What patriotism is to country, that loyalty is to Church. Patriotism is devotion to an earthly power, loyalty to the Church is devotion to the kingdom of God on earth. Patriotism shows itself by service and sacrifice for the welfare of one’s country. A patriot does not measure his service to his country by what he must do but by what he can do. He is not content with merely avoiding violations of his country’s laws, but does all in his power to have law and order respected.
If his country needs his services he does not wait until he is forced to come to her aid, but volunteers as soon as he knows her danger. If his country stands in need of his financial aid, he is ready to give it even though it entails great sacrifice.
Moreover, a patriot will not stand by idly if his country is defamed, but will uphold her good name at any cost. Should anything of a nature destructive to his country’s welfare come to his notice, a patriot will do all in his power to ward off the peril.
If, moreover, a project for his country’s good is presented, the patriot will not hesitate to add his support to it. In brief, patriotism consists in voluntarily doing for one’s country what is not of strict obligation. In every nation there are multitudes of people who are not content with doing only what they must do under penalty of fine or imprisonment.
The kingdom of God, Christ’s Church, has her patriots -legions of men and women who desire to show their devotion to the cause of Christ by doing all in their power to advance its interests. First there are the heroic patriots of the Church-not only the great saints who are solemnly venerated, but also that great army of religious men and women who consecrate themselves by vow to service and sacrifice in the crusade which the Church is making for the welfare of mankind both here and hereafter.
Besides this army of consecrated lives there are the countless men and women in every walk of life who by word, deed, and example make the Church better known, served, and loved. These legions of lay people do not weigh their duty by what they must do, but by what they can do.
In the first place, they are faithful to their ordinary duties as Catholics, the observance of the commandments of God and of the Church. Any devotion that does not include a practical Catholic life as a foundation cannot be regarded as loyalty to the Church. Attendance at Mass, due reception of the sacraments, and due support of the Church are taken for granted in every Catholic worthy of the name. The fulfillment of these obligations constitutes the minimum of loyalty to the Church. Without this degree of loyalty a Catholic is rather a detriment than a help to the cause of Christ.
Presupposing, therefore, the observance of the ordinary duties of religion, what distinguishes the loyal Catholic? A loyal Catholic should be well informed on the doctrine and devotions of his Church. Great harm has come to the Church from the religious ignorance of some of her subjects. We do not refer to the ignorance of the uneducated, who on account of circumstances have not had the opportunity of being well informed, but to the ignorance of those who are qualified to be well informed.
There are Catholics who are well informed on nearly every timely subject except their religion. If they are asked about politics, business, the theater, or any other topic of the day, they can give reasonable information on it. But if asked about a doctrine or practice of their Church, they are too often silent or confused, or give an answer that misrepresents Catholicism.
In doing this they not only reflect discredit on the Church, but not infrequently discourage an earnest inquirer from embracing the faith.
Very few non-Catholics come in contact with official Catholicism. They seldom have occasion or inclination to meet a clergyman or a nun. If the Catholic layman does not enlighten them on matters of inquiry, they ordinarily go no further. Loyalty to Church, therefore, implies in Catholics a sufficient knowledge of the teaching and history of the Church to answer the ordinary questions concerning these matters. Any Catholic who has the opportunity of knowing his religion and neglects it can hardly be called loyal to the Church.
A loyal Catholic, besides making himself well-informed about the Church, will also be actively interested in the organizations she sponsors. Not every organization or society appeals to everyone, but in the Church there is a sufficient variety of activities to provide something in which every loyal member can become interested.
Loyalty to country is shown not only by enlisting in her service but also by contributing to her support. Taxes are an obligatory levy on citizens, payable by all alike, but patriotic citizens, besides paying taxes, also contribute voluntarily when their country stands in need of their aid.
The Church appeals not only for enlistment in her activities, but also for support of them, and the loyal Catholic will respond in one way or another. Loyalty to the Church, moreover, includes thinking with her even on matters not strictly of creed. In her wisdom, guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church knows what is for the best interests of the faithful. When, for example, she insists on the necessity of religious education, it is because experience has shown that ordinarily the neglect of religious education in youth leads to the loss or serious impairment of faith in manhood.
Even with all the safeguards of faith the dangers to it are many and great. If one really knows the Catholic religion, one has the best possible equipment for facing the specious objections and alluring inducements of the paganism that characterizes the modern world. Loyalty to the Church means not only highly esteeming religious schools, but also helping to support them. The Church takes a firm stand, not only on the question of Catholic education, but on whatever concerns the family, society, and state. The loyal Catholic will be desirous of cooperating with the Church in her stand regarding marriage, birth control, amusements, vicious literature, destructive communism, and other dangers to Church, family, and society.
Now more than ever the world needs sound principles of creed and conduct. A spirit of modified paganism has possessed the modern world, and will rush it to destruction unless counteracted by the saving truths of revelation. The loyal Catholic will realize that in upholding the Church he is obeying the voice of God, who abides with her and whose voice she is. The Church, like Christ, is the light of the world, and loyalty to her means making the journey of life on the road that leads to real welfare here and eternal happiness hereafter.
It is not easy, of course, to follow the guidance of the light of truth. Human nature is very human. It has its weaknesses and its evil tendencies. Above all it is selfish, and wants to be a law to itself. It balks at Christian restraint, forgetting that even in worldly matters restraint is the law of success. In business, in sports, and in matters pertaining to health restraint is absolutely essential unless one is prepared to lose the desired goal. The most important goal in life is the attainment of salvation. We must be ready and willing to practice restraint for this glorious attainment.
Assuredly, there are conditions when the Church’s laws on divorce, birth control, and other matters make compliance very hard, but service which does not demand sacrifice does not call for loyalty. If a man is unhappily married and has the opportunity of contracting what seems to be a happy marriage, it is not easy to bow to the requirements of the matrimonial bond and renounce what seems to be a happy future. But it is just such compliance with the laws of God that constitutes loyalty. Patriotism often demands from citizens sacrifices that require heroic renunciations. Surely the kingdom of God may expect of its subjects loyalty at least as great as that which citizens give to the state.
Again we must refer to the patriotism of citizens, who to comply with their country’s needs often submit to very severe exactions. If loyalty to the Church made no demands on one’s comfort and income it would not be the splendid virtue that it is. Everyone would be loyal to a cause if it cost nothing. What costs little or nothing, however, is of little worth. Loyalty is of such great value because it sometimes costs much. Kings and rulers munificently reward loyal subjects. Christ, the King of Kings, will surely appreciate loyalty to his kingdom on earth, the Church.
He so loved the Church as to give his life for it. He regards as done to himself whatever we do for His Church. Certainly, if we could do something for Christ in person, we should consider ourselves honored and fortunate, no matter how hard the task. Loyalty to the Church is loyalty to Christ himself, and whenever we are called upon for service or sacrifice for religion we should regard it as a personal request from Christ, as indeed it is.
Today more than ever Catholics need to show loyalty to the Church. All kinds of false and destructive theories seek to undermine not only the Church but civilization as well. These false doctrines are alluringly presented, but if, as loyal children of the Church, we always accept her divinely inspired guidance, we have nothing to fear from them.
The test of loyalty is in the hour of need. Soldiers on parade make an imposing spectacle, but it is the battlefield, not the parade, that shows the brave and loyal soldier. The Church is ever at war with evil. Her children are always exposed to the fire of the enemy. The loyal Catholic will gladly do all in his power that the cause of Christ may triumph.
We know that eventually success will crown the Church’s efforts, but meanwhile it depends on Catholics to keep the standard of Christ aloft. Loyal Catholics are the chivalry of Christianity.