Should Catholics be culture warriors?

by Paul Fahey | Jun 20, 2022

Dominic and Paul chat about authentic Catholic engagement in the culture and the world. They share their own experiences of being culture warriors and go on to discuss how this type of engagement is not what Christ asks of us. Turning to Scripture and the examples of the saints, they propose an idea of what a Christian’s mission is in the world that’s distinct from culture wars and partisan politics.

“The great scandal of the age is that those without the sacraments are so often superior in charity, courage, even laying down their lives for their brothers, to the ‘practicing Catholic’ who partakes of the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist and then stands by while his brother is exploited, starved, beaten, and goes on living his bourgeois life, his whole work being to maintain ‘his standard of living,’ and neglecting the one thing needful, love of God and brother.”
Dorothy Day

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ABOUT POPE FRANCIS GENERATION – Season 1: Episode 5
Pope Francis Generation is the show for Catholics struggling with the Church’s teaching, who feel like they might not belong in the Church anymore, and who still hunger for a God of love and goodness. Hosted by Paul Fahey, a professional catechist, and Dominic de Souza, someone who needs catechesis. Together, we’re taking our own look at the Catholic Church– her teachings and practices- from 3 views that changed our world: the Kerygma, the forgotten doctrine of theosis, and the teachings of Pope Francis. Together, with you, we’re the Pope Francis Generation.

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ABOUT PAUL FAHEY
Paul lives in Michigan with my wife, Kristina, and four kids. A catechist, retreat leader, counseling student, as well as a contributor and co-founder of Where Peter Is. Paul writes and speaks about what I love: the Kerygma, the Sacraments, Catholic Social Teaching, and Pope Francis. https://pfahey.com/

ABOUT DOMINIC DE SOUZA
SmartCatholics founder, Dominic de Souza, is a convert from radical traditionalism – inspired by WherePeterIs, Bishop Robert Barron, and Pope Francis. He is passionate about helping ordinary Catholics break the ‘bystander effect’, and be firstresponders. “We don’t have to be geniuses. We just have to show up with witness and kindness. Christ does the rest.” Today he hosts the SmartCatholics community. https://smartcatholics.com

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00:00 Is Christianity a culture war?
3:00 Why do we like being culture warriors?
8:50 Tribalism
12:40 Good guys and bad guys
21:20 What is Christian culture?
30:27 Is there actually a Christian culture?
39:10 How should we engage the culture?
53:18 Following Mary’s example as a firstresponder?

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Paul Fahey

Paul Fahey, the founder of Father’s Heart Academy, is a lay minister and catechist with over eight years of experience. He is a retreat leader, catechist formator, writer, creator of the Pope Francis Generation podcast, and a co-founder of Where Peter Is. He holds an undergraduate degree in Theology and is currently in a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. See Paul's Posts

Season 4 Wrap Up

This week, Paul and Dominic wrap up the season by reflecting back on some of the interviews and discussions this summer that have stuck with them. They specifically bring up the interview with Dr. Marcus Mescher and his proposal that there needs to be a new way of doing Church in order to address all the harm caused by the culture of institutional self-protection in the Church. They discuss if synodality is that new way of doing Church.

“In effect, doctrine, or better, our understanding and expression of it, is not a closed system, devoid of the dynamic capacity to pose questions, doubts, inquiries. The questions of our people, their suffering, their struggles, their dreams, their trials and their worries, all possess an interpretational value that we cannot ignore if we want to take the principle of the incarnation seriously. Their wondering helps us to wonder, their questions question us” (Gaudete et Exsultate 44).

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ABOUT POPE FRANCIS GENERATION
Pope Francis Generation is the show for Catholics struggling with the Church’s teaching, who feel like they might not belong in the Church anymore, and who still hunger for a God of love and goodness. Hosted by Paul Fahey, a professional catechist, and Dominic de Souza, someone who needs catechesis. Together, we’re taking our own look at the Catholic Church– her teachings and practices- from 3 views that changed our world: the Kerygma, the forgotten doctrine of theosis, and the teachings of Pope Francis. Together, with you, we’re the Pope Francis Generation.

ABOUT PAUL FAHEY
Paul lives in Michigan with his wife, Kristina, and five kids. A catechist, retreat leader, counseling student, as well as a contributor and co-founder of Where Peter Is. Paul writes and speaks about what he loves: the Kerygma, the Sacraments, Catholic Social Teaching, and Pope Francis. https://pfahey.com/

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Marcus Mescher – Moral Injury and Clerical Sexual Abuse

This week, Paul interviews Dr. Marcus Mescher, an associate professor of Christian ethics at Xavier University. They discuss a new research about moral injury and clerical sexual abuse that Marcus published. First Marcus explains what moral injury is and the way that it impacts a person’s psychological health as well as their conscience. Marcus then talks about the implications of this research and how we can better understand the impact of clerical sexual abuse on individual people and the wider Church.

Dr. Marcus Mescher is associate professor of Christian ethics. He holds a Ph.D. from Boston College and specializes in Catholic social teaching and moral formation. His
research and writing concentrate in the following areas: human dignity and rights; social/environmental justice for the global common good; how moral agency is impacted by cultural context and digital technology; the moral dimensions of friendship; sexual justice and the ethics of marriage and family life; liberation theology and inclusive solidarity; healing the psychological, spiritual, social, and moral harm caused by clergy abuse. Dr. Mescher has written dozens of popular and academic articles. His current research and writing focus on mental health and moral injury.

LINKS

Measuring & Exploring Moral Injury Caused by Clergy Sexual Abuse:
https://www.xavier.edu/moral-injury-report/

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Dawn Eden Goldstein – Antisemitism in the Church

This week, Dominic and Paul talk with author and theologian, Dawn Eden Goldstein. They discuss the presence, both historical and ongoing, of antisemitism in the Catholic Church. Specifically, Dawn speaks about a talk she gave two years ago for the Society of G.K. Chesterton concerning Chesterton’s antisemitic writings. Dawn talks about how Catholics today need to honestly acknowledge and wrestle with the sins of their heroes.

Dawn Eden Goldstein is the author of “Father Ed: The Story of Bill W.’s Spiritual Sponsor” and several other books, including “The Thrill of the Chaste” and “My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints.” Together, her books have sold more than sixty thousand copies worldwide in ten languages.

Dr. Goldstein began her working life as a rock-and-roll historian and went on to editorial positions at the New York Post and the Daily News before publishing her first book in 2006. In 2016, she became the first woman to earn a doctorate in sacred theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake. She has taught at universities and seminaries in the United States, England, and India. Today she lives in Washington, DC, where she recently received a degree in canon law at the Catholic University of America.

LINKS

Talk for the Society of G.K. Chesterton: “Chesterton and My Jewish/Catholic Journey”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF1dsQIcqNI&t=1s

Recap of that Chesterton talk: https://dawneden.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-chesterton-essay-so-offensive-that.html

Father Ed: The Story of Bill W’s Spiritual Sponsor: https://orbisbooks.com/products/father-ed-the-life-of-bill-w-s-spiritual-sponsor

Archbishop Kevin Rhoades, “Friendship with Our Jewish Brothers and Sisters”: https://todayscatholic.org/friendship-with-our-jewish-brothers-and-sisters/

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Should Catholics be culture warriors?

Paul Fahey

Paul Fahey

Season 4 Wrap Up

Marcus Mescher – Moral Injury and Clerical Sexual Abuse

Dawn Eden Goldstein – Antisemitism in the Church

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