In my home state of Michigan, Lake Superior State University maintains the “List of Banished Words,” those words or phrases that we all wish we would all stop using. I know, right? While “fiscal cliff” is the top pick for 2013 (are we that sick of it only three weeks in?), I think we should nominate a phrase for a papist version of the list: “Practicing Catholic.”
Now, many times the reason a word is suggested for banishment is that we’re sick of its overuse, but “Practicing Catholic” needs to be banished for the same reason Planned Parenthood should be: we find it obsolete and unnecessary.
To say that someone is a “practicing Catholic” means that the person actually believes and behaves as a Catholic should. He accepts Jesus as Lord, goes to Mass, believes in the Real Presence, frequents the Sacraments, prays, tries not to sin, and doesn’t say “and also with you” anymore.
So why the modifier? Because unfortunately there are plenty of “nonpracticing Catholics,” myself included up until a few years ago. For these folks the label “Catholic” means about as much as saying one is left-handed or Croatian or a Pisces: it’s a trait one is born with but doesn’t much affect thoughts or behaviors.
Consider how odd it sounds to describe someone as a “practicing Lutheran,” a “practicing Buddhist,” or a “practicing socialist.” The adjective seems completely superfluous because most of the time when people self-identify as a particular religion or ideology, we presume that they take that religion or ideology seriously and that it impacts their life.
A student interested in law school once joked in my class that “99% of lawyers give the other 1% a bad name;” I know the percentage of “nonpracticing Catholics” is far below 99% and that there are great numbers of “practicing” Catholics today who are truly inspirational in their faithfulness and lives. To get the rest of our team to show up for “practice,” we need to be leaders in prayer, courage, and charity.
“Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.‘” And let your “I’m Catholic” mean “I’m Catholic.”