Catholicism Encounters Modernity

Jackie Russ
CTL 261
1/27/14

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We live in an extraordinary moral culture, measured against the norm of human history,
in which suffering and death, through famine, flood, earthquake, pestilence, or war, can awaken
worldwide movements of sympathy and practical solidarity. Granted, of course, this is made
possible by modern media and modes of transportation, not to mention surpluses (Taylor, 19).
This describes our culture today, but one must ask if our culture was always this way. If not, how
have we come to live in such an extraordinary moral culture? The Catholic Church has had much
influence on this culture. The Catholic Church has moved through different stages in relation to
modernity. These stages include a rejection of modernity, a separation from modernity, a
harmonization with modernity, and an alternative to modernity. In these stages of modernity, the
message of the Catholic Church has remained fairly constant, but the way in which that message
is delivered has changed with the times.
To begin, we must make a clear distinction between the definition of the word modern
and the word contemporary and then define the modern era. Modern refers to a certain period of
time beginning in the early 16th century and ends in the mid to late 20th century. With the modern
era defined, we can now refer to the different time periods before, during, and after the modern
era as the pre-modern, modern, and post-modern eras, respectively. In the pre-modern era much
of Spain and France had a united culture because of a phenomenon called Christendom.
Christendom is the idea where political, social, and other agendas are based on the ideas of
Christianity. According to Charles Taylor in A Catholic Modernity? Christendom [is] the
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attempt to marry the faith with a form of culture and a mode of society (17). He goes on to
present the idea of returning to such a world, but in a way that would look different from the
past. Christendom slowly faded away as modernity and secularization began to take over. Taylor
says
that in modern, secularist culture there are mingled together both authentic development
of the gospel, of an incarnational mode of life, and also a closing off to God that negates
the gospel. The notion is that modern culture, in breaking with the structures and beliefs
of Christendom, also carried certain facets of Christian life further than they ever were
taken or could have been taken within Christendom (16).
In the pre-modern era the idea of disbelief was not tolerated, but that began to change. Charles
Taylor says Christian faith pointed towards a self-transcendence, a turning of life towards
something beyond ordinary human flourishing (Taylor, 44). These people were living in a life
of enchantment and always searching for transcendence in their lives.
The modern era was also the time of the Reformation when Martin Luther wanted to
clean up the church. In Martin Luthers eyes as well as the eyes of many other people, the
power of authority should not be held in such high regard. In other words, people were beginning
to become much more critical of authority. The modern era was also the age of enlightenment as
well as the age of reason. People began to question hierarchy and started to become more
secular. They began to believe that they no longer needed religion and even that religion was an
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obstruction to progress. The age of reason only aided the world in becoming more secular as
people began to use scientific evidence and logic to reason their way out of religion. People
began not to search for transcendence in their lives which led to lives of disenchantment. This
disenchantment has carried into the post-modern era.
The post-modern era is sometimes called the contemporary era which began at the
beginning of the 20th century. There is some overlap of the end of the modern era with the
beginning of the post-modern era. The contemporary or post-modern era is the current time in
which we live. In the modern era, the individual started to become much more important than
ever before. The idea of searching for transcendence became an individual decision instead of an
accepted thought. The world of today, however, is still one of disenchantment.
In the modern era, the Catholic Church, as a religious institution, could not just stand by
as society started to be overcome by disenchantment and secularism. At first the Catholic Church
completely rejected modernity. This happened in the time of Pope Gregory XVI and Pope Pius
IX. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church did not want to have anything to do with the new ideas
and that were being brought forth in the world following the French Revolution. In his encyclical
Mirari Vos, Pope Gregory XVI condemned suggestions to accept the new social structure and
civil freedoms as new opportunities for the Catholic Church. He says At the present moment a
brutal malevolence and impudent science, an unrestrained arbitrariness prevail (Mirari Vos). He
presented this encyclical at St. Mary Major in Rome, which we visited. It was given on the feast
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of the Assumption of the Virgin (August 15th) in 1832 in a church dedicated to Mary. In fact,
there has been a church dedicated to Mary in this location since 358. It seems appropriate for him
to be condemning modernity in a basilica that has so much tradition and was dedicated to Mary
for centuries. Even though the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was not declared until
Pope Pius IX became the head of the church, a devotion to the Virgin Mary seemed as though it
was always a prevalent part of the Catholic Church. It seems as though Pope Gregory XVI was
trying to make a statement by choosing the location that he did to condemn the changing society.
This idea of rejection of modernity can be seen when comparing the Louvre and the
Orsay Museum. The Louvre was a palace and the Orsay Museum was a railroad station. The
Louvre contained many more religious pieces of artwork than the Orsay Museum. This shift in
subjects of the artwork mirrors the move toward secularism in society. In the pre-modern
society, it was almost expected that artists paint religious subjects or biblical stories because of
the enchanted world they lived in and the artists search for transcendence in their lives. But, as
the world moved into the modern era, individualism became the focus. This brought about the
impressionism, surrealism and dadaism art movements. These focused on the individuals
expression of creativity as well as using everyday scenes and people as their subjects because
they were no longer living in an enchanted world and may not have been seeking the
transcendence in their lives.

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Just a few short years after Pope Gregory XVI wrote Mirari Vos, Pope Pius IX wrote his
Syllabus of Errors in which he compiled several prepositions and assumptions from other papal
documents which he believed were wrong. He concludes the document with The Roman Pontiff
can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism, and modern
civilization (The Syllabus of Errors, 9). Clearly Pope Pius IX completely rejected progress and
modern civilization. He wanted nothing to do with changing society. Not only did he not want to
follow it, he encouraged the members of the Catholic Church to reject modernity as well. He
even goes so far as to denounce the idea that the church and state should be separated when he
includes the following in the Syllabus of Errors: The Church ought to be separated from the
State and the State from the Church (6). The condemning of this idea was illustrated in the
building of Sacr Coeur as reparations for the French Revolution.
After the initial rejection of modernity, in the times of Pope Leo XIII and Pope Pius XI
the Catholic Church realized that the modern world was not something that was going to go
away any time soon. In his encyclical Rerum Novarum Pope Leo XIII states
that the spirit of revolutionary change, which has long been disturbing the nations of the
world, should have passed beyond the sphere of politics and made its influence felt in the
cognate sphere of practical economics is not surprising. The elements of the conflict now
raging are unmistakable, in the vast expansion of industrial pursuits and the marvelous
discoveries of science; in the changed relations between masters and workmen; in the
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enormous fortunes of some few individuals, and the utter poverty of the masses; the
increased prevailing moral degeneracy.
Pope Leo XIII realized that there were problems in the world and that the Catholic Church could
not, at this time, work with modernity. Because of his recognition, the Catholic Church began to
move toward a complete separation from modernity. With this separation, the Catholic Church
became a sort of subculture within society. In his encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, Pope Pius
XI gives an outline or structure for the reformation of society or at least reconstruction of social
order, as indicated in the subtitle of the encyclical.
The rejection and separation of modernity could be seen in many of the churches that we
visited. Instead of listening to society when they tried to break down the Catholic Church, they
responded by building even bigger churches. Ornate and extensive decoration in these churches
was just another way to show the Churchs continued power. Many of the churches such as
Notre Dame de Paris, Notre Dame de Chartres, and Sacr Coeur utilize verticality. This use of
verticality is a way of reaching toward God as well as showing the churchs power. Notre Dame
de Chartres and Sacr Coeur were both built on a hill which places further emphasis on the idea
of power.
When the church figured out that they could not completely separate from modernity,
they decided to try to harmonize with it. One of the biggest ways in which they tried to
harmonize with modernity was the calling of an ecumenical council by Pope John XXIII which
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ran from 1962 to 1965. This council would later be known as Vatican II. In Vatican II modernity
was no longer condemned, and it was encouraged for the Catholic Church to become a
companion with modernity. If the Catholic Church could guide society in the modern world,
harmonization could occur. Human rights and freedom of religion were recognized by the
Catholic Church as important pieces of human life. If they were to harmonize with modernity
these were a couple of things that they needed to no longer condemn. They also recognized the
need to adapt the Catholic Church to the changing times as explained in the encyclical Gaudium
et Spes when it states Hence this Second Vatican Council, having probed more profoundly into
the mystery of the Church, now addresses itself without hesitation, not only to the sons of the
Church and to all who invoke the name of Christ, but to the whole of humanity. For the council
yearns to explain to everyone how it conceives of the presence and activity of the Church in the
world of today (1).
Two of the most commonly known results of Vatican II are the saying of the mass in the
vernacular language and turning the priest toward the congregation. These two changes were
quite radical at the time, but they have shaped the way that we worship even today. These
changes helped make mass more of a community-related prayer time rather than individual
prayer time.
While we are in the post-modern era today, we still encounter the same problems as
people did in the modern era. In fact, the idea of secularism seems even more prevalent today
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than ever before. Because of this, the church has tried to offer an alternative to modernity. This
alternative to modernity began with Pope John Paul II and continues today. Pope John Paul II
recognized and explained to people that the world could not escape modernity and that it helped
to shape human life and the social environment in which we live. Once he recognized and
explained that modernity was a part of life that could not be separated from or harmonized with,
he tried to offer a counter-voice or an alternative to modernity. In a world where everything
seemed to move very quickly and never move beyond surface level, Pope John Paul II called for
people to take time to examine their religious beliefs and search for the deeper meaning. He
encouraged people to search for transcendence in their lives despite living in a disenchanted
world. In other words, he called for an alternative to modernity.
An example of an alternative to modernity can be seen in the Missionary Society of St.
Paul the Apostle or the Paulist Fathers. This society was founded by Issac Hecker, a convert to
Christianity. He named the society the Paulists because he said:
As Saul, Paul was a person called to conversion. The vision of Jesus he encountered on
the road to Damascus shattered the single-minded clarity that had ordered his direction.
He required the guidance of a Christian named Ananias to help him understand the
strange new thoughts and yearnings that had entered his heart. However reluctant and
fearful Ananias may have been, he welcomed Paul and confirmed his faith in the Christ
he had once persecuted (What Makes Us Paulist?).
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Hecker took this idea and decided that he would do whatever he could to provide seekers of his
own time with the hospitality and invitation to conversion with which Ananias had greeted the
blinded Saul (What Makes Us Paulist?). Today the Paulists continue to seek every means
[they] can imagine to bring the Gospel to a spirit-starved world (What Makes Us Paulist?). In
other words the Paulists use contemporary means such as radio, television, and social media to
evangelize and spread the gospel in todays secular world. They try to meet people where they
are and bring the gospel to them in whatever ways they can. We saw this in action when we
attended mass at a Paulist church in Paris. The mass itself was basically the same as any other
mass, but the homily was grounded in ideas of todays world. It was very relatable for
parishioners of any age and called us to do simple things that would allow the gospel message to
be shared with others.
Similarly to Pope Pius IXs rejection of modernity, the Catholic Church and Popes of the
contemporary age also urge Catholics to reject some ideas such as gay marriage and abortion.
Just as in the modern age, these things go against Church teachings and are seemingly becoming
even more prevalent in todays society. Pope Francis has urged everyone to love others for who
they are and to extend more acceptance and less judgment. I, however, find this very hard to do
when the church teaches that certain things are wrong. I do believe that the church has learned
from the past though and recognizes the need for change. They do not need to change their
message that of the gospel, but the methods in which the message is shared should match the
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times in which we live. I believe this is evident in the use of social media by religious
communities as well as Pope Francis himself. Another great example of the way in which the
church teaches the same message, but in a way the current people can understand it is in the
training of future priests. While in Rome, I had the opportunity to visit the North American
College and attend mass with the seminarians. Even though these men are learning the same
things that previous seminarians have learned, they have grown up in a world that is different
from the past; a world that is ever-changing. With this in mind, they should be able to easily
relate to the people that they serve and adapt to changes in the world and within the Catholic
Church.
Even though the gospel message that the Catholic Church teaches, the way in which the
message has been taught has changed throughout time. There were differences in the premodern, modern, and post-modern era. In the modern era the Catholic Church moved through
several different stages in relation to modernity. They started by completely rejecting modernity
then trying to separate from it. When they realized that they could not completely separate from
it, they attempted to harmonize with modernity before beginning to offer an alternative to
modernity. Today people are discovering that they need transcendence, or at least the notion of
seeking transcendence in their lives. Seeking for the transcendent can be very difficult in todays
disenchanted and secular world. Because of this idea, when someone discovers that they need the
transcendent in their life, it is often called a conversion. For some, the realization that they need
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transcendence may be an immediate thing, but for others it may take time. Charles Taylor
explains this in his book, A Secular Age, when he says In some cases, people went through a
kind of self-authenticating, one might say epiphanic experience [though] it goes without
saying that for most people who undergo a conversion there may never have been one of those
seemingly self-authenticating experiences (728-729). Despite the secularism & disenchantment
that has taken over todays world, many people are still seeking transcendence and having
conversions. Hopefully these conversions will eventually lead to a less secular culture.

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Works Cited
Pope Gregory XVI. "MIRARI VOS."MIRARI VOS. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Greg16/g
Pope Paul VI. "Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern Word-Gaudium et
Spes." Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern Word-Gaudium et Spes. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vatii_cons_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html>.
Pope Pius IX. "THE SYLLABUS OF ERRORS CONDEMNED BY PIUS IX." THE SYLLABUS
OF ERRORS CONDEMNED BY PIUS IX. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius09/p9syll.htm>.
Pope Pius XI. "QUADRAGESIMO ANNO."QUADRAGESIMO ANNO. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan.
2014. <http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius11/P11QU
Taylor, Charles. A Catholic Modernity?: Charles Taylor's Marianist Award Lecture, with
Responses by William M. Shea, Rosemary Luling Haughton, George Marsden, and Jean
Bethke Elshtain. Ed. James Heft. Oxford University Press, 1999.
Taylor, Charles. A Secular Age. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press,
2007. Print.
"What Makes Us 'Paulist?'." Paulist Fathers. Symmetrical Design, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.paulist.org/about/what-makes-us-paulist>.

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