By Gudrun Schultz
SYDNEY, Australia, March 24, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) –Catholics must not respond to the attack of secularism on the Church by withdrawing into small, safe groups, said Dr. Michael Casey, personal secretary to Australia’s Cardinal Pell, in an interview with the Catholic journal Sentinel last month.
“We shouldn’t be content to let the Church get smaller in the hope that it might become purer. Christ came to save many, not just a few.”
“Running up the white flag is not an option that is open to us, and the retreat to smaller, “purer” groups is the consolation of the defeated. It takes more courage to say: we know it’s bleak out there sometimes, but let’s give it a go.”
Dr. Casey, who is associated with the Australian campus of the John Paul II Institute on Marriage and Family, said young people are essential to the Church’s battle against secularism—they hold the task of renewing the culture and society of the West with the resources left to the Church in the teaching of Pope John Paul II.
“Going into a bunker is not an option for young people, who are not usually scared off by challenges. There are challenges and problems, and things can be disheartening and daunting. But if we grit our teeth, stick together, and trust in the Lord, we can have a go!”
The success of any attempt to influence the direction of society depends on the strength of personal prayer and spiritual faithfulness, Dr. Casey emphasized, calling on young Christians to build strong lives of prayer. He encouraged them to follow God’s call fearlessly, without worrying about society’s evaluation of their actions.
“We need good young people in the professions and in the professional organisations, actively involved and engaged. It’s important to keep the development of your faith at a comparable level to your professional development. We all need to keep our prayer life strong, to maintain spiritual reading, and to spend time reflecting on the scriptures.”
Dr. Michael Casey has worked with Cardinal Pell for 10 years. He is a sociologist and Permanent Fellow in Sociology and Politics at the Australian Campus of the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family. Dr. Casey is married and the father of three young children.
See the full Sentinel interview here:
https://www.catholicstudents.org.au/sentinel/casey.php
See LifeSiteNews.com coverage on Cardinal Pell:
Australian Cardinal Pell Calls For “whole new form” of Democracy
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/nov/04111606.html