David Cameron’s claim that England is in essence a Christian country has raised an interesting dialogue and some hostility. I take it that the Prime Minister was not referring to Sunday church congregations but to some general sense that Christianity colours the lived experience of a majority of UK citizens.
When I test his claim against the reality of the Roman Catholic community in UK today, I am inclined to say that despite fairly stable Mass attendance figures, the majority of Catholics are simply "unevangelized". That is to say they continue a life-long habit of Mass attendance as insurance against eternal damnation and in some vague sense of preserving a state of grace. Beyond this minimal Sunday ritual, the lives of Roman Catholics are mostly circumscribed by the same secular preoccupations as their non-believing neighbours – attaining a status in society, achieving personal security and economic prosperity, realizing one’s potential. In short these Catholics experience a disconnect between religious practice and everyday life. The message of the Gospel and the personal encounter with Jesus is all within the framework of church attendance. The message from the pulpit will often re-emphasise this disconnect.
Sermons focus on our loving relationship with God in a private quest which will merit salvation. It is rare for the sermon to focus on issues such as care of the environment, world peace, poverty and the challenge of capitalist economics, immigration, and building the Kingdom of God. Those Catholics who see the building of the Kingdom of God as the heart of the Gospel find fellowship beyond the parish in campaigns against world hunger, ecological projects, and work against the international arms trade, and human rights.
The clear message of Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium has been that our missionary witness should be a commitment to evangelizing the whole world by engaging in real dialogue with those beyond the faith community on precisely these topics. In taking this message, the Church might find its way to restoring the disconnect.
Frank Campbell, Southampton
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