Always ready to give a reason for our hope

Catholic Church grows despite adversity

Here's a columnist (from Boston of all places!) who has some great insights on why the Catholic faithful, in spite of everything and of all the rebellious theologians, can be at peace in the Church. Check it out!

Observant Catholics held no such reservations. Their faith stands firmly on the belief that the church, through the fiercest storms it must confront, is guided by a divine force which guarantees that even the gates of hell cannot prevail against it over time.

...The longevity of John Paul II has resulted in like-minded bishops inclined to carry on in the same spirit and line of thought. New bishops are no longer willing to compromise impacts upon church doctrine. New bishops are determined to impose strict standards on clergy and runaway theologians infected by the liberal bug that has caused so much internal conflict.

Even Jesus had to contend with a traitor who would betray him. Catholics know that human frailty causes all of us to fall from grace, but that the abuse of children is one of the worse offenses against God and man. They carry on in faith assured that the overwhelming number of priests, brothers, and nuns, even given all the temptations of modern life, are good and holy people.

...The Archdiocese of Boston is only a relatively small part of the entire Roman Catholic church. The financial difficulties of the Archdiocese, one way or another, will eventually be overcome. A pastoral Archbishop will eventually bind some real wounds. Rome will eventually even get Boston's Jesuits back to basics.

To the chagrin of its enemies in the media and in other places, the Archdiocese and the Catholic church grows. Long after its adversaries are dead and buried, long after this inspiring pope eventually passes on, the destiny of the Catholic church is to survive and overcome.