Where is Christ?

After decades of fierce opposition to the use of all contraception, the Pontiff has ended the Church’s absolute ban on the use of condoms.

He said it was acceptable to use a prophylactic when the sole intention was to “reduce the risk of infection” from Aids.  While he restated the Catholic Church’s staunch objections to contraception because it believes that it interferes with the creation of life, he argued that using a condom to preserve life and avoid death could be a responsible act – even outside marriage.

  - The Telegraph, 6th August 2012

A historic shift indeed. Many will salute this step forward into a sense of modernization of the Catholic Church. Be that as it may, how many Catholics actually take this seriously? Do Catholics really care whether or not the Pope and his Cardinals feel its okay to practice safe sex? If they do, the real questions is ... WHY? How many of you, who already practice safe sex, are actually going to feel a guiltless sense of liberation the next time you do?

"Oh thank goodness, I shall remain in the Pope's good books."

Yeah, 'cos that's what anyone thinks about in those moments. 

Is it really going to make that much of difference?

It shouldn't.

My parents, like most staunch Catholics I know, fail to understand why many young adults while still remaining in faith with Christ, remove themselves from the Catholic community. It's because of simple things, for example:

• After having missed mass ONE Sunday, I was nagged to attend mass on one of the weekdays to make up for it. While there may be nothing wrong in doing so if you should so have the urge to, forcing anyone to do so is inadvertently implying that somewhere up there someone is sitting with a register in hand, marking your attendance. 

• "You have to go to church." One day I asked why. "Why does my faith and relationship with God depend on whether I attend mass on Sunday?" "Because that's how you were raised." - Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we should all stop atteding mass altogether, I would never say that, but really, does our faith and relationship with Christ REVOLVE around attending mass on Sundays? 

• "But I never see you praying" - My mother's favorite retort.   

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matt 6:5-8    

• Recently a friend shared this thought, "The Catholic Church is against homosexuality. So what if I have a gay friend and I don't do anything about it? Does that mean I am sinning?" Notice how she says "The Catholic Church ... " Where is Christ in this question?  

You may be wondering why I'm beating around the burning bush with all of this but if you notice in all the scenarios, everyone preached on how to be a Good Catholic. Use a condom. Go for mass. Say No to Homosexuality. No one mentioned Christ. 

I'm no scholar or theologian but what I've learned from the Teachings of Christ is there are TWO rules (the rule of two?!) --  Love God and Love Your Neighbor. 

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matt 22:34-40

That is all Christ asks of us. To love God and neighbour with a sincere heart. 

It's time to teach your kids to be good Christians.

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the author.