By Mons. George Frendo O.P.
We need an alarm clock to wake up, to get up, and to see the symptoms of society’s diseases. And let us ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and seeing these symptoms let us ask: What is God asking of us here and now, in this situation and in this moment? Let us be bold and give an answer to this question.
In 1992 a crime took place in England that shocked the whole of English society: a two-year-old boy was brutally murdered. And who were the killers? Two ten-year-old boys. I read a very interesting article by a psychologist: “How can a ten-year-old boy become a killer?” Two sociologists have gone to their families. One came from a family of six children born to six different men. The other came from a family who, during the year, had seen about two hundred videos of violence or pornography at home.
Shortly after the assassination, Cardinal Basil Hume and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, two “prophetic” voices of English society at the time, called for a royal commission to investigate the causes of the society’s violence. But their request was ignored. In an interview with The Independent in London, Cardinal Basil Hume, referring to the assassination, commented: “A society that suddenly sees itself in the mirror and does not like what it sees on it, or will shrug its shoulders and leave, or focuses ask itself: Why?”
This is the great tragedy of today’s society: because it lacks the courage and honesty to ask itself: “Why?” There is a sense of fear in this question, as it is an unpleasant question. It is precisely the fear of answering this question. And when a society does not search for the ‘Why’ of its wounds, then it does not want to be healed of these wounds.
Which are the causes of this moral decadence in society? Why this horrible increase in crimes: murders, suicides, thefts, physical violence, drugs? Why this increase in sexual abuse of minors as well? Why this increase in cases of adultery and divorce? Do we dare to ask about the causes? Do we understand the negative role of pornography that is so prevalent in movies, on television, on the Internet, on Facebook, and in daily newspapers?
The media represents new models for life. They are not saints, nor great thinkers, nor heroes. They are the screen people, young men and women seen in “Big Brother”, sexy girls and boys. The media present the second marriage after divorce as more successful than the first marriage, and the third marriage as happier than the second marriage. The ideal marriage, for the means of communication, is the marriage that experiences the luxury of wealth, where sex and money take precedence over love that is gained through sacrifice. A life without any moral norms, which is open to sexual promiscuity (sexual mixture), abortion, etc.
Christianity presents us with different heroes: people who have sought the truth, lived for the truth, some have even died for the truth. Christianity also presents us with various role models, people who are committed to improving society like St. Mother Teresa and Chiara Lubich; or people who have found a different path to happiness, a different path from the path of pornography and sex, from the path of drugs and wealth. I have known many families with many children who lack the luxury we see in wealthy families, yet they never lack the smile.
Let us show the world the way to happiness, because Jesus called happy those who are poor in spirit, meek, hungry for righteousness, and even those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. /argumentum.al
