What Does It Mean to be Catholic

In the 1950's being Catholic primarily meant not eating meat on Fridays. There was also the perception that as a Catholic you could go out on Friday night and commit just about any sin in the book, then go to confession on Saturday afternoon and you were all right with God again. Many Protestants that I knew developed this impression of Catholics, but I think there were also more than a few Catholics who operated under this belief as well. I'm sure older Catholics could come up with many other signs of Catholic Identity within the pre-Vatican II church. You might also want to check out my earlier blog, "Growing Up Catholic in America" of June 25.

There is a renewed interest these days within some quarters of the Church to reestablish some sense or sign of Catholic identity. Given the dubious signs of identity mentioned so far I'm not sure how felicitous a prospect that may be. The best sign of Catholic or Christian identity I can suggest is that they will know we are Christians by our love. Maybe not so glamorous, but difficult to criticize, even though it is not so easy to accomplish.

I guess my major question about the pursuit of this identity is to what end? If the goal is to return to practices such as the Rosary, Benediction and Forty Hours (questionable theologically), devotion to the Saints and Mary, fine. For those who find these practices uplifting or meaningful they should certainly be available. But are these the kinds of things that make one Catholic? My concern about seeing oneself as Catholic is its immediate implication of exclusion or isolation from others. Taking it a step further, it can be seen as somehow making one or one's faith superior to others.

It is important to note that we have many identities. First of all, we are human. We are Americans. We are Marylanders or New Yorkers. We are Baseball fans. The list goes on and on. We all acknowledge ourselves as attached to our various identities within different contexts. All of these identities including our Catholicism are important parts of who we are.

Clearly, there is something comforting and safe about belonging to a group, and all of us benefit by membership in a variety of organizations at work and in the community. It is equally important, however, to recognize our connection to those who may not be part of our church or club. It is important to remember that we share with others our humanity, our citizenship, our concern for our children and their future, and a desire to help build a better neighborhood and environment for all of us. As Catholics we share the same creed with all other Christians as we attempt to find God, goodness, and meaning in our lives. It might be good for all of us to be careful about separating ourselves from each other. It is actually our connectedness to each other that makes it possible for us to work towards creating a better world for all of us to live in whether we be Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, or Atheist.