As new strains in the political relationship between the United States and Europe has brought them to the brink of unraveling, the relationships between the Catholic bishops on both sides of the Atlantic are becoming more united. This stronger-than-ever bond will help to minimize the fraying rapport.
For instance, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a pullout from the Paris climate change agreement, it drew a stern (and unusually unified) reaction from Germany, France and Italy. The bishops influenced this united approach.
Other factors leading the tension involve a difficult collision at the G7 with Chancellor Angela Merkel, prompting the German leader to say that since Europe can no longer count on the U.S. and Great Britain, it’s time for Europeans to take their destiny into their own hands — for all intents and purposes, a declaration of independence.
Also, the Brexit vote in the U.K., coupled with the election of a new U.S. commander in chief whose mantra is “America first,” didn’t seem to bode well for international cooperation either.
While politicians on either side are drifting apart, Catholic bishops are coming closer together on at least three key fronts — anti-Christian persecution, especially in the Middle East, immigration, and the culture wars (which the Europeans have already settled and with which the Americans are currently grappling).
The urgency of anti-Christian persecution has substantially reduced the gap in perspective between the American and European bishops who share the same political diagnosis of the Syrian conflict, no longer squabble over differences over regime change or other divergence of perspective.
For essentially two hundred years, American bishops were pro-immigration, largely because immigrants settling in the U.S. were Catholic. The bishops in Europe have been traditionally skeptical due to Muslim migrants, who do not assimilate well. But the bishops today see a larger share of Christians arriving in the continent, including large communities from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna sees signs of hope for the Catholic faith in Europe through, Christian (Catholic) immigration. “We have a variety of immigrant communities coming from all over the world, from China to Latin America,” he said. “They are bringing in much new fervor, new ferment, new life into the life of the local Church.” Clearly, the strong leadership of Pope Francis in defense of migrants and refugees augments this trend.
Lastly, the American Bishops will focus on creating and defending spaces for people of faith to dissent from the leftward cultural shift, not the substance of that shift. This will narrow the difference between the two sides because this has been the approach of the European bishops for a long time.
One last factor bringing American and European Catholicism together, it would be Pope Francis. His vision is the same for both regions, calling them to a greater sense of responsibility for the peripheries. For the pope, Europe and the U.S. have a common vocation.
This Catholic convergence will, to some extent, hold Europe and America together in a time when political leaders seem determined to drive them apart. That’s because they are both intimately involved in the political and cultural discussion in both places. The ecumenical movement has also brought the Evangelical Churches together in both regions of the world. It’s striking that at least in Catholic terms, the Atlantic alliance seems healthier than ever. This will ultimately aid in uniting both sides against God’s true people who live by all of the Ten Commandments.
“By this first beast [Revelation 13:1-3 is represented the Roman Church, an ecclesiastical body clothed with civil power, having authority to punish all dissenters. The image to the beast represents another religious body clothed with similar power. The formation of this image is the work… of the United States. Here is to be found an image of the papacy. When the churches of our land, uniting upon such points of faith as are held by them in common, shall influence the State to enforce their decrees and sustain their institutions, then will Protestant America have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy. Then the true church will be assailed by persecution, as were God’s ancient people.” The Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4, page 277.