Cardinal Wuerl - Pastoral Letter on Catholic Identity

Now and then I run across a gem. This is one. Cardinal Wuerl of the Archdiocese of Washington released a pastoral letter on Catholic identity. Though it is intended for the people of his diocese, it is of extreme value to all of us. I have not read the entire document yet, but it sounds great. Here is a link to the document in pdf. You can save it, or print it:
http://www.adw.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Being-Catholic-Today-Pastoral-Letter.pdf

To whet your appetite:

“Recent years have now seen various efforts by federal and local governments to obstruct or limit our ability as Catholics to live out our Gospel mandate.”

“Where we have crossed a very significant fault line is the latest campaign to denigrate as ‘bigoted’ or ‘mean-spirited’ those who do not embrace the new social order.”

“The Church does not require others to believe or live by her teaching. But we do insist on the freedom to do so ourselves and to ensure that those who share in the ministry of our institutions also do so. We simply ask that the freedom of Catholics to be Catholic be respected.”

“The Church is not the result of like-minded people coming together and deciding to form an organization, nor are her moral teachings decided by popular vote or societal trends.”

“The Catholic Church is not a mad-made institution at all. Her origins are found in the will and actions of Christ.”

“To be a Catholic is to recognize the role of the Church as the very means created and given to us by Jesus so that his work, accomplished in his death and Resurrection, might be represented in our day and applied to us.”

Cardinal Wuerl laments the “limited and even contrived version of our faith that some people hold.”

“Catholic institutions should be distinguishable from secular ones.”

I encourage everyone to read this document. It is an easy read.

Blessings.