John Allen on Three Myths About the Church

“I realize this comes a little late, but if anybody’s still on the market for something to give up for Lent, I’d suggest that the following misconceptions about the Catholic church and about Christianity in general would be dandy bits of intellectual junk to cut loose in the spirit of the season.

“Naturally, the venues where these three myths tend to be most deeply entrenched - the secular media, the academy, political circles and so on - are also places where the whole idea of Lenten sacrifice is sometimes a nonstarter. Yet they’re remarkably widespread inside the church too, among people who really ought to know better. If Catholics perpetuate these ideas, it’s hard to fault the outside world for being seduced by them.”

In a recent commentary in National Catholic Reporter, Senior Correspondent John L. Allen, Jr., reflected on some current misconceptions about the Church.

To access Mr. Allen’s complete post, please visit:

NC Reporter: All Things Catholic: Three myths about the church to give up for Lent (2 MAR 12)