying that our apologetics/catechesis/evangelism must be backed up with lives that display our life in Christ for all to see. Without an authentic Christian life we become just more societal noise…which also is a grave danger to souls.

 

[Joe_5859]

I think you’re wrong because every catechism is a whole volume on apologetics. The term just wasn’t used as much until recently.

There’s no way one can read any catechism and not see the clear explanation and defense of the faith in its pages.

Apologetics is more needed than ever due to the ever greater amount of both secularism and anti-Catholicism in most western societies. One could think of catechesis as the “explanation” side of Apologetics. If either one is done well then the person should be able to do the other as well without much difficulty.

Actually, I agree with everything you said, too. That’s the point I was trying to draw out from Neofight’s comment, but apparently I did not articulate myself well enough. If catechesis is done well, it doesn’t replace the need for apologetics so much as it incorporates apologetics into the catechesis.

 

[steve_b]

What is the goal of apologetics in the modern Catholic Church?

defending positions furthers understanding and points out faulty understandings
o:

By now, many of us all familiar with two statements by Pope Francis:

One, according to major evangelical leaders, the Pope is “not interested in converting Evangelicals to Catholicism.” Pope Francis “Doesn’t Want to Convert Evangelicals”? (From Fr. Longenecker’s Patheos blog).

As Fr Longnecker pointed out, “that” is Brian Stiller’s memory of the conversation. Longnecker wasn’t buying it for one second.
o:

Two, there was his statement to his now deceased friend Tony Palmer, a Charismatic Anglican bishop:

"At one point, when [Anglican Bishop Tony] Palmer was tired of living on the frontier and wanted to become Catholic, Bergoglio advised him against conversion for the sake of the mission.

“We need to have bridge-builders”, the cardinal told him."*

Pope’s Protestant friend dies, but push for unity lives (Boston Globe).

The “bridge” is usually refering to the “Anglican provision” for married Anglican priests (male priests that is) who want to be Catholic priests. It is thought THEY will provide a bridge for other Anglican priest conversions.
o:

We see interfaith prayer services involving Popes, Cardinals, bishops, clergy, and laity. Never have I once heard an Ordinary Form priest state the necessity to seek the conversion of lost souls to the Catholic Church. Heck, I’ve never really heard a Byzantine priest say it either.

So, what is the point of Apologetics in today’s Catholic Church? Do organizations like Catholic Answers (among others) even have a purpose? I genuinely am curious.

Interfaith prayer is fine.

The reason alologetics is necessary is for this very example you raise. To dispell falsehoods parading as fact as well as explain or refute misconceptions…