Modern Means
+ Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney
1 Apr 2007
Recently I heard of a young Christian woman, about to be married, who was scandalized by the refusal of another Christian acquaintance to move in with her fiancé before marriage “How could anyone think like that today?”, she complained.
Unfortunately her view is in the majority among young Australians as 76% now live together before marriage and many others remain in de facto arrangements. But only 30 or 40 years ago most Australians, Christian or otherwise, did not do this.
Why did these changes occur? Is the new style bringing greater happiness and well-being? Many people, including a few misguided Christians, believe that it is especially in their understanding of sexuality that the Christian churches need to move with the times and catch up with society.
If the Church took its nose out of the bedroom would men and women be better off, be healthier and happier? Has there been any decline in the number of marriage breakups, abortions, pregnancies outside marriage, sexually transmitted diseases and youth delinquency since the permissive revolution of the sixties?
Revolutions, like this sexual revolution of the sixties, come rarely and most children remain attached to their personal mixture of parental and teenage values. Traditions are still powerful.
Every living entity is a mixture of change and continuity. But where is the dividing line?
Mainline Christians believe that the fundamental teachings of faith and personal morals remain the same, even when we go deeper, develop the kernels of truth. We are clearer now about the Trinity, Father, Son and Spirit than the ancients were in the first 200 years of Christian history. And we can continue to use contemporary knowledge and technology to understand life more accurately and to spread the good news more effectively.
One example of this is Father Stan Fortuna, a priest from a South Bronx parish in New York City where he works with the poor, suffering and addicted. But he is best known as a bass playing rapper, who uses his music to teach the ancient Christian truths, the liberating message of disciplined love which explains the spread of Christianity through the ages and across every continent.
He acknowledges that rap is now a billion dollar industry, often dominated by violence and vulgarity. What moves Father Stan is not this, however, but the pain lying deeper in many young hearts, which can be cured by the call to love. So he uses rhythm and rhyme to help young people today understand what the Church is saying about God’s providence and Christ’s healing.
He has performed at four World Youth Days and is now touring our Eastern Australian capital cities. On this Sunday afternoon he will perform in front of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney.
All searchers, young or old, believers or unbelievers, are invited to hear the “Irreverend” Fortuna and his rap message of hope.
