Fidelity and unity in transmitting the faith are key to the Church’s mission at this moment in U.S. history, Archbishop Timothy Broglio said Tuesday.
“We are charged to preach the truth that sets everyone free. We must be undaunted and eager to proclaim that truth in love with all of the means at our disposal,” Broglio told the bishops of the United States at their fall general assembly in Baltimore.
Broglio, who serves as the president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, pointed to the Book of Maccabees as an example of fidelity in times of oppression, confusion, and cultural darkness.
“The fidelity of a small group was sufficient to ensure a temporary victory over the oppressors, but more importantly the preservation and handing on of the Jewish faith to the next generations right up to our time,” he said.
This witness can be an example for the bishops of the United States today, Broglio said.
Particularly in the aftermath of this year’s elections, the bishops must work to help heal “divisions in our society by our efforts, teaching, and, especially, example,” he said.
“We must encourage people to work together, to listen to each other, and in disagreement never to forget that the other is created in the image and likeness of God and is, therefore, worthy of respect. We redouble our efforts to introduce civility into the everyday discourse. Christians should be catalysts for a more humane and worthy approach to daily life.”
This is a difficult but important task, which requires virtue, boldness, and a commitment to teaching the Gospel clearly, even when doing so is unpopular, he said.
“We must insist on the dignity of the human person from womb to tomb, be unstinting in our commitment, as I said yesterday, to see Christ in those who are most in need, to defend and lift up the poor, and to encourage immigration reform, while we continue to care for those in need who cross our borders.”
“We certainly do not encourage illegal immigration, but we will all have to stand before the Throne of Grace and hear the Lord ask us if we saw Him in the hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, stranger, or sick and responded to His needs,” he continued, drawing applause from the bishops.
He also commented specifically on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the bishops’ guidance on voting issues, which he said he recently reread ahead of this year’s election. The text has been the subject of heated debate at past USCCB meetings.
“It is a very thorough presentation of the Catholic outlook on public life and the issues that face us,” the archbishop remarked. “While we will begin work to bring it up to date, we can take just satisfaction in the teaching that was offered.”
Another major task for the U.S. Church, Broglio said, is to help people take their experiences of grace from the Eucharistic Congress and make the transition into a phase of mission.
“We continue the mission to proclaim our faith in the Eucharist, to help the faithful discover or deepen its meaning, and to prolong the positive effects of the first two years of the Eucharistic revival,” he said.
Similarly, he continued, implementing the riches and fruits from the synod on synodality will take time.
“The call to holiness and the mission are life-long activities. They require a powerful beginning, but also the sustained willingness to keep to the course and follow through,” the archbishop said.
He added that many of the synodal practices that are already common in the United States have yet to be introduced in other countries.
“Parish councils, finance councils both parochial and diocesan, presbyteral councils, the college of consultors, the National Advisory Committee, and so forth are not universally employed in the Church” he said. “Some synod participants were surprised at how common those instances are in our nation.”
“Even our [bishops] conference has tried to introduce a more synodal style in our plenary assemblies with the opening day of listening to the Lord in prayer, the moments of fraternal dialogue, and increased opportunities to hear one another.”
With these goals in mind, Broglio encouraged his fellow bishops to be faithful and active witnesses as they work to evangelize in a culture that is not always friendly to Gospel message.
“Persecution is not so overt in contemporary society, but we are still alert and eager to keep the faith and to teach it authentically to others,” he said.
