The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University has been keeping track of sociological data and trends in the Catholic Church in the United States for more than 60 years. Their research and studies shine an important light on our Church and what and how we are doing. Their recent research has shown the incredible impact that the Covid pandemic has had on the Catholic Church in the U.S. To describe it as devasting might be too mild. In every area, the Catholic Church has suffered tremendously. This is beyond the physical and emotional suffering of those impacted by the virus. Institutionally, the Catholic Church in the U.S. suffered huge setbacks and declines (Mass attendance, sacraments celebrated, students under religious instruction, etc.). CARA has also shown that these declines did not begin with Covid.
Looking at some of the data is like trying to figure what comes first, the chicken or the egg. There is a cascading effect in that one area of decline leads to another and to another and to another. Declines in Mass attendance leads to declines in Catholic school enrollment and in Religious Education. This leads to declines in 1st Communions and Confirmation which leads to declines in Catholic marriages which leads to declines in converts and baptisms which to leads to declines in everything else. I am not certain what the precise solutions are to this situation, but what I do know with 100% certainty is that giving up, losing hope, or doing the same ol’, same ol’ is not the solution.
Recently, a priest friend and I were having a conversation in which we differed greatly in our assessments of how to approach a pastoral issue. His suggestion was that we compromise and give in to the cultural trends and let people do what they want in order to “keep them from leaving”. I did not think this was the right thing to do and thought it would only make matters worse. My suggestion was for us to strive to understand what people are really desiring and then figure out a way in which we can better communicate the beauty and the uncompromised truth of our Catholic Faith. In other words, we don’t have a “message” problem, we have a “communication” problem. Our message is Jesus. Watering down the message does not keep people from leaving the church and it doesn’t draw people either.
Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. When people understand baptism merely as a familial or cultural custom, there is a problem. Baptism and the necessity of baptism loses its importance and power when we treat baptism merely as a custom. Instead of being the sacrament that washes away Original Sin and incorporates one into the Family of God, the Church; instead of fulfilling the command of Jesus to baptize all nations; instead of being a spiritual rebirth for the sake of eternal salvation; baptism becomes about the christening gown, candles, parties and honoring family and friends as godparents. These customs are nice, but they cannot save anyone from hell and damnation. Here we allow the icing to become more important than the cake. Baptism misunderstood becomes about convenience and not salvation. The solemn vows to God by parents and godparents at baptism become empty words and empty ritual as quickly and as easily to dismiss as when the last ice cube at the luncheon melts.
How do we regain the power of baptism? In part, by not confusing the truth of the sacrament with the trappings of custom. By focusing on the essence and necessity of the sacrament – “Amen, Amen, I say to you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” Jn 3:5. The fundamental question isn’t ‘how do I get my child baptized?’ The question is, do I want my child to go to heaven?’