During Pope Francis' recent visit to the United States, I was inundated with news articles, Tweets, and Facebook posts about the Church, often from people who aren't Catholic. Some of the reporting was quite pitiful, and a few of the Tweets and Facebook posts were inane. One of the most shocking Tweets I read was about the Papal Mass at Madison Square Gardens. The twit asked why they made the Mass a ticketed event when it should be open to anyone who wants to go.

The reasons to restrict attendance at that particular Mass, in that particular venue, are beyond obvious, not the least of which being fire codes. What was shocking was just how poignant Christian animosity towards Catholics still remains today. Not only does it go against the tenants of our shared faith, it comes from a place that refuses to recognize the good that we do and our areas of agreement.

The Catholic Church hasn't had a perfect history, and yet it has still withstood every attack since its founding. While the Church maintains an unbroken line of Apostolic Secession, the Sacraments, the Magisterium, and the fullness of faith, other Christian denominations do share some fullness of the faith. Christians believe in Jesus and agree, in general, on the merits of living based on His teaching.

Both Catholics and Christians are doing good things in the world, and we’re all struggling with sin while we strive to live the life that we aspire to. This reality is something else that we have in common. It's unnecessary for us to have any degree of animosity towards each other. Those ill feelings only distract us from our true mission, which is to share the Gospel with all nations. Let's do a better job of presenting a united front to the world and focusing on doing good works, instead of tearing each other down.

Tags: Current Events Reflections