France has been called ‘the eldest daughter of the Church’, and her indispensable and providential role in the history of Christendom looms large indeed. The Church is almost as much ‘French’ as she is ‘Roman’. That eldest daughter has become the prodigal daughter, wandering far from the Faith, from the Revolution to the present day, instantiating into law secularism, hedonism, and, two years ago, writing a right to abortion into her Constitution. The Faith seemed dead, or at least moribund.
Yet, to paraphrase Dr. Livingston, reports of the Faith’s demise have been somewhat exaggerated. From what we have seen of Pope Leo’s current visit to the country, Christian belief of some kind, even if it be a dimly burning wick, is still alive and well. Over a million people lined up to see the Vicar of Christ in Paris on Saturday upon his arrival, and throngs gathered to hear him in Lourdes on Sunday. Even if only 1% of them are practising Catholics, that’s still 10,000 people, who may influence 10,000 more to enter the Church, or rediscover their latent Baptismal grace.
The Pope’s homilies on have been not only orthodox, but full of apostolic vigour – to keep the faith and uphold the dignity of human life, especially when it is weakest and most vulnerable, as he exhorted at Lourdes. He has emphasized the Christian roots of Europe.
Yes, there are still problems, and every Pope has his limitations, as do we all. I’m not on board with climate zealotry, even if in the current pontificate it seems somewhat more muted than the last one. There’s also the continuing effect of Traditionis, and its apparent contradiction to Summorum, with little resolution in sight. Then there’s the Vatican’s ongoing support for untrammeled illegal immigration – which so often means legions of Muslim men of military age, with no love for the Church or Christian civilization, nor for her moral laws. That dimly burning wick is in proximate danger of being extinguished.
Yet the Church, even in the midst of all the imperfections and limitations of her earthly dimension, is still truly the Bride of Christ, whose voice goes out through all the world, ever ancient and ever new, preserving her Tradition and the Truth, adapted to each age and era and people. Grace does abound, especially when it seems darkest.
