(This is a continuation of a series of reflections drawing on the core values mentioned in the Diocese of CK pastoral plan)
This brings us to another critical question. How do we go about fostering a meaningful Catholic culture for the 21st century in these islands? This is a challenge around the world and people of many different cultures struggle with the challenge. The Church is growing the fastest in Africa and Asia, where it is taking root in cultures that are very different from the European Catholic Culture that brought the Faith to the Americas and later to the Pacific Islands. So, many people face this challenge today and are trying to find ways that their culture and Faith can both resonate deeply in their lives.
One approach taken by some people has been to try and resurrect a model of Church that is imagined reflecting some golden age. For example, certain Traditionalist groups reject the work of the Second Vatican Council and the use of the vernacular language in worship. They long for the Latin language Mass and seem to think that saying Mass in Latin will respond to the frustration and longing in their heart for a deeper experience of the spiritual. They cling to the past, or what they imagine to be the past, in the hope that if the old ways of doing things can be restored then the experience of the spiritual that they remember from the past can be restored as well. The difficulty is that the model to which they cling came out of a specific time, place, set of life circumstances and culture. The model may have been effective in the past, but life and the culture have changed.
A similar approach has been for some people to embrace highly structured religious organizations; such as Opus Dei, Communion and Liberation, or Legionnaires of Christ. These organizations provide complete packages for spiritual development. There are specific disciplines to be followed. One is under the authority of a mentor or spiritual director who assists the disciple. A specific community of fellow disciples is available to provide support and accompaniment on the spiritual journey. These packages are derived from the long-standing monastic tradition within the Church, adapting that tradition to contemporary circumstances.
Its challenges are the same that have confronted monastic communities throughout history. The discipline of the community and the exercise of authority can become abusive. Further, in having everything decided for you by group rules or the authority of the group leader, your own conscience and moral decision-making capacity can be stunted through lack of use. There is a danger of “leadership cult” in which the leader of the group is viewed in superhuman terms, which can then cover up his misbehavior, as with the recent scandal among the Legionnaires. While the presence of a support community is a valuable resource to anyone seeking spiritual growth, there is also the danger of separation from the general community of believers as the group becomes more and more internally focused.
Another approach has been to foster a dialogue between island culture and the broader Catholic tradition, drawing on island practices and images that speak powerfully to basic Christian truths and Gospel values. For example, I remember that on major religious holidays it was common practice for members of the congregation to bring a lei to the altar after the Eucharistic prayer and placing it around the newly consecrated Eucharist. This is an island tradition for welcoming someone. At this point in the Mass, the symbol of the lei spoke powerfully of the Real Presence of Christ through the Eucharistic sacrifice. Over the years I have seen many island symbols and practices used to express Christian truths in ways that have deeply touched my heart. Such practices help to build a Catholic culture that is unique to this community, respecting contemporary life in these islands and yet flowing from the Scriptures and consistent with the broader tradition of the Church.
This dialogue cannot be limited to simply incorporating symbolically powerful island images into the liturgy but needs to be extended to every aspect of how we live out our Faith. What is characteristic about marriage and family life for the Catholic islander? How does a Catholic islander conduct business or interact with guest workers, tourists or people from other cultures? This approach is more of a challenge than the first approaches I mentioned because it requires serious reflection on one’s faith and culture, as they impact on how a person and a community act.