Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America

Fr. Carl Chudy, SX
This summer, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will be convening an unprecedented gathering of key leaders from dioceses and Catholic organizations from all across the country in order to assess the challenges and opportunities of our time, particularly in the context of the Church in the United States. The gathering will assemble Catholic leaders for a strategic conversation, under the leadership of the bishops, on forming missionary disciples to animate the Church and to engage the culture.
I will be attending this vital gathering as one of the representatives of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men of the United States. More pointedly, I hope to represent the missionary agenda of the Church that asks us to reach out to the peripheries with the gift of our love and compassion, to solidify and strengthen our dialogue and connection with those of other faiths, and with those with no faith at all. Specifically, I will represent the concerns of interfaith dialogue, particularly with our Muslim friends, as well as dialogue with the non-religious, and the unaffiliated.
Why is Catholic dialogue and solidarity, urged strongly in the Church, so important? The Bridge Initiative, a Georgetown University, research project on Islamophobia, based in the university’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, last September 2016 released a report that sheds light on American Catholics’ views of Islam, and the way Islam is discussed in Catholic publications. This report, “Danger & Dialogue: American Catholic Public Opinion and Portrayals of Islam,” finds that nearly half of Catholics can’t name any similarities between Catholicism and Islam, or say explicitly that there are no commonalities.
The report, which includes survey data on Catholics’ views of Muslims and interreligious dialogue, also reveals that only 14% of Catholics say they have a favorable impression of Muslims. The poll also shows that respondents who consume content from Catholic media have more unfavorable views of Muslims than those who don’t.
In the religiously pluralistic world we live in, Catholics are called by the gospel to reach out to all in dialogue and collaboration. In our divisive times, this mandate is more important than ever. The bishops urge all Catholics to understand that the Catholic response to fundamental terrorism is to double down on our dialogue with our Muslim brothers and sisters, in order to understand more deeply our important relationship in our communities and worldwide.
We must be careful not to slip into the temptation to become a “Catholic island”, in the sea of a diverse humanity without any real connection. We cut off our accessibility to share our faith of love and hope beyond the borders of our own faith, a mission all Catholics are called to. I will be providing the contribution of the Xaverian Missionaries in this regard as we gather with all Catholic leaders.
O Holy Spirit, you who first enkindled in our hearts the joy of the Gospel, renew that same joy in those who are preparing for the Convocation of Catholic Leaders.
Enflame the hearts of our bishops and their diocesan delegations; leaders of national organizations and movements; clergy, religious and laity; all who make this event possible; and Catholic leaders across the United States.  Move us to welcome the word of life in the depths of our hearts and respond to the call of missionary discipleship. 
O Holy Spirit, transform our hearts and enable us to enter into the perfect communion that you share with the Father and the Son.
Mary, Star of the New Evangelization, pray for us. 
Amen.