An Argentinean archbishop recently reminded Catholics that the Catholic Church is more than the criticism she receives.
Archbishop Jose Maria Arancedo of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, Argentina
spoke about the upcoming season of Lent in a message Feb. 16.
He
recalled that the Church has Christ as her center and therefore
represents much more than the criticism she receives.
He noted that the
Church's weaknesses are due to human fragility.
“The Church is not an idea we adhere to, but rather a concrete
reality that we experience in our human fragility and to which we belong
through our baptism,” the archbishop explained.
He went on to note that many of the faithful are Catholic in name
only and participate little in the life of the Church.
“The Church is
asleep in us and is losing her apostolic fervor. I would say we don’t
think of ourselves as following God’s call to a life of sacrificial
holiness, nor do we think of the Church as expecting our presence or
commitment,” he said.
“We ought to emphasize not so much the selfish pursuit of our own
fulfillment as the listening and obedience to that Word that is the real
cause of our fulfillment – even though it takes us out of the routine
in which we feel safe.
“Faith is trust in God,” the archbishop concluded.