Why Most Catholics Don’t Evangelize

I delve into my Catholic history books and read up on the saints such as St. Patrick, St. Francis de Sales, and St. John Bosco.

These were men who knew their faith and were bold in sharing it with others. These were individuals, emblazoned by the Holy Spirit, going forth in order to bring forth converts to the Church. They would go into distant lands, and persuade many others to see the power of the Gospel in their lives. Or, they would constantly be writing and preaching in their own cities about the power of Jesus and the need for repentance. Even Polish martyr St. Maximilian Kolbe, even he had helmed a radio show some eighty years ago.

So indeed, by comparing the great evangelists of the faith for nearly two thousand years, you could see something is amiss. Catholics today look upon evangelism as a “Protestant Thing.” It’s just not something that Catholics “do.”

And yet, the long and varied history of our faith proves them otherwise. How else to explain the great Saints of our faith? How else to explain the great volumes of writings that explain the faith from folks of all stripes?

Something Is Wrong

When somebody loses their car keys, we take steps back and try to remember where it was we last saw them. When an entire denomination loses its zeal for evangelism, we, too, must look back. We cannot resolve this problem until we see the base causes first.

From my perspective, I have found five major reasons why Catholics are reticent to sharing their faith with others, why we are resistant towards the New Evangelization.

Clericalism

The biggest issue is clericalism. Clericalism is the false belief that all evangelism is to be done solely by clergy. If you want to share the faith, fine… but make sure you get that seminary degree! Make sure you go through that ordination process!

When Vatican II opened the doors for the laity to assist clergy, there was a lot of rejoicing by laymen and laywomen in that they could have influence in their own religious circles. But with all that being said, they still have this expectation that it is solely the clergy’s job to evangelize.

What a wasted opportunity. A priest cannot be everywhere at once. A priest cannot preach concurrently on the streets, hospitals, schools, individual family members, and not have the gift of showing up at multiple places at the same time. A priest can preach a stirring homily, but if the unchurched are not at church to hear it, how are they to hear it?

A priest cannot be Jesus to your coworkers, your faithless friends, your adult children who no longer attend church. That’s your job.

Therefore, all the laity needs to be the voice of the Gospel.

Fighting Anti-Catholic Sentiment

The United States has a long and varied history of anti-Catholicism. There was a time when it was illegal to practice the Catholic faith in states such as Maryland. In the 19th century, with the rise of immigration (such as those from Ireland), there were a lot of bigoted attacks on the church.

Our founding fathers were mostly those who had fled many Catholic countries to begin with. They were seeking religious freedom, a freedom to practice their own faith, their own creed, whether it be Puritan or Quaker or… nothing. And so, while there has been a lot of talk on respecting other faiths, there was still this lingering suspicion against Catholicism.

Therefore, for centuries, Catholics did not feel like they belong in the United States. They huddled in their own ethnic neighborhoods, where they at least had some security. But the attacks were constant.

It was news in the 1920s when Al Smith, an openly Catholic statesman, ran for the president of the United States. It was even greater news when in the 1960s, John F. Kennedy finally broke that glass ceiling and became elected. After three-hundred years, Catholicism was finally becoming mainstream.

Post-Vatican II Confusion

Around the same time as Kennedy’s election, another historic event was taking place. Pope John XXIII had asked for a convening of the Second Vatican Council. The goal of the council was to help craft a plan of action to stem the tide of modernism. Indeed, many of the reforms of the Council were historic, including a reading of the liturgy in one’s own language, and an openness of different styles of music.

Perhaps the biggest change to come out of Vatican II was it’s openness to dialoguing with other Christians in different denominations. They were open to ecumenism.

I believe that ecumenism is truly a gift to the Church. However, being respectful of other denominations should not quench the fire for evangelism and helping invite all Christians to the Eucharistic table.

In the early years after Vatican II there was much disruption in the church and people were very confused as to how to proceed further. To some, it had invited a further openness to change Catholic doctrine on all sorts of myriad hot-button issues. To those individuals, that became their sole focus.

Indeed, there is this falsehood lingering about that if only the Catholic Church would change its stances on A, B, and C, then people will be drawn to the faith. But statistics show that for those other denominations that have done exactly just that – their numbers have greatly decreased.

The big takeaway is that Vatican II was like a shiny new present in the room where, for a time, people were more fixated on that, than their priority as being evangelists (which, ironically, was reinforced and expanded upon in those documents).

Materialism/Consumerism

There is a comfort level that Catholics have today in being able to provide for one’s family. This desire is a good thing. Husbands and wives are responsible for providing for the sustenance of their children and each other. Part of that sustenance means safety, health, and financial security.

However, a lot of this has filtered down to a desire that one’s children and family have as many goodies as do the “Joneses.” And indeed, we are living in a time of great technological advancements. Of course we are inundated with advertisements encouraging us to take part in the latest fashions and trends.

The consumer mentality is a disease that has changed all of us from being masters to its slaves.

This is very easy to write about but hard to live out. I, too, have a mortgage and children whose college tuition payments are presumably several years from now.

Therefore, there is a fear that I have that I should always play it safe. Don’t ruffle any feathers, lest I lose my job. Don’t be that “crazy” person who’s always trying to ram your beliefs down other people’s throats. You have a livelihood to protect.

“Be nice” would be the extent of my gospel mandate. “Preach the Gospel all the time, and if necessary, use words” (a quote falsely attributed to St. Francis of Assisi) has become an excuse to reduce the Gospel to being a “nice person” and not taking it any further from that.

There has to be a balance in learning how to share one’s faith without upending one’s livelihood. But most Catholics would rather not explore this.

Evangelical Caricatures

If there is an enduring image of Christianity in these last forty years, it is that of the obnoxious Christian. The ones on the street corner with the tacky signs. The ones calling for a burning of records and Harry Potter books. The ones who protest funerals with anti-gay rhetoric.

Most Catholics feel a natural tendency to disassociate themselves with such company.

One of the most recent forms of evangelism has come forth through the rise of televangelism. Although it had begun under Bishop Fulton Sheen, (who is likely to become canonized), televangelism has carried on the aspects of shaky snake oil salesman who wish to line their pockets with victims’ dollars.

I suspect that many Catholics do not wish to embody the characteristics of such people. But because there is no framework for Catholics sharing the faith, there is a natural resistance to avoid it altogether.

Breaking Out Of These Trends

All Catholics are called to evangelize. Pope St. John Paul II has issued the call for the “New Evangelization.” Nobody is exempt. All baptized persons have been given talents by the Holy Spirit to serve our Church, and the primary mission of the Church is to evangelize.

Being that we have just identified some of the major cultural forces that have deterred us from sharing the faith, we should actively look for ways for us to break out of our slumber.

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