The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture
Bishop Robert Barron
Categories: Religion & Spirituality
Listen to the last episode:
Parts of the global Church have a very different kind of challenge on their hands than we do in the West: how to handle explosive growth. In many parts of Africa, the Church is running out of room in their seminaries, convents, and monasteries because of rising vocations, and the laity are collectively practicing their faith in ways that put the Church in the West to shame. In Nigeria, upwards of 94 percent of Catholics go to Mass every week, while the U.S. can’t even reach 30 percent in weekly Mass attendance among Catholics.
What explains this wide discrepancy? What are we in the West getting so wrong about evangelization, and what is the Church in Africa getting so right?
A listener asks how she and her family can practice Sabbath rest.
00:00 | Intro 01:50 | DOWR Chancery dedication 03:00 | The African church as a robust exemplar 05:35 | Does Africa’s numerical strength translate to ecclesial strength? 07:12 | Lesson 1: Primacy of the supernatural 10:56 | Lesson 2: Hold fast to theological orthodoxy 12:08 | How the Church engages cultures 16:13 | Lesson 3: Commitment to evangelize the culture 17:49 | The rhythm between “hunkering down” and “diving in” 19:50 | Lesson 4: Praise in public, criticize in private 23:13 | Lesson 5: Courage in the face of opposition 25:19 | Counter-claims for Africa’s religious success 28:49 | Listener question 31:28 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
Show Notes:
- Stats for Nigerian Church attendance: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253488/where-is-mass-attendance-highest-one-country-is-the-clear-leader
- Stats for American Mass attendance: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/12/9-facts-about-us-catholics/
- National Catholic Register article: https://www.ncregister.com/news/same-sex-blessings-and-the-catholic-church-in-africa
- E&C Online article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/pope-francis-isnt-actually-visiting-peripheries-hes-leaving-them-behind/
- Crux article: https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2023/01/running-the-numbers-africa-isnt-the-catholic-future-its-the-present
- Vatican News article: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2023-04/over-50000-christians-killed-in-nigeria-by-islamist-extremists.html
- Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/
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Previous episodes
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470 - WOF 459: Five Lessons to Learn from the African Church Mon, 14 Oct 2024 - 0h
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469 - WOF 458: The Star of the North Congress Address: Part I Mon, 07 Oct 2024 - 0h
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468 - WOF 457: How to Resist Anti-Christian Bigotry Mon, 30 Sep 2024 - 0h
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467 - WOF 456: Bishop Barron at the New Ressourcement Conference Mon, 23 Sep 2024 - 0h
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466 - WOF 455: Should We Worry About Declining Birth Rates? Mon, 16 Sep 2024 - 0h
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465 - WOF 454: Bishop Barron’s NEC Keynote Address Mon, 09 Sep 2024 - 0h
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464 - WOF 453: Nature & the Human Body—Recapping Wonder 2024 Mon, 02 Sep 2024 - 0h
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463 - WOF 452: Bishop Barron’s Homily at the Eucharistic Congress Mon, 26 Aug 2024 - 0h
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462 - WOF 451: Is Christianity Making a Comeback? Mon, 19 Aug 2024 - 0h
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461 - WOF 450: Freedom & Political Order w/ Patrick Deneen—Part II Mon, 12 Aug 2024 - 0h
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460 - WOF 449: Are Reverent Liturgies & Social Justice at Odds? Mon, 05 Aug 2024 - 0h
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459 - WOF 448: Freedom & Political Order w/ Patrick Deneen—Part I Mon, 29 Jul 2024 - 0h
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458 - WOF 447: The Crossroads of Religion & Politics—Part 2 Mon, 22 Jul 2024 - 0h
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457 - WOF 446: Five Animating Sensibilities for Evangelization Mon, 15 Jul 2024 - 0h
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456 - WOF 445: The Crossroads of Religion & Politics—Part I Mon, 08 Jul 2024 - 0h
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455 - WOF 444: Bishop Barron Speaks at Parliament Mon, 01 Jul 2024 - 0h
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454 - WOF 443: How Should We Understand Miracles? Mon, 24 Jun 2024 - 0h
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453 - WOF 442: Dante Ascends the Paradiso Mon, 17 Jun 2024 - 0h
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437 - WOF 426: Democracy and the Catholic Church Mon, 26 Feb 2024 - 0h
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436 - WOF 425: Understanding the Mental Health Crisis Mon, 19 Feb 2024 - 0h
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435 - WOF 424: Freedom and the Disciplining of Desire Mon, 12 Feb 2024 - 0h
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434 - WOF 423: Simply Catholicism is the Answer Mon, 05 Feb 2024 - 0h
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426 - WOF 415: Mind, Meaning, and the Materialists Mon, 04 Dec 2023 - 0h
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