Catholics today are being called to renew their own faith in order to
share the Gospel with the modern world, said Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl
of Washington, D.C.
“The role of the church is primarily to be a witness to the great human
values, to be a witness to Christ’s message in the midst of everything
else that is going on,” the cardinal said.
“We have to be, in a way, a conscience for a nation that is caught up in so many directions.”
Cardinal Wuerl spoke at the Newseum in downtown Washington, D.C., on
Sept. 10. He was interviewed by Fox News anchor Bret Baier for an annual
lecture hosted by the John Carroll Society, an organization of
professionals dedicating to strengthening the faith and serving the
archdiocese.
The cardinal said that during his time leading the Archdiocese of
Washington, D.C., he has found hope “in watching the New Evangelization
unfold, watching the new Pentecost unfold.”
He explained that the New Evangelization is not presenting a new
message. Rather, it is a call to “renew our commitment to the faith,”
while seeking new ways to introduce people to the unchanging Gospel
message.
“The New Evangelization is renewing your own faith personally, being
confident of it, just like the Pope is, and then sharing it,” Cardinal
Wuerl explained.
He said that the fruits of such a renewal of faith can be seen
throughout the archdiocese in the enthusiastic youth, the full
seminaries and activities such as Theology on Tap.
Still, there are challenges, the cardinal said. He noted that modern
society brings “voices speaking to us from sources other than the
Gospel,” and there is a tendency “to bleach out the place of God, the
place of faith publicly.”
“We need to listen,” he commented, “but we need to be critical. Not
everything that we hear today should be taken without at least weighing
it against ‘what does Jesus say?’”
“The task of the Church is to keep lifting up the values of the Gospel
in a situation, a climate, a culture that is very preoccupied with
something else,” he continued.
One of the areas in which the values of the Gospel differ significantly
from those of the culture is in the realm of sexual morality, Cardinal
Wuerl said.
“The Church has a very clear message that sexual activity is supposed to occur in marriage,” he explained.
There are people who do not always follow these teachings, he
acknowledged, and for those people, the Church is “not here to criticize
and critique, but we are here to say ‘this is the way’” and help them
to follow the commandments.
The cardinal also emphasized the duty of Catholics to continue aiding those who are neglected by the rest of society.
“We cannot succeed without bringing forward our brothers and sisters, especially those that have no other way forward.”
He lauded Pope Francis for setting an example in this regard with his “quiet, persistent, consistent presentation of faith.”
There has been “no change in the teaching” or doctrine of the Church
between Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, the cardinal clarified. However,
the current Pope’s style of simplicity and listening are an example for
the faithful to follow.
Cardinal Wuerl also encouraged those at the lecture to pray, saying that
prayer is “our conversation with God” and an important foundation for
building a relationship with the Lord.
“Prayer changes hearts, and if enough hearts are changed, the whole
world can be changed,” he explained, suggesting that people pray
numerous short prayers throughout the day.
“People who believe have a horizon so much larger,” the cardinal
remarked, because faith allows us to “simply to know there’s a purpose
to life, there is someone who will explain in my heart what it is all
about and who will be with me on the journey.”