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Concerning Catholic identity

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

We are rightly concerned about Catholic identity. At a time when more and more young people say that all religious traditions are the same, it is more important than ever to know what makes up Catholicism’s distinct configuration of the Christian tradition. But that should be done with care. As an exercise, ask young people to list some things that are central to Catholicism. They will typically name the pope, Mary, the Eucharist, and a host of rules. No mention of Jesus. No mention of the Resurrection. As William Cahoy, professor of theology at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, points out, that is typical. When Catholic identity becomes the same thing as Catholic distinctives, we are in as much danger as when we think it’s all the same. Garbage in, garbage out: When survey questions are written appropriately, we can see that Catholics recognize and appreciate key aspects of Catholic identity such as the Eucharist. On the other hand, some data suggests that Catholics do not necessarily have as strong a sense of being a follower of Jesus as of the pope. Clearly the magisterium is tremendously important for our Catholic identity, but the information indicates that stress on the fundamentals of practice and belief is no less critical. The next time you talk about Catholic identity, think about fostering prayer life, reading scripture, and building a relationship with Jesus. To focus exclusively on what makes us different, the data suggests, may lead to as much impoverishment of our rich faith tradition as focusing on a generic sameness. © 2008, Bryan Froehle.

Authors Bryan Froehle

catholic identity

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Defining Catholic identity

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

Much emphasis falls today on Catholic identity and seeking out a Catholic distinctiveness. But all too often we turn boundaries into bludgeons. Catholic is something that seems uniform, something that seems tied to traditions and ways of being that can be separated from non-Catholic Christianity. But how much of what non-Catholic Christians do or think is truly “not” Catholic? Is something that originates within Protestantism something the church should avoid—even if, in fact, it reflects values and understandings found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church? To do so seems to be a contradiction of the Catholic genius—Catholicism means universal and embracing of that which is or can be in communion, after all. Catholicism is not a remnant religion—claiming only distinctive characteristics that no other Christian tradition has. This inclusiveness is, in fact, what makes Catholicism distinctive. One can confuse Catholic identity with a focus on an inheritance from medieval or baroque European Catholicism, or uniform liturgical worship as the current liturgical texts for the Roman Rite legislated. But Catholicism is more than European: Most growth today is in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. And its liturgical worship is hardly uniform: Well more than a dozen rites other than the Roman Rite are recognized, and in many dioceses in the United States one may find parishes “of Anglican use,” using the Anglo-Catholic Book of Common Prayer. In Africa, various bishops’ conferences, with Roman approval, have issued adaptations of the Roman Rite that involve prayers to ancestors and hosts of other innovations that speak to the community of faith in a profoundly sacramental, storytelling, sacred way. In this they are all distinctively Catholic.

Authors Bryan Froehle

catholic identity inclusion inclusiveness

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What is our brand identity?

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

If Catholicism were a brand, what would its brand identity be? And how well would the brand be doing? When people think “Catholic,” what would we like them to think? What do they actually think? What can be done about that discrepancy? Businesses brand themselves all the time, very much on purpose and with a great deal of investment. What image do we want to put forth? What images do we want people to have in mind when they think of Catholicism? When they think of the parish? The point is not that the church is about “spin” or that the church should think in such business-oriented terms. After all, salvation—and the sacramental system—are not for sale. The point is rather that ordinary businesses are more focused on their mission, oftentimes, than the church is. And ordinary businesses that simply produce ordinary goods and services often attract the allegiance of people far more effectively than the church. This situation is odd, to say the least. Surely something can be learned by thinking about these questions.

Authors Bryan Froehle

brand identity catholic identity

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