Marian Faith in a Time of Crisis

Among the reasons to rejoice over the year 2018 is, Pope Francis mentions in his Christmas greetings to the Roman Curia, the canonization of the nineteen martyrs of Algeria: "nineteen lives given for Christ, for his Gospel and for the Algerian people . . . models of everyday holiness, the holiness of 'the saints next door,'" he explains.¹ These so-called "ordinary" saints are nonetheless extraordinary, for they proclaimed their faith in Christ by the shedding of their blood. In these lives fully surrendered to Christ, there is an exact accordance between the message and the messenger. Their final proclamation is perfect, because they witness to what the Catechism presents as "an organic connection between our spiritual life and the dogmas [of our faith],"² that is to say, the content of what the Church proposes as worthy of faith and even "obliging"³ for those who bear the name of Christ. Their martyrdom, likened unto that of Christ himself, embodies what Pope Francis calls "the divine logic that does not halt before evil, but instead transforms it . . . into goodness." It likewise reminds us that "God's salvation, freely bestowed on all humanity . . . does not act independently of our will, our cooperation, our freedom and our daily efforts." "Salvation is a gift, true enough," Francis continues in his typically matter-of-fact manner, "but one that must be accepted, cherished and made to bear fruit (cf. Mt 25: 14-30)."⁴

How different is this attitude from that of those chided by the Pope for "frequently com[ing] to think and act as if they were the owners of salvation and not its recipients, like overseers of the mysteries of God and not their humble ministers, like God's toll-keepers and not servants of the flock entrusted to their care." "Instead of following God," they put themselves "in front of him," Pope Francis suggests, "like Peter, who remonstrated with the Master and thus merited the most severe of Christ's rebukes: 'Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on the things of God but on the things of men' (Mk 8:33)." Likening these unfaithful servants to King David, who committed the triple sin of "sexual abuse, abuse of power and abuse of conscience," Francis observes that they take "advantage of their position and their power of persuasion. They perform abominable acts, yet continue to exercise their ministry as if nothing had happened. They have no fear of God or his judgement, but only of being found out and unmasked." They discredit "the Church's saving mission and the sacrifices of so many of their confrères." In contrast to those who witness to Christ, even to the point of death, they, like Judas, are willing to sell him for thirty pieces of silver. In short, by their "infidelity and shame," they "disfigure the countenance of the Church and undermine her credibility."⁵

A Crisis of Credibility: A Crisis of Faith

A "crisis of credibility" is, in fact, what we are currently experiencing in the Church, Francis suggests no less than six times in his letter to the bishops of the United States on the occasion of their recent retreat at Mundelein Seminary (January 2–8, 2019). "The Church's credibility has been seriously undercut and diminished by these sins and crimes, but even more," he explains, "by the efforts made to deny or conceal them. This has led to a growing sense of uncertainty, distrust and vulnerability among the faithful."⁶

To be sure, some have recognized in Pope Francis' words of reproach just another example of the very attitudes behind much of the scandalous cover-up at the heart of this crisis, namely the fear that "This makes us look bad." Hence, for example, Amy Welborn asks in reaction to this letter whether the problem is not to be situated in the sins of using people, of doing "great harm to God's children," and of "offend[ing] and disobey[ing] God who created us for good, not evil"—rather than in the diminished credibility of the institution and...