Many reasons justify a sense of shame: possessing stolen goods, lying to your friends, cheating at cards, taking credit for something you did not do, dishonoring your parents —the list goes on. But there is one reason not to feel shame, and that is for being a Catholic. 

However, there are false reasons for attaching shame to being a Catholic. It is important to spell these out so that their flimsiness becomes more apparent and less credible. 

The first is that being a Catholic is to belong to a minority. According to recent statistics, 20% of Americans are Catholic, but how many of them practice their faith to a greater degree? The majority is said to rule, but there is nothing in being a member of a majority that makes one superior.  

“The majority is always wrong,” said the Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen. The majority can be complacent, dominating and narrow-minded. There is nothing inherent in being a member of a majority that justifies looking down on others. Furthermore, the majority is unstable. The pagan majority in ancient Rome gave way to a wave of Christians. 

Secondly, Catholics seem odd because they believe in things that are said to be unbelievable. We think of the mystical body, the Holy Trinity, the Virgin Birth, miracles, the act of forgiveness, and Christ being truly present in the Eucharist. Human history, however, is filled with episodes of the unbelievable passing into not only the believable, but the acceptable.  

The atom, flying to the moon, supersonic speed, the existence of microbes, recording human voices, and countless other phenomena were all considered at one time or another to be unbelievable. But all these un-beliefs quietly passed into everyday life because some courageous and enterprising members of a minority brought them into being. 

In 1 Corinthians (4:10), St. Paul proclaims, “We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ.” In the eyes of the world, Catholics, indeed, can appear to be rather foolish. They are unselfish and would die for a friend, and when they are assaulted, they turn the other cheek. Their actions and way of life can make them a laughingstock. And yet, ridicule from the secular world means little to them as long as they are with Christ. Their day of exoneration will come. They have triumph in their pocket. 

Being part of a minority, professing what seems to be unbelievable, and suffering scorn and ridicule from the secular world need not cause shame if one is a Catholic. Shame is a sign that there is some deficiency in one’s faith. 

Another factor that brings about a sense of shame is that Catholics claim that what they profess is the truth. This does not sit well in a world where relativism prevails and is the dominant philosophy.  

Is it not an act of pride to assert that one’s belief is true? Is it not better to keep an open mind and not presume that one is right? It is not a matter of pride or hubris, however, to declare that one knows truth. The mind is made for the reception of truth, just as the eye is made for color. Even if one believes in higher truths, those that God has revealed, this should not be an occasion for pride. A Catholic who believes in the truths of his faith must assume an attitude of humility. Truth does not belong to him as a private possession, but is given to him to share with others.  

Therefore, the Catholic, rather than feeling any sense of pride, should be grateful that he has been given truth that he is obliged to share with others. His claim to know truth should be accompanied by the virtues of humility, gratitude and generosity. In this light, a Catholic should feel honored to be a Catholic. 

There is another temptation for the Catholic to feel shame. It is the sense that he is left out. Catholics are woefully under-represented in elite colleges and universities, and also in high positions of government. Although Catholics do make important contributions in every field of endeavor, Catholics are faced with obstacles that do not block the career paths of many non-Catholics. 

The Aug. 14 edition of The Catholic Report addresses the question of whether we are living in a “No Catholics Allowed Society.” The author, Thomas Doran, believes, “For all intents and purposes, no Catholic perspectives, themes, or ideas are welcome. Increasingly, such perspectives are shamed.”  

An authentic Catholic will be pro-life, pro-God, pro-family and pro-traditional marriage. But he is placed in a world that is pro-abortion, pro-gender change, pro-euthanasia and pro-same-sex marriage. Doran concludes that the “No Catholics Allowed threat is more worthy of Catholics’ attention and commitment than climate change because a No Catholics Allowed worldview degrades the human spirit and human culture.” 

Shame induces inertia. It destroys incentive. The problems that Catholics face in today’s world should arouse Catholics rather than immobilize them. The situation will worsen if action is not taken. The true Catholic is not bigoted or misogynistic or homophobic. He should not allow himself to be slander’s victim.

Rather, he should find confidence in his alliance with Christ and work against seemingly invincible odds to renew the face of the earth. It is a mighty job but one well suited to the real Catholic.