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Christianity Crisis in Europe?

By TNC ⋅ June 29, 2010 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Via FoxNews
June 29, 2010 – 6:46 AM | by: Greg Burke

Pope Benedict’s decision to open a new office in the Vatican for the re-evangelization of countries that formerly had a deep and vibrant Christian faith was a startling admission of just how far secularization has gone in what was once known as Christendom.

Benedict made the announcement on the eve of today’s feast of Saints Peter and Paul, invoking the missionary spirit of the apostle Paul.

Pope Benedict referred to the “eclipse of the sense of God” in countries that formerly had deep Christian roots, a reference to what was once most of Europe.

“The process of secularization has produced a grave crisis of the sense of the Christian faith and of belonging to the church,” said Benedict, echoing a theme that has been a hallmark of his papacy.

While he made no reference to the sexual abuse crisis currently rocking the Catholic Church across Europe, Benedict said today that the biggest damage done to the church is the internal weakening of faith and Christian witness among its members, not the external persecutions it has suffered over the centuries.

While the European front may look pretty bleak from a Christian perspective, with church attendance down across various denominations, and the Catholic Church especially weakened because of the abuse crisis, Benedict saw signs of hope.

“Even in the deserts of the secularized world, man’s soul thirsts for God,” he said.