Catechism and the future of Catholicism

I'm offering my perspective on the future of Catholicism over at the Catholic Portal of Patheos. I'm the second commentary on day five of the symposium, so scroll down to find me. I'll get you started here:

Open the Catechism, Open the Heart

When I look at our Church today and imagine it ten, twenty, one hundred years down the road, I see a faith that has been reinvigorated from the inside out, a Church whose members participate out of love, not out of fear.

Far too many cradle Catholics have abandoned the faith of their birth without ever really knowing the heart of it. They look on their religion as crime and punishment rather than mercy and love. They see the individual threads of specific teachings rather than the broad tapestry woven from Scripture and Tradition. The end result is a Church with many members who don’t know enough about their faith to feel fully integrated into the Body of Christ. And if you don’t know your faith or understand your Church, it’s hard to be loyal and easy to walk away. Continue reading...