THE CHURCH IN THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES(PART 2) | KAIROS GLOBAL | APRIL 2024

Author: Rodney Pereira

Intro: In this second part of the article, Rodney Pereira continues with major aspects as well as learnings from the Church’s journey in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

In the previous issue, we looked at the journey of the Church through the political changes during these centuries, the three revolutions – industrial, sexual, and technological, and the two Vatican Councils.

The Popes We cannot forget the contributions of the popes of this period. The popes, including Pius XII, St John XXIII, Paul VI, and St John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and our present Pope Francis, have all been instrumental in leading the Church through these tumultuous times. Through the Great Jubilee Year of 2000, St Pope John Paul II thoughtfully prepared the Church for the new millennium. In the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte (at the beginning of the new millennium) written at the close of the Great Jubilee Year 2000, he outlined the priorities for the Church in the third millennium. He reminded the Church: ‘Let us go forward in hope! A new millennium is opening before the Church like a vast ocean upon which we shall venture, relying on the help of Christ. The Son of God, who became incarnate two thousand years ago out of love for humanity, is at work even today; we need discerning eyes to see this and, above all, a generous heart to become the instruments of his work.’ (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 58)In Ecclesia in Asia, an apostolic exhortation issued by Pope John Paul II to serve as a blueprint for the expansion of the Roman Catholic faith into Asia, he anticipated a great harvest of souls in Asia in the new millennium. ‘Just as the cross was planted on the soil of Europe in the first millennium, and the cross on the soil of the Americas and Africa in the second millennium, so we believe in the third millennium of Christianity. We can pray for a big harvest in this vast and important continent of Asia’ (Ecclesia in Asia 1). And looking at the Catholic Church today, we can boldly speculate that the third millennium is going to be the 'Millennium of the Laity'.

Ecclesial Movements Numerous lay ecclesial movements and communities have sprung up in the Catholic Church mostly in the 20th century and are flourishing throughout the world. St John Paul II, in his homily of the Mass for Pentecost on May 31, 1998, remarked: ‘The movements and new communities, providential expressions of the new springtime brought forth by the Spirit with the Second Vatican Council, announce the power of God's love which in overcoming divisions and barriers of every kind, renews the face of the earth to build the civilisation of love.’ These movements consist mostly of lay Catholics and help them to respond to their baptismal call, transcend traditional boundaries, transmit faith in a changing social milieu and respond to the new realities with dynamism and spontaneity.

Marian Apparitions It is also worthwhile to mention that there were a profusion of Marian apparitions during this period, and because of this, some would call it the 'Marian Age'. A few apparitions received the approval of the Church. In the apparitions, Mother Mary repeatedly mentions the multiplication of sin in the world, the evils menacing humanity, and the need for prayer, reform, penance, and reparation. At Lourdes, she called for penance and reminded us to pray for sinners. At Fatima, too, she called for prayer. She prophesied the end of World War I and said, ‘If men do not refrain from offending God, another and more terrible war will begin.’ Subsequently, World War II broke out in 1939. Sr Lucia, one of the visionaries of Fatima, had reportedly written that the final battle between the kingdom of Christ and Satan will be over marriage and family. And here we are, at a time when marriage and family are being attacked as never before.

As we step into the new millennium, we hear more and more bad news. Sicknesses have multiplied; natural calamities have proliferated with climate change; the deadly Coronavirus has unleashed havoc; terrorism, violence, and conflicts are arising in different parts; religious persecution has become rampant; there is more poverty, trafficking, injustice, and moral degradation. We hear of church attendance declining, churches closing down, and vocations decreasing. The world is becoming increasingly hostile to faith. Has the Church fallen behind the times?

How do we respond? Learning from the 19th and 20th centuries what can we do for the renewal of our Church and the salvation of the world?

a) Be full of hope We shouldn't despair at the increasing evil and bad news in the world. The gates of hell will not prevail against the Catholic Church. The Lord is still in charge. He will triumph over every evil. St Paul wrote to the Corinthians: Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet (1 Corinthians 15:24-25). We are on the winning side.

Sometimes, when we pray for someone and nothing seemingly happens, we become discouraged. St Therese of Lisieux encouraged her sister Celine with these words: ‘The good God does not need years to accomplish His work of love in a soul; one ray from His Heart can, in an instant, make His flower bloom for eternity.’

b) Live in holiness These are challenging times. God has allowed us to live in this exciting period and become the saints of these times. The history of the Church shows us that sanctity has shone most brilliantly during the most gruelling times. St Pope John Paul II challenged the youth of the world in his message on the occasion of the 15th World Youth Day in Rome in 2000: ‘Young people of every continent, do not be afraid to be the saints of the new millennium.’ The Pope continued: ‘You will ask me, but is it possible today to be saints? If we had to rely only on human strength, the undertaking would be truly impossible. You are well aware, in fact, of your successes and your failures; you are aware of the heavy burdens weighing on man, the many dangers which threaten him and the consequences caused by his sins. At times we may be gripped by discouragement and even come to think that it is impossible to change anything either in the world or in ourselves... Turn then to no one, except Jesus...With Christ, saintliness – the divine plan for every baptised person – becomes possible. Rely on him; believe in the invincible power of the Gospel and place faith as the foundation of your hope. Jesus walks with you, he renews your heart and strengthens you with the vigour of his Spirit.’

c) Persevere in prayer We join hands with God in saving and recreating the world through prayer. The stirring words of St Therese of the Child Jesus (the patron saint of missionaries and missions) addressed to her sister Celine illustrate the immense significance and power of prayer: ‘The Creator of the universe awaits the prayer of one poor little soul to save a multitude of others, redeemed like her at the price of His Blood. Our vocation is not to go and reap in the Father's fields; Jesus does not say to us: "Cast down your eyes and reap the harvest;" our mission is still more sublime. Here are the words of the Divine Master: "Lift up your eyes and see…" see that in Heaven there are empty places; yours it is to fill them... you are as Moses praying on the mountain; ask of Me laborers and I will send them, I await but a prayer, a sigh from out your heart!’ (The Thoughts of Saint Therese). St Pope John Paul II reminded us that we contribute to the radical transformation of the world during our Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration.

d) Discover and fulfil our mission We need to discover and fulfil our unique call. In responding to our call, imbuing our simple daily lives with virtue and holiness is the first step. St Josemaria Escriva writes in The Forge: ‘Have you that urge, that divine madness, to bring souls to know the love of God? In your ordinary life, then, offer up mortifications, pray, do your duty, and conquer yourself in all kinds of tiny details.’ The next step is to do our best to help others encounter Jesus and embark on the journey to eternal life.

All these are summed up in these first lines of the beautiful prayer called the ‘Act of Oblation to Merciful Love’ composed by Saint Therese of the Child Jesus on June 9, 1895 (she kept a copy of it till her death): ‘O my God, Most Blessed Trinity, I desire to love Thee and to make Thee loved, to labor for the glory of Holy Church by saving souls still on earth and by delivering those who suffer in Purgatory. I desire to accomplish Thy Will perfectly, and to attain to the degree of glory which Thou hast prepared for me in Thy Kingdom; in one word, I desire to be a saint, but I know that I am powerless, and I implore Thee, O my God, to be Thyself my sanctity.’

An agricultural officer in the Kerala Government Department of Agriculture, Rodney Pereira lives in Trivandrum with his wife Leema Pereira and their son Joshua.