Msgr. Pope on a Recent Pastoral Letter from Cardinal Wuerl

"Recently Cardinal Donald Wuerl wrote a pastoral letter to the Archdiocese of Washington setting forth the need to be clear on our Catholic identity. It is entitled Catholic Identity in an Age of Challenge.

"His essential message is that in an age of conflict and challenge we must be clearly and comfortably Catholic. In the introduction, he states that he does not refer to a merely superficial identity, but rather to an identity that is essential, enduring, and true. We must talk about the identity we receive in Baptism. It cannot be taken away from us.

"For indeed there are many who would pressure us to be less than fully Catholic, or bid us to seek our identity in other sources. We cannot do so if we are to remain faithful to the call we have received."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on Cardinal Wuerl's pastoral letter and on our call to be wholly, entirely, and integrally Catholic, proclaiming the faith the Lord has given us in its entirety, charitably, but without compromise.

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

Community in Mission: The Challenges Are Many but the Charge Remains the Same: Be Authentically Catholic - A Reflection on a Pastoral Letter of Donald Cardinal Wuerl (15 SEP 15)