Archbishop criticizes 'new religion of relativism' in media, schools

Published: 2004-01-22

MINNEAPOLIS (CNS) -- Today's culture is marked by a relativism that has become "the religion of the mass media and also of the educational establishment," Boston Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley told some 300 listeners at the national assembly of Communion and Liberation Jan. 19. "Today, we're turning out writers, editors, teachers and managers who embrace this new religion of relativism," he said. "Perhaps our idolatry of freedom has led to the belief that we can all choose our own truth because the truth as an absolute is rejected as too confining, too demanding on the autonomous self." He said, "The crisis is quite complex. We have a crisis of faith; people are prepared to believe almost anything. It's a crisis of credulity. Religion is being reduced to New Age, warm fuzzies, (a) little inner voice, a little ritual. I'm OK, you're OK, even when I'm a wreck." Communion and Liberation is a movement in the Catholic Church founded in 1954 by an Italian priest, Father Luigi Giussani. Popular in Italy, it is also present in more than 70 countries, including the United States.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .