why else would people of a Christian culture turn to the East and to pagan practices?
My guess would be that many lay people found the preconciliar Church inadequate to address some of the spiritual needs. Many Catholics have gone beyond Roman traditions to discover iconography, Taize, or other elements one can find in the Orthodox or Reformed traditions. Exterior works of charity, in the Christian context, are most often the product of self-reflection, personal generosity, sacrifice, and the desire to make a difference. My point is that every age has its spiritual longings. Augustine described the human condition of longing for God–not something unique to him. I don’t see the point of Archbishop Chaput saying our age is any needier or spiritually improved than a past age. The comparison invites either narcissism or a triumphant I-told-you-so. Either is a distraction from the point: the modern age, as every age, does not live up to its potential. Reply love the girls Says: 31 March 2009 at 1:41 pm Todd writes : “My point is that every age has its spiritual longings. Aug
