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16 I BOOK SEPTEMBER 25, 2013 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER Weigel book explains why a new Catholicism is emerging BY JAMES CAVANAGH Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8) but the form of the Church he established has changed over the centuries. Patristic Catholicism evolved into medieval Catholicism and medieval Catholicism changed into counter-Reformation Catholicism. Now a new form of Catholicism is emerging, according to theologian-author and Denver Catholic Register columnist George Weigel, a form he calls "Evangelical Catholicism." In his most recent book, "Evangelical Catholicism: Deep Reform in the 21st Century Church" (Ignatius, 2013) Weigel explains how for nearly 500 years the Catholic Church had been defending herself against various attacks beginning with the Reformation, then the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, Darwinism, Marxism, Freudianism and all the other "isms" that define modernity. This defensive form of the Church is what Weigel calls "Counter-Reformation Catholicism." It is characterized by a vibrant devotional life, solid catechesis and a strong hierarchy, all of which were necessary if Catholics were to going to survive against so many challenges. Counter-Reformation POPE Leo XIII (1878 – 1903) Catholicism wasn't just reactionary though. It produced heroic missionary saints like St. Francis Xavier, St. Frances Cabrini and St. Peter Claver. It produced great teachers of the faith like St. Charles Borromeo, St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Teresa of Avila. It inspired the construction of magnificent cathedrals and produced glorious music by the likes of Palestrina, Haydn and Mozart. It created vibrant Catholic communities that gave millions of immigrants the support and confidence to settle in America at a time when Catholics weren't all that welcome. But, as Weigel explains, it was not the form of Catholicism appropriate to the challenges of the 20th and 21st centuries. Catholics today need something more than strong leaders, clear rules, novenas and simple, straightforward catechesis, as important as those things are. Proposing the Gospel to post-modern people requires a different approach. While Counter-Reformation Catholicism remains the dominant paradigm in most parishes, the world in which we live and the challenges that we face require a new approach. That new way is what Weigel calls "Evangelical Catholicism." Counter-Reformation Catholicism ended, Weigel says, in 1870 when the Papal States were seized by the Italian government. The loss of the Papal States was a major blow to the Church. It not only destroyed the Church's temporal power, it called into question her very identity and mission. Vatican I, convened in 1870, attempted to address the problem of modernism but was unable to finish its work when war broke out. When Rome fell, Pope Pius IX became a virtual prisoner of the Vatican. By his death eight years later most people, including many Catholics, believed that the Church's influence in the world was over. With the election of Leo XIII, Celebrating the Sacraments Personalized Messages Next issue October 16, 2013 Deadline October 9, 2013 Recognize sacramental occasions with a personal message in our quarterly Celebrating the Sacraments page. Baptisms First Holy Communions Confirmations Engagements Weddings Anniversaries Share these special occasions with your Catholic Community! Rates: $25 for 3 lines $7 each additional line $25 color photo To place your message: Phone: 303-715-3212 Email: linda.engel@archden.org BOOK Title: "Evangelical Catholicism: Deep Reform in the 21stCentury Church" Author: George Weigel Publisher: Ignatius Press (2013) however, things changed. The Church started to engage the modern world in a new way. Under his leadership, the Church wouldn't fight the modern world, but neither would she run away from it. "Leo XIII," Weigel wrote, "set in motion a profound transformation of Catholicism in which the Church slowly moved beyond the catechetical-devotional model that had been dominant since the 16th century Counter-Reformation to a new mode." Pope Leo's encyclical, Rerum Novarum, demonstrated the Church's determination not to retreat from modernity, but to address "new things" with faith, hope and love. The Church's new approach to modernity is perhaps best represented by Pope Leo's statue on his tomb located in the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Instead of lying in peaceful repose, Leo is depicted standing upright, stepping forward, confidently leading the Church into the modern world, extending the right hand of friendship. Vatican II was the culmination of this new orientation of the Church. Although it ended nearly 50 years ago, the goal of Vatican II was to prepare the Church for the 21st century. It was an evangelical council. Distilling evangelical Catholicism down into one sentence, it can be defined as: Christ-centered, deeply biblical, profoundly sacramental, hope-filled and mission-minded. It's not afraid of the modern world, and yet it doesn't acquiesce to secularism. Evangelical Catholicism seeks to propose the faith "once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3) with new "ardor, methods and expression." Evangelical Catholicism is a new and different paradigm of the Church and what it means to be Catholic in the 21st century. It is the future of Catholicism. James Cavanagh is director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Sacramento, Calif. He is the former director of Evangelization and Catechesis for the Denver Archdiocese. Support Your Advertisers! For over 113 years your advertisers have helped support the Denver Catholic Register! 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