The thirty-first
of January is eventually here, and Brexit day has arrived. The day, that many
of us thought would be deferred indefinitely has come and Britain formally breaks
with the European Union. A lot of ink has been spilt about the various
pros and cons of Britain leaving the European Union. I do not want to repeat
the arguments here one way or another. What interests me, and what I think has been all
too frequently overlooked is the spiritual dimension to this whole debacle.
Again, I’m not wishing to comment on the actual act of Brexit, but rather the
role and behaviour of Christians, and Catholic’s in particular in light of our Brexit-reality.
I have been struck in recent weeks and months by the polarization and quite
frankly the venom in which people have treated and spoken to each other on both
sides of the Brexit debate. Social media it seems, has been utilised to create
panic-narratives about what Britain will look like if and when we leave the EU.
What is striking is the lack of basic charity with which people treat others
who have an opposing view. Both sides, have been guilty of demonising the other.
What is more, it appears (at least from my social media feeds) that many Catholics
and other Christians have been guilty of this behaviour as well. The run up to
the general election seemed to exacerbate the poisonous attitudes either side
of the Brexit debate. Whether one is a Brexiteer
or a Remainer is not really issue. My concern is that in the heat of debate people
have forgotten their common humanity and amongst Christians, their common
baptism.
The Catholic Church is unique amongst Christian churches in
that it is not a national Church, but a universal Church whose members are incorporated
into its body through the waters of Baptism. Furthermore, the source and summit
of Catholic faith, life and worship is the Mass, the central component being: Holy
Communion. Communion is everything. The
word Communion comes to us via Latin roots and means amongst other things: “participation
in something; that which is common to all, union in religious worship, doctrine
or discipline. Also, from Old French Comunion – [meaning] community,
unity, fellowship - mutual participation, sharing.” (From the Online Etymology Dictionary)
Communion is the key to unlocking the Catholic faith. A
Catholic is Baptised and Confirmed into the Communion of the Church. When a
Catholic receives Holy Communion he or she is publicly professing full-communion
with all the members Catholic Church on earth, in purgatory and in heaven. This
sacramental communion is a deep union with Jesus who is personally present in
his Body, Soul and Divinity in Holy Communion. For a Catholic, the reception of
Holy Communion should ratify this communion with God and neighbour but it also
does something else, it demands of the person receiving Communion to become a
person of communion, and agent of communion if you will, within the context of their daily lives. This is why we are ‘sent out’ at the end
of Mass. In Holy Communion we become what we receive, and we are sent out, nourished
by God, with God, to transform the world around us. In our consumerist culture there is danger of
a consumerist attitude towards our faith, and when this occurs we can treat the
Eucharist in the same consumerist way and forget this profound truth: That Holy
Communion makes demands of us!
“Community, unity, fellowship – mutual participation” – whatever
happens in our country post-Brexit, this is what our divided and polarised country
needs and Catholic Christians have an important role to play. My prayer is that
as a Church in Britain, we will remember our call to communion and work hard to
build God’s kingdom amongst all people whatever circumstances life (and government!)
throws at us. I pray that we can learn to disagree with each other well.
I believe that people generally want the best for our country
and our common home - we may have
opposing views about how this can come about but our shared goal at least, is a
shared hope and a point of unity.
As Catholics my prayer is that we become ever more a people
of communion in our workplaces, homes, schools and families. The world needs us
to be the people that we profess to be and the saints that God calls us to be,
so let’s get on with it!
Finally, paraphrasing St Paul, I pray that we remember that:
there is neither Remainer nor Brexiteer, neither Labour nor Tory, nor is there
Right or Left, for we are all One in Christ Jesus. Amen.