I love the idea of Christendom, of a civil society that is imbued with the principles of Christianity and where the sphere of the Church is respected and valued as equally as the sphere of the state.
Europe is living its last days as Christendom. There is not much left of the marvelous dynamism that there flourished for centuries, and, at this point, all that remains is the vague notion of a European identity embodied by the European Union. I am beginning to wonder, however, if we are not witnessing the first days of a new Christendom, a new flowering of culture and continental identity leavened by the principles of Christianity. I think we are, and I think it’s happening in Africa.
The political and civil societies in most African countries look very much like those of the nascent European countries following the decline and collapse of the Roman Empire. They are marked by warring tribes and disarray and corruption and many many martyrs. But, as in Europe, the blood of the martyrs are the seeds of the Church, and the Church is exploding in Africa. The African bishops just concluded another synod, after having their first one ever in 1994. That’s an awful lot of synods in just a few years. But, these synods are necessary to keep abreast of the almost feverish pace of converts entering the Church and young men and young women with vocations to religious life entering seminaries and monasteries and convents. Here are a few statistics for you: from 1994 to 2007, the number of priests increased by 49%, seminarians by 44%, lay missionaries by 94%, and Catholics by 60%, while the general population only grew by 30%.
It is an exciting time. It looks like the growth of the early Church in France and Ireland and Germany, where brave missionaries risked their lives to bring the Good News of freedom to peoples who lived in darkness. And, as those barbarian tribes became Christian, their political and civil societies began to change, incorporating principles from this new religion which offered a new worldview and philosophy. Marriage became a valued civil institution and one in which women were protected. Children were no longer in danger of abortion or infanticide. The violence of vendetta was slowly curtailed. The two spheres–civil/political and ecclesial–were separate, though from time to time one tried to rule the other; usually, it was the political sphere trying to manage the Church, though sometimes enterprising Churchmen tried to control kings (bad idea).
And, it appears to me that the same is beginning to happen in Africa. Yes, civil/political society in most countries is a mess. But, as the Gospel permeates the lives of African citizens, it will begin to permeate their social and political institutions, too. And, I think we will stand back and marvel at the beauty of the art and music and architecture that begins pouring forth from this culture vivified by Christianity. Because, truly, there is nothing more beautiful than human culture leavened and brightened by the Gospel.
I had the pleasure of visiting several countries on the west coast of Africa for months at a time throughout my early career – and had the pleasure of attending mass there. I must say that I found the extremes you refer to in your post: on the one hand a lawlessness, witchcraft, and inhumanity that most westerners don’t believe exist any more – and on the other, a faith and devotion by some believers that is undiluted. It was not uncommon to walk into a church and see people laying prostrate, face-down, on the dirty floor in adoration. May the Lord give us the strength to foster the latter without the former here in the States…