The Church in England and Wales is losing its Catholic identity, Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue of Lancaster said this week.
The bishop challenged both the laity and clergy to re-examine what it means to be Catholic and to return to the “sources of our Catholic identity”.
Bishop O’Donoghue wrote: “I am convinced that if we are to wake from the weariness that is taking hold of the Church in this country we must return to the sources of our Catholic identity and mission to renew our strength and vitality. In this way we will through the grace of the Holy Spirit be in a position to counter the negative and constraining influence of secularism and hedonism that is currently dominating our society.”
“One of the reasons why we are ‘gathered but not sent’ is due to a lack of confidence and knowledge of the Catholic faith. This results from a lack of ongoing formation and trained lay catechists and prayer… our Church often seems inward looking, self-involved and detached from everyday life of our wider communities.
The full text of Fit for Mission? Church can be downloaded at www.lancasterrcdiocese.org.uk
