...Respect and obedience toward our pastors in the Church is a particular challenge in today’s society, which views everything in relation to what each individual thinks and wants. Pastors who have the solemn responsibility to teach and uphold the truths of the faith, that is, the objective reality of our relationship with God, with one another and with our world, become very unpopular and are openly rejected when they fulfill their responsibilities toward the flock in their care.
The secular media, which reflect very much the relativism rampant in our society, view the pastoral authority of the Church as extremism. When the Holy Father, the bishops and parish priests enunciate the Church’s teaching on the inviolable dignity of innocent human life, for example, they are labeled "the religious right." Easily enough, secular thinking enters the Church, remaking pastoral authority according to its own image while, at the same time, ridiculing and even resisting any firm teaching or discipline given by the Church’s pastors.
Recently, the pastors in our nation have cautioned the faithful, especially parents, regarding the film "The Golden Compass." Through George Henry, superintendent of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, parents and teachers were warned that the author of the books ("His Dark Materials," by Philip Pullman) from which the movie is drawn is an avowed atheist who has a particular hatred of the Catholic Church.
As archbishop, I caution all Catholics regarding the atheistic and anti-Catholic nature of Pullman’s writings, upon which "The Golden Compass" is based. If you wish further and more in-depth information, I recommend the publication of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, "The Golden Compass: Agenda Unmasked," which can be obtained through the League’s website, www.catholicleague.org. I also commend the book by Peter Vere and Sandra Miesel, "Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children’s Fantasy," published by Ignatius Press (www.ignatius.com).
Before concluding, I wish also to correct an erroneous statement made in a commentary in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, titled "After ruckus over its roots, ‘Compass’ film mollifies some" (Dec. 8, 2007, p. A23). The commentary claims that the Catholic bishops of our nation viewed the film and praised it. The statement is false. A most defective review of the film was published by Catholic News Service. The review has by now been removed from the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The review was not based on a viewing of the film by bishops and was not endorsed by the bishops.
Conclusion
The Season of Advent inspires in us a new devotion to what is most sacred to us, our Catholic faith, prayer and the sacraments, and the discipline of living in Christ. The strong grace of the season fortifies us to promote the understanding of the Catholic Church, in which Christ, our Good Shepherd, is alive and at work for our eternal salvation. It also inspires us to safeguard and defend our Catholic faith and practice from those who would ridicule, desecrate or attack what is most sacred to us. In our society, we as Catholics need to pray especially for the courage to stand up for what we believe, to give an account of our Catholic faith to others, and to resist those who ridicule or misrepresent our faith.
Please pray, too, for us who are your pastors that we will remain strong in teaching the Catholic faith and in giving sound guidance in living the Catholic faith, especially amid the confusion of a society blinded by materialism and relativism. Finally, we trust that Christ, Who continues to shepherd His flock daily in the Church, acts in priests, bishops and the Holy Father, to promote and safeguard the faith in its integrity. May our observance of Advent strengthen us in welcoming Christ with obedience and docility.
Timely remarks in light of the St. Cronan's situation and the recent press coverage of the Archdiocese.
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