1. The Church in the Modern World
20th Century

2. The 20th Century: A Battle for Justice, Peace, Truth
The 20th Century was the bloodiest century in recorded history.
Wars, dictators, and violence
An unprecedented attack on the dignity of the human person
Through all of this, the work of God and His Church is meant to protect the human person, who is made in the image of God
Largely done through the work of the Popes

3. Popes of the 20th Century Leo XIII St. Pius X Benedict XV Pius XI
Pius XII
St. John XXIII
Bl. Paul VI
John Paul I
St. John Paul II
Benedict XVI
Francis

4. St. Pius X ( )
Hard working & devoted to his priests and people
His motto: To Restore All Things in Christ
He vigorously defended the rights of Catholics
“Reforms”
Code of Canon Law updated and new norms for the liturgy established
Religious education encouraged by establishing the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD)
Frequent reception of the Eucharist encouraged and age of First Communion lowered to the age of reason (about 7)

5. Modernism: “Compendium of all Heresies”
Characteristics include the following
Religion is a matter of psychological experience rather than objective truth.
It is fundamentally relativistic.
It believed in the evolution of Church doctrine and structures
Does not recognize that the Bible is inspired (a mere record of human experience)
Pius X condemned modernism, and required all priests to take an oath against modernism.

6. Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922) Reigned during and after WWI
Took care to remain impartial so as to better serve the peace process
Worked vigorously to aid victims and carried on a large-scale charity program for all involved
After Germany was defeated in WWI, Pope Benedict XV tried to heal the damage
He proposed a peace plan, but it was ignored, and he was excluded from the peace process
He warned against the vengeful tone of the Treaty of Versailles and its harsh treatment of postwar Germany.
His advice was ignored by world leaders, so he resorted to encyclicals to express his thoughts
Common theme for the Popes of the 20th Century

7. The Violence Begins: Rise of Soviet Communism
Rooted in the writings of Karl Marx
Millions were killed in the Bolshevik revolution in Russia (1917)
Communists came to power as a result
Starts with Vladimir Lenin, succeeded by Joseph Stalin
Religious persecution was a major element of Communism.
Before 1917 there were 300 Catholic Churches in Russia; after that there were only 2
This is EXACTLY what Leo XIII warned against in Rerum Novarum

8. The Violence Begins: Rise of Soviet Communism
Many who opposed the regime were sent to the gulags in Siberia – some 2.5 million Catholics were said to have been executed
Fr. Walter Ciszek
Meanwhile…in a little town Portugal named Fatima, the BVM appeared to 3 little children and told them to pray for the conversion of Russia
– Benedict XV urged all Christians to ask Mary to pray for peace
– Mary answers Benedict XV’s prayers…

9. Saving Humanity: Our Lady of Fatima
Appeared to 3 little children in Fatima, Portugal: Bl. Jacinta, Bl. Francisco, and Lucia (who just recently died)
They described: “a lady, clothed in white, brighter than the sun, radiating a light more clear and more intense than a crystal cup filled with sparkling water”
Appeared the 13th of every month (May to October)
Asked them to pray the Rosary, suffer for the sake of sinners
Warned them of another great war (WWII), persecutions of the Church and the Holy Father (JPII – )
Oct. 17, 1917 – 70,000 people saw “the sun trembled, made sudden incredible movements outside all cosmic laws – the sun ‘danced’ according to the typical expression of the people”

10. More Violence: Communism Spreads
Besides being persecuted in Russia, the Church was persecuted in Mexico and Spain
During the civil war, leftists and Freemasons attack the Church in Spain
6,832 priests and religious were martyred
“the natural fruit of a system which lacks all inner restraint” – Pope Pius XI
During the rebellion in Mexico the government killed 250, ,000 people, most of them Catholic
Catholics were only restored full rights in Mexico 50 years after the end of the Revolution (1990!)

11. St. Miguel Agustin Pro (1891-1927)
In 1910’s & 1920’s, Revolution broke out in Mexico & (surprise…) the revolutionaries persecuted the Catholic Church
Fr. Pro was a Mexican Jesuit ordained in Belgium
Eluded capture for 18 months, sneaking around in numerous disguises to evade the revolutionary forces
Captured and “convicted” of an assassination plot of the Mexican president (without a trial), beaten for several days and executed by firing squad on Nov. 23, 1927
To discourage the Catholics of Mexico, the execution was photographed to show how cowardly a priest would be when his life was threatened…

12. St. Miguel Agustin Pro (1891-1927)
Given a few minutes to pray, stood up; offered a blindfold, but he refused
Father, I hold nothing against any of these men, you know I am innocent of what they accuse me, and with all of my heart, I forgive them
Rosary & crucifix in hand, he shouted: ¡Viva Cristo Rey!
The photos became illegal to have because it was a rallying cry for Catholics in Mexico
His Catholic funeral was attended by thousands who filled the streets

13. St. Miguel Agustin Pro (1891-1927)

14. Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) Vatican Librarian…
Urged lay Catholics to get involved in their nations
Catholic principles needed to be lived out in the public, especially in the government
Developed social teaching of Rerum Novarum
Not afraid to speak his mind against Hitler & Mussolini
Wrote on Marriage, Christian education of the youth, and especially Catholic Action
Catholic Action was a lay movement developed to help Catholics fulfill their vocation as saints
Why would he focus on such topics?

15. Enemy of Man #2: The Rise of Nazism
Hitler came into power in political and economic turmoil of Germany after WWI
Opposed to the evils of Communism
Trying to solve a problem with the wrong means…
Germany and the Vatican signed a Concordat after he came to power in order to try to safeguard the freedom of the Church.
Signed by Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli (Pope Pius XII)
It gave special privileges to Catholic schools and organizations; in exchange, the Vatican agreed to encourage the German clergy to temper their political resistance to Hitler.
BUT Hitler violated the agreement from the start and began a systematic oppression of the Church.

16. Enemy of Man #2: The Rise of Nazism
Pius XI published an encyclical denouncing the Nazis and this launched an open conflict
None but superficial minds could stumble into concepts of a national God, of a national religion; or attempt to lock within the frontiers of a single people, within the narrow limits of a single race, God, the Creator of the universe, King and Legislator of all nations before whose immensity they are "as a drop of a bucket" (Isaiah). (#11)

17. Enemy of Man #2: The Rise of Nazism
As Nuncio (ambassador) to Germany in 1929, Eugenio Pacelli had this to say about Hitler:
I would be very, very much mistaken in thinking that all this could end well. This man is completely obsessed; all that is not of use to him, he destroys; all that he says and writes carries the mark of his egocentricity; this man is capable of trampling on corpses and eliminating all that obstructs him. I cannot understand how many in Germany, even among the best people, do not understand and are not able to draw the lesson from what he writes and says....

19. Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) Elected Pope on the eve of all-out war
Formerly: Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli
Constantly appealing for peace while Pius XII remained officially neutral
BUT did lots of work behind the scenes
Large-scale assistance for victims & POW’s
1,000’s of Jewish refugees sheltered in Vatican City
Chief Rabbi of Rome Israel Zolli praised Pius XII for his aid to the Jews…and eventually became a Catholic, taking Eugene as his baptismal name

20. Catholicism and WWII
For Catholics elsewhere in Europe, things were much different…
3 million Polish Catholics were executed by the Nazis
Many martyrs recognized for heroism
St. Maximilian Kolbe & St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

21. St. Maximilian Kolbe
A Franciscan priest who founded a group called the Militia of Mary Immaculate
Used Polish press to spread the Faith and encourage Catholics during the war
Arrested for assisting Jews and members of the Polish underground
Executed when he volunteered to take the place of one of the other prisoners
Sentenced to death by starvation in Auschwitz in 1941
For Jesus Christ, I am prepared to suffer still more

22. St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Born a Jew: Edith Stein
A brilliant philosopher and an atheist
Notice the extreme of separating faith and reason, theology and philosophy
After reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila, she was compelled by the Catholic Faith and became a Catholic herself in 1922
Eventually, she became a Carmelite in 1934
Smuggled to the Netherlands in 1938
She was arrested and killed in a gas chamber in Auschwitz in 1942

23. Following the War…
Pius XII declares the dogma of the ASSUMPTION (1950)
Reaffirm the goodness of the human person, unity of body and soul, and our eternal destiny
Soviet Union takes control of eastern Europe
Trying to avoid Communist takeover, Pius XII worked to rally Catholics throughout the West
“Communism is materialistic and anti-Christian” and Communist leaders are “enemies of God, of the true religion, and of the Church of Christ” – Pius XII

24. St. Pope John XXIII ( )
Strong background in universality of the Church and in Church History
Elected at age 76 and was supposed to be a “caretaker” Pope.
The College of Cardinals thought he would be someone who would make few changes
He would bridge the gap between the long reign of Pius XII, and a new (younger) Pope who would guide the Church into the future

25. St. Pope John XXIII’s Legacy
Shortly after being elected he increased the size of the College of Cardinals to make it more international
On January 25, 1959, he announced three new projects
Diocesan synod for Rome
A new Code of Canon Law
An Ecumenical Council

26. 2nd Vatican Council (1962-1965) The 21st Ecumenical Council
The secular world is in “a grave state of spiritual poverty” and the Church is “so vibrant with vitality” – St. John XXIII
The world has lost God and therefore has lost its way…
The Council hoped to demonstrate that the Church was able to meet the urgent, current spiritual needs of the world

27. 2nd Vatican Council (1962-1965) 4 Sessions
Oct 11 – Dec 8, 1962
Sept 29 – Dec 4, 1963
Sept14 – Nov21, 1964
Sept14 – Dec8, 1965
2860 of the world’s bishops attended
Less than eight months after the Council opened, St. John XXIII died
16 documents
4 Constitutions provide the central theological basis and vision for all the others

28. 2nd Vatican Council (1962-1965) St. Pope John XXIII Bl. Pope Paul VI
Bl. Pope Paul VI

29. Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963)
Literally: The Sacred Council
Dogmatic Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
The Liturgy is the source and summit of Christian life
Calls for “full, conscious, and active participation” in the liturgy by all the faithful
Opens the door for expanded use of the vernacular
Why start here?

30. Lumen Gentium (1964) Dogmatic Constitution on the Church
Literally: Light of the Nations
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church
Uses images like Body of Christ, People of God
Reaffirms the hierarchical structure of the Church as well as the equality and dignity of each of the Church’s members
How is this possible?
Reiterates the UNIVERSAL CALL TO HOLINESS
The role of Mary, model of all Christians, described in relation to the Church

31. Dei Verbum (11.1965) Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation
Literally: The Word of God
Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation
Scripture and Tradition are not two independent sources of Revelation, but are intimately linked.
“Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God, which is entrusted to the Church”
No surprise! Teaching what we’ve always taught
Authentic interpretation has been entrusted to the Church’s Magisterium
Also approves responsible use of contemporary scholarly methods for understanding the historical context of Scripture and its literary forms.

32. Gaudium et Spes ( )
Literally: Joy and Hope
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church in the Modern World
A direct response to St. John XXIII’s desire that the Church be more directly at the service of the world.
Treats topics like:
Dignity of the human person in the light of Christ
Causes of contemporary atheism
Nature of the common good, social justice , work, private property, politics, war and peace
Marriage and family
Evangelization of culture
Sanctity of human life
Surprising?

33. Immediate Effects of Vatican II
Liturgical Reform began
New Missal (last one issued when?)
New Liturgy of the Hours
New Code of Canon Law (1983)
New Catechism (1997)
Implementation of theological developments
Especially in area of ECUMENISM – reaching out to non-Catholic Christians to seek “full, visible unity”
Why would this be of importance?

34. Blessed Pope Paul VI (1963-1978)
As priest and bishop, actively involved in work of ecumenism as well as social justice
This would continue in his work as Pope
Saw Vatican II through to completion and worked vigorously to carry out its decisions
Some people misinterpreted it and it led to great disasters
Set up new commissions and structures
1st Pope to visit 6 (inhabited) continents
Perhaps most known for Encyclical “On Human Life” (Humanae Vitae)

35. Humanae Vitae (1968)
Relatively short, but it had the greatest impact of all his documents
Reaffirmed that the use of artificial contraception is intrinsically evil and that the birth-control pill should be considered artificial contraception
He also warned of the evils that would come if this teaching were rejected
Many groups within the Church had pressured Paul VI to reject the traditional morality of the Church
Many thought Humanae Vitae would change the Church’s former position because after all, everything else seemed to be changing

36. Humanae Vitae (1968) EFFECTS OF USING THE PILL:
this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards. …especially the young, who are so exposed to temptation
Careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law
Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? …they may even impose their use on everyone.

37. Humanae Vitae (1968) EFFECTS OF USING THE PILL:
A man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.

38. Response to Humanae Vitae
During the 60’s & 70’s a movement began in the Church to uncritically accept the standards and values of the world
Many old heresies have surfaced again in recent years that have been presented as something new – Card. Ratzinger
Many errors have been taught in the so-called “spirit of Vatican II”
Led to self-destruction of the Church in some places
All this response to Humanae Vitae and Vatican II left Paul VI worn out, making HV his last Encyclical
He remained relatively silent for the last 10 years of his papacy

40. Pope John Paul I (1978)
Took the name John Paul to honor Popes John XXIII and Paul VI
Died of a heart attack in his sleep 34 days after being elected Pope
In case you’re wondering…
Shortest reigning Pope: Urban VII (13 days) – 1590

41. 1978 - The year of 3 Popes Pope Paul VI Pope John Paul I
1963 – 1978
Pope John Paul I
1978
Pope John Paul II

43. Saint John Paul II ( )
The first non-Italian pope in over 450 years
He played an active role at the Council and encouraged the correct implementation of it
Asking the deep questions of life: why are we here, why all the violence, what does the Church have to offer…
He taught against two fundamental threats to Christianity today:
The secular humanism of Marxist Communism
The secular humanism of the consumer society of the West

44. Saint John Paul II (1978-2005) The most traveled pope in history
Had a great hope for the youth and inspired many to holiness
Started the “World Youth Day”
Also, very influential in ending Communism in Eastern Europe
Video

46. Assassination Attempt (5.13.1981)

47. Saint John Paul II (1978-2005) Dozens of Encyclicals
Hundreds of trips throughout the world
A new set of Mysteries for the Rosary
Canonized hundreds of saints
Gave us the Theology of the Body
A beautiful, joyful witness to the Faith for all the world to see
Have more fun than everyone else and show them the fun of being Catholic!

48. “Crisis” in the Priesthood and Religious Life
Not just in the Catholic Church…
Causes (Fishers of Men Video)
General distancing of the world from God
Cannot hear God calling, unwilling to listen
The world is a very loud place
Contraception – breeds a general sort of selfishness
Ignorance, altar girls, fear / lack of trust, etc.
Sexual abuse scandals

49. “Crisis” in the Priesthood and Religious Life
Reality: where the Faith is being lived and the Church is followed, there is no “crisis”
Ex. Nashville Dominicans, Dominicans of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, many faithful Dioceses (ie. Lincoln)
It’s up to you to do something about this

50. Pope Benedict XVI ( )
Present at Vatican II as a personal theologian to his bishop
Formerly the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith & close personal friend to John Paul II
Helping us to encounter the person of Jesus Christ in a reasoned and faithful way
Formerly a professor at Regensburg University – a very smart man
As for the rest, we’ll have to wait and see…

51. Pope Francis (2013-???) Habemus Papam! From Argentina
Formerly: Jorge Mario Bergoglio