Vocations and Conversions

There might be a dwindling number of vocations to the priesthood and the religious today, but we are still blessed with our clergy and religious brothers and sisters. Other than the vocations, an area I could think of is the RCIA formation, where I had volunteered as a sponsor. It was a “mission field” for catechists to journey with the candidates. I had no formal training, but I was there to accompany them. There was already a sense of openness and good intentions among the catechumens. But like those of the 17th-century missions, there were factors to navigate in – such as cultures and languages, but this time without the “sword.” With the emergence of technology and Google, more or less, those who came to become Catholics have already been attuned to some of our traditions. I always think that teachers have the patience and courage to do what they do, especially when it comes to teaching religion.  This area is a personal focus to build on.

I must reiterate here that the following are only my insights I thought I’ve understood at that time. All errors are mine.

I’ve already learned that although Luther had not intended, at first, to separate from the Church, he was put off by the practice of selling out indulgences to people who wanted to avoid condemnation to hell. I believe he also questioned the concept of purgatory. There was an effort from the Church to oblige Luther to accept the teachings, but it failed. The Church went ahead, declaring Luther a heretic and was excommunicated. In his beliefs, Luther regarded the Bible as the “ultimate source” of Christian life, and that salvation could be attained solely by faith. The splits in the Church and other sub-splits within the Protestant churches have produced many other denominations. There were the Anabaptists, the first time I’d heard of them, who promoted the re-baptism of adults: the Methodists, the Quakers, the Calvinists, the  Jansenists, the Puritans, and others. It’s interesting to note that all of them came from one Church.

Then there was the counter-reformation that succeeded in a way. The Church would survive over the centuries. I learned in this course that the Carmelites were one of the successful religious orders in the counter-reformation efforts by the Catholic Church. I was aware of the writings of both St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross but did not know that they had lived in an era when Protestantism was on the rise. Other religious orders that actively defended the Church’s teachings were the Franciscans, the Dominicans, the Jesuits, and others who used their unique charisms and identities as resources within the Catholic Church.

Other learnings I gained were the following:

–           the emergence of Baroque art, which centred on emotions and drama expressed biblical themes and Catholic traditions;

–           Pope Julius III initiated the Council of Trent (Tridentine) to prevent greed and careerism within the clergy;

–           The “age of exploration” brought the Faith across the continents and new worlds like China, India, the Philippines, Africa, and North America; and

–           Notable missionaries were the Jesuits Francis Xavier, Matteo Ricci.

According to the Lutherans, only the Bible and faith could bring salvation. The belief in pre-destination was that the people were already free from damnation. It treated everyone as a priest, and only Baptism & Eucharist were the real sacraments. Christ was present in the Eucharist, but there was no transubstantiation; his body and blood were and are in heaven. The Lutherans also believed during those times that the Pope was simply a symbol of unity but not an authority on biblical issues. The celebration of the Mass as a sacrifice had no basis but was only a memorial.

Other disbeliefs were on the concepts of purgatory, indulgence, and the necessity of the vows taken by the religious. There was also a disagreement about celebrating Mass privately, imposing that the congregation should be present. Other beliefs that were said to have had no basis were the exposition of the Tabernacle, the practice of confession, and the use of  Latin as the Church’s official language. Furthermore, the doctrines on Mary and sainthood were rejected. Exposing relics, going to a pilgrimage site, and using religious objects were not part of the Protestant beliefs.

Meanwhile, Calvin believed that God could be known through revelation alone. He also shared the Protestants’ belief on pre-destination but went further to say that a person is naturally corrupt and that good and evil were pre-destined. The reality of an invisible church was also a belief by the Calvinists. Like the Lutherans, Baptism and Eucharist were the only valid sacraments, and the Eucharist was only a memorial, and did not possess Christ’s body & blood. They practiced Presbyterianism as a means to govern and that the state or government should be obliged to promote the Gospel.

Ferdinand of Aragon & Isabella of Castile and the Franciscan bishop of Toledo, Francisco Ximenez, supported the counter-reformation efforts in Spain. The Spanish Inquisition was spearheaded by the  Dominicans & Franciscans to ensure that the former Jews and Muslims were professing the Catholic Faith. The Discalced Carmelites (Teresa of Avila) renewed their dedication to prayer, poverty & penance through one of Avila’s writings, The Interior Castle. Another Carmelite, St. John of the Cross, was also influential through his works, such as The Ascent of Mt. Carmel and The Dark Night of the Soul.

One of the more prominent counter-reformers of the day was the Capuchin Franciscans, that called for the friars to return to simple ideals. The Society of Jesus, another major counter-reformer, which St. Ignatius of Loyola founded, was very influential in the renewal and defence of the Church. Pope Paul III approved The Society of Jesus as a religious order in 1540. Their charism included preaching, giving spiritual direction, being sent out to missions, and giving education through Renaissance humanism that was more focused on future leaders. Later, the works of Peter Canisius on catechism were also of equal value.

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McGonigle, Thomas D. & Quigley, James, A History of the Christian Tradition: From the Reformation to the Present (Paulist Press, 1996). Text used in the course Church History 2 at the University of Dayton’s Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation.

Ignatius Press, 2002. The Ignatius Bible. Kindle Edition.