Catholic St. Louis magazine

Freedom and obedience go together in the life of Jesus

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While there are contrasts between faith and American culture, Catholics can contribute to bringing out the best in our country

Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski
Abp. Rozanski

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary this year. What a great blessing this “experiment in ordered liberty” has been — not only for us, but for the world! Not perfect, by any means; far from it! But still: great and capable of greatness.

It’s important to remember that the American experiment has always been precarious — as all good things are in a fallen world! Like any house, this one needs to be maintained, and every generation has a contribution to make to that maintenance project.

What contribution might Catholics make these days to the experiment in ordered liberty that is America? I think part of our contribution comes from a series of contrasts.

American culture today is generally inclined to exalt the value of independence. The Catholic faith, by contrast, is inclined to emphasize the value of dependence — dependence on God and on each other: “God wills the interdependence of creatures … Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each other.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 340)

American culture today is generally inclined to define liberty as meaning “no one can tell me what to do.” The Catholic faith, by contrast, emphasizes: “the more one does what is good, the freer one becomes.” (CCC, 1733)

American culture today is generally inclined to think of obedience as subservience. The Catholic faith, by contrast, holds that freedom and obedience go together in the life of Jesus and in the lives of disciples. As the theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar points out: “Freedom and obedience coincide in the mission of [Jesus], not only in the life of the Incarnate One but in the very act of His becoming incarnate.”

American culture today is generally inclined to see justice as primary and mercy as weakness. The Catholic faith, by contrast, looks at our redemption by Jesus and echoes the words of St. Augustine: “You would have suffered everlasting unhappiness, had it not been for this mercy.”

These contrasts between contemporary American culture and Catholic faith are real. But it’s important for us to avoid two mistakes regarding the contrast.

The first is to think that our best strategy is simply to reject and abandon American culture. I propose, instead, that the American concept of ordered liberty is gold — gold for us, and gold for the world. But, like all gold, it needs to be refined. As Catholics in America, we can believe that it’s worth the effort of constantly reforming and refining the parts of American culture that could be — and need to be — even better.

The second mistake is to think that our best strategy is to set our faith aside in order to enter the public square — to be Americans in public and Catholic only in private. I propose, instead, that our contribution will come from the heart of our faith, not from leaving faith aside. Besides, behaving one way in private and another way in public isn’t prudence; in fact, we usually call it hypocrisy.

Catholics have made great contributions to science. Catholics have made great contributions to culture. Catholics have made — and can continue to make — great contributions to bringing out the best in the genius of the American experiment.

America, America, God mend thine every flaw!

Confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law!

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