A Sign of Contradiction

In such a fashion as to cause consternation in circles both ad intra and ad extra:

...American (and I think European) elites realize once again that they can no longer count on the Church to endorse what “everybody” knows and to favor what “everybody” wants. The Church has ceased to be a reliable ally, and it is instinctively understood that this can only get worse—that the Catholic Church is slowly gearing up for a fight to take back its own.

Those of us who were in the trenches when the Church was loved by the culture have always known that pro-Catholic sentiment would change as soon as the Church became strong enough to be a cultural threat again. Well, now she is strong enough to be a threat—or strong enough, at least, to be a sign of contradiction. You can see the results. Everywhere she is misreported, mocked, dismissed and condemned. Once again, Catholics need not apply. But given what it signifies, this shift back to blatant anti-Catholicism is really a very good thing. It is enormously reassuring, and it inspires hope.