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And the jaws of death . . .

Short essays about observed trends in Roman Catholic life - Pastoral trends

We are told that the jaws of death will not prevail against the church, but we are never told that the church will continue to exist in a certain place forever. Consider all the historical cases where once the church was more present, even the places where the church was extinguished, as in North Africa many centuries ago. Let’s do a thought experiment. What leads to the death of the church? Is it theological conflict? Not necessarily, because conflict is a sign of life—like it or not, and of course most of us would rather avoid conflict. Only those who are engaged enough to care enter into such conflict. The critical point is likely more about apathy than about conflict. Why do people become apathetic, “without feeling,” in terms of church? That is probably much closer to the answer and worth considering, and the answer in all likelihood lies with how conflict and difference are dealt with more than in their absence. Where communities live well with difference, conflict may occur, but it does not kill the community. But where difference is unacceptable, structures and relationships become brittle, ossified, fragile. Church can lose resiliency, even shatter. It has happened before. © 2011, Bryan Froehle.

Authors Bryan Froehle

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Word of the Week

17 November 2024

Presider’s Chair

\'pri-sīd-ərs 'cher\

Also known as the presidential chair, the seat in a parish church from which the celebrant leads the assembly during Mass. Its meaning derives from the chair, or cathedra in Latin, from which the diocesan bishop presides (from Latin meaning “to protect” or literally “to sit before”). The chair is a liturgical symbol of authority and pastoral leadership.

Pronunciation Read more

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