The allure of Catholicism: Substance behind pomp and circumstance
TORONTO – I think “they” should have opened the doors for all to experience. At a time when even [previously] observant Catholics appear to whiter in the vine, I saw an expressive feature of why the Universal [Catholic] Church is the biggest organization in in the world, transcending differences of any and all kinds. Add the qualifiers of choice and currency, there is nothing more inclusive.
That said, it is also true that human nature’s great challenge is to develop the balance between “feeling accepted while feeling special”. Politically different, often competing, philosophies develop “citizenship” on that basic principle and proceed to structure rituals and rites to reflect them. Many are called but few are chosen, or so the saying goes.
In a pretentious moment, I would hazard a personal reflection that being chosen carries an obligation to serve. To our collective advantage, there are still those who aspire to serve… as per the Message of Cardinal Leo delivered at the investiture as Dames and Knights in the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in Canada (Toronto). I paraphrase: first, holiness of life – even with its imperfections; second, love the land of our Lord; participation [involvement, activism] in the local needs of the Church.
In Canada, now more than ever, Catholicism, even when it manifests in the most positive fashion, requires steadfastness of purpose. The investiture ceremony, on the eve of the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, considered by many to be the most iconic “Christian soldier”, reminded everyone of how the central purpose today expresses itself – through education.
That goal is not easily met, whether in Ontario schools or in the lives lived by schoolchildren in Gaza. The new knights and dames have a tough row to hoe. For Gaza, they announced an additional donation of $175,000 to that raised last month to meet commitments to educational goals nurtured by Cardinal Pizzaballa for the Catholic children in Gaza. School Boards in Ontario wish they could have similar champions.
Here below, a photogallery from the ceremonies – photos for Corriere Canadese by Anna Iafrate
