St. Benedict of Nursia, who introduced the Rule of St. Benedict to a world much in need of spiritual awakening back in the 6th century, is being called on today by many who believe the Catholic church (and the rest of the world) is very much in need of another such awakening. Rod Dreher, an Eastern Orthodox journalist, has been concerned about the "collapse of Christianity in the West" for some time and is now "calling for what he calls 'The Benedict Option.'"
Fr. Dwight Longenecker wrote today at The National Catholic Register, a piece entitled: Is It Time for the Benedict Option? In it, he quotes from the above mentioned Rod Dreher:
Fr. Longenecker, who is also concerned about the "radical shift in Catholicism," offers yet another quote in support of the need for corrective action, from Pope Benedict XVI.“In our time, the Benedict Option does not offer a formula (at least not yet), but it does call for a radical shift in perspective among Christians, one in which we see ourselves as living in the ruins (though very comfortable ones!) of Christian civilization, and tasked with preserving the living faith through the coming Dark Ages.”
“From today’s crisis, will emerge a Church that has lost a great deal. … It will become small and will have to start pretty much all over again. It will no longer have use of the structures it built in its years of prosperity. The reduction in the number of faithful will lead to it losing an important part of its social privileges. It will start off with small groups and movements and a minority that will make faith central to experience again. It will be a more spiritual Church, and will not claim a political mandate flirting with the Right one minute and the Left the next. It will be poor and will become the Church of the destitute.”
