Ponder these possible headlines:

Homeowner arrested for allowing Bible study in his house.

Catholic Church loses exemption from property taxes based on discrimination.

Law enforcement officials given authority to collect evidence based on Confessions.

Catholic bishop sued for refusing to ordain a practicing homosexual.

State officials to determine how diocesan money is to be spent.

To protect children, an accusation of molestation will be enough to presume guilt of priests.

If you think these are exaggerated or cannot happen here, let me assure you that each of the above is either a law, a proposed law or an actual event.

One does not have to be a prophet to predict what is the probable future of the Catholic Church in the United States … persecution. In fact, it is already in progress. For many years now, groups like the ACLU along with liberal judges have been attacking Nativity scenes, public and private prayer, Christian moral codes and the like. Physical persecution is taking place in China, India, Nigeria, Uganda, Sudan, Iraq, Pakistan and other places. In every case, Government officials are either behind attacks (Sudan) or refuse to do anything about them (India).

Can physical persecution happen in the U.S.?  Certainly it can, and may arise within 5-10 years.  American history has numerous incidents of anti-Catholic activity.  Our Lord told his disciples that the world hated Him, and the world will hate them (and us) because of Him.  The Church has been persecuted from its very beginning (with intermittent periods of relief) while rarely have other Churches or religions been so attacked.

The U.S. has become a secular society, the hallmark of which is to relegate religion and religious practices to the level of the ignored, if at all possible. One may prefer to be religious, but he will be advised to keep it to himself. Religion is to have no role in public society. Thus, God has been banished from the government at all levels, from education, from bio-medical research, from business and the secular media. (The effects have not been pretty.)

Then, too, the Catholic Church claims to have a complete hold on divine truth (as opposed to the partial truth of Protestantism).  A secular philosophy does not approve of this at all because modern society claims that no one can have a monopoly on truth in the non-physical sphere. It denies the very idea of objective truth. Truth becomes little more than opinion, and contradictory opinions are quite acceptable.  After all, who of us is capable of judging another?

The Catholic Church is also contra-cultural. The Church’s moral code is based on divine Revelation and human reason. Contemporary culture bases its “moral code” on consensus and self-gratification. Each one may decide his own moral conduct based on not much more than whim. In any case, who’s to judge?

Persecution of the Church is always inspired and led by Satan and his human agents.

Since the Catholic Church contains irrefutable proof of it doctrines and morals, it is the Church that Satan tries to destroy. Those humans, under the control of Satan, fear and hate the Catholic Church.  If they  were honest and acknowledged the truth of Catholicism, they would have to repent of their merry lifestyles and abandon them … not very appealing.  Better to attack the Church.  (Note that while it is politically incorrect to judge others, it is never out of line to judge the Catholic Church falsely.)

How likely is persecution in a more blatant form? Just recently the Obama regime decreed that Catholic institutions would be compelled to commit sin in order to comply with the latest dictates of this administration. Anti-Catholics have jumped right up to declare that the Church is trying to do damage to women’s health. However, none of the proposals actually involve health. (In fact, if all Americans observed the Catholic Church’s moral code regarding sexuality, think of all the current problems we would NOT have.)

Eventually the ignorant, the disgruntled and the unstable will want to “show these Catholics”.  Can it happen?  The moral level of the U.S. has been declining for a long time, and it is morality and conscience that deter immoral actions. Less morality, less deterrence! The picture is made worse by the huge number of “Catholics” who do not live their faith anymore. Polls have shown that the attitudes of both “Catholics” and non-Catholics in the matter of favoring abortion, same-sex marriage, birth control among others, are about the same. This should not be.

Any solution? Probably not! Of course, there is always prayer for divine mercy, but what reason would God have for granting mercy to this country? He has been outlawed in some quarters. His moral code is treated as a joke.  And, on it goes.

On a personal note… The next presidential election is the most important in U.S. history.  I think it is imperative for the country not to elect Obama again. (My voting registration is Independent.)  The most important possession we all have is life itself.  Obama favors killing fetuses, partially born babies, babies who survive abortion and human embryos.  One who favors killing the helpless for someone’s convenience lacks any normal sense of morality. Since these are all considered sinful by the Catholic Church, no Catholic should even think about voting for a man who endorses so much sin.

I hope I am wrong about the coming storm, but when it passes, and they always do, the Catholic Church will still be there with its doctrines and morals intact. Heaven will gain newly martyred citizens and the Catholics who survive will be Catholics, not “Catholics”.