Msgr. Pope on the Stages of Persecution

"With the recent article in The Atlantic linking the Rosary to extremist gun culture we see a gross misunderstanding in the nature of spiritual warfare and its true target, Satan. The rosary is a weapon, but a spiritual one. . . .

"With this incident, we do well to review the stages of persecution.  The term 'stages' is particularly important in the U.S. because it is rare for a previously respected segment of the population to become reviled overnight. The typical process is that the descent progresses in stages that grow in intensity. In this way, the Catholic Church, once an esteemed institution in America (along with other Christian denominations), has become increasingly marginalized and now even hated by many. It may help us to consider the five stages of persecution because it seems that things are going to get more difficult for the Church in the years ahead."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the stages of persecution, including stereotyping the targeted group, vilifying the targeted group for alleged crimes or misconduct, marginalizing the targeted group's role in society, criminalizing the targeted group or its works, and persecuting the targeted group outright.

To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:

Community in Mission: Stages of Persecution (17 AUG 22)