Florida Bishop Erik T. Pohlmeier provides three helpful strategies for uniting Catholics amid growing ideological divides.How can we foster unity in the Catholic community?
On this episode of The Catholic Talk Show, Florida Bishop Erik T. Pohlmeier joins hosts Ryan Scheel, Ryan Dellacrosse, and Father Rich Pagano to explore strategies for uniting Catholics amid growing ideological divides.
1. Fostering Fraternal Bonds
The first step towards unity involves acknowledging each other as siblings in Christ.
"The first and most basic way is to look at the other person truly as a brother or sister... Seek the good for them genuinely, even when there is a difference of opinion about certain things," Bishop Myers insists.
Recognizing this shared pursuit of goodness serves as our common foundation.
2. Unraveling Christ's Dual Nature
Secondly, understanding and accepting the paradox of Christ's full divinity and humanity aids our spiritual journey, influencing our worship and social interactions.
Bishop Myers enlightens us about the faith's dual aspect: vertically towards God and horizontally towards our community.
"The mass is an opportunity for both. We are called to engage the Divine God who meets us at the altar but also to recognize in our brothers and sisters that we are this body of Christ," he explains.
This balanced perspective is a compass, directing our spiritual growth.
3. Navigating Sensitive Topics with Compassion
Lastly, we must approach sensitive subjects like abortion with empathy and understanding.
"I will never bring up abortion without bringing up an invitation to those who have suffered abortion," Father Pagano shares.
This sentiment highlights the necessity for compassion when participating in potentially divisive conversations.
Despite our ideological differences, our shared Catholic faith remains the central force.
Bishop Myers poetically conveys, "Our goal is not only the good of society. Our goal is to help move individual people within society toward their real goal toward the life of Heaven, eternal life that they were made for."
The guy’s discussion on navigating contentious topics serves as a reminder of our shared identity as followers of Christ.
Bishop Myers cautions, "Every time I lump a fellow person of faith into that secular category because I look at them as either politically liberal or conservative, I fail to see them in the gospel."
Watch the full episode below: