The Catholic Church
– a moral point of reference for humanity
The Catholic Church I want to begin this article with an invitation to focus our attention on these words of Jesus:
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub;
they put it on the lamp stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in people’s
sight, so that, seeing your good works, they may give praise to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)
Simeon reminds us that Jesus is “a light to enlighten the nations” (Luke 2:32); for his part Zechariah refers to the Lord as
“the Rising Sun who has come from on high to visit us, to give light to those who live in darkness and in the shadow of
death” (Luke 1:78-79).
And so, He who is “light” and “the Rising Sun” appoints us as “light of this world”, calling us to a mission that requires
courage, consistency and fidelity.
The darkness of despair, moral relativism and sloth are covering the whole world and all of humankind is experiencing
the effects of their presence among us.
In the course of history we have “evolved” in different areas: we organize ourselves as societies, we define the principles
of law and of justice, and thanks to scientific progress we have learned how to combat diseases.
However, at the same time we have distanced ourselves from God and bit by bit we “discover” that faith is merely
superstition, and that religion is of no use if one really wants to find happiness.
This supposed evolutionary journey has led to a negligent neglect of what is essential. We forget what is really and truly
important, losing sight of the moral principles that govern our existence.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola tells us: “Man is created” (Ignatian Exercises 23); if we take these words in a non-religious
context we can reach the following conclusions:
• I am a being: I exist, I am a reality and my existence changes the existence of my environment.
• My being does not come from myself: I did not take the decision to exist; I did not choose the moment of my
existence; I am not aware of how the world was prior to my existence.
• My being comes from a superior being: There has to be a being that made the essential decisions of “my being”;
that is someone who will make the vital decisions for my existence, decisions that were not made by me.
When we subject these truths to a deeper analysis, we discover that the journey of progress is taking us towards our own
destruction: wars and hatred are clear proof of what it means to live without God.
The Catholic Church has the responsibility to open the doors of paradise to the millions of souls that have lost their way
in this world; the Lord has given to us the grace to be called and He gives us everything we need to be able to respond to
that call.
This is a time of grace in which Jesus purifies His Church and He invites us to work together; it is time to unite the diverse
charisms that the Holy Spirit has bestowed both individually and as community, and to put into action all of our good
intentions.
We have to turn our attention to the poor, to those who are sad, to the oppressed, to the defenseless, because Our Lord
lives in them. In the same way it is time to raise our voices, to proclaim the truth with courage, but above all, it is time to
bring joy once more, a joy that seems to have been lost in the midst of much confusion.
Finally, I want to invite you to pray sincerely, to perfect our relationship with Christ, from whom all good comes.
To Him be honor and glory forever and ever.
Mr. Gilson Freddy Roncon
Segretariato Generale, Unione dell’Apostolato Cattolico
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Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti 204, 00187 Roma, Italia uacgensec@gmail.com
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