February 7: A Church Divided

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is February 7th, and our story is A Church Divided. The American Civil War didn't just divide a country, it also divided a church. Some U.S. Catholic bishops stood proudly with the Union. For example, Archbishop John Baptist Purcell of Cincinnati hung the U.S. flag over his cathedral throughout the war.

Others, such as Bishop Martin John Spalding of Louisville, found themselves sympathizing with the South. As the Kentucky natives saw it, slavery was a great moral evil. But abolishing slavery via civil war, he feared, would only lead to more evil.

But how can we free ourselves of slavery without ruining our country and causing injury to the poor slaves themselves? He asked. Those who are in such a way liberated ordinarily become miserable vagabonds, drunkards, and thieves. If Spalding's position before the war was typical of many American bishops, so was his response once war began.

Setting aside his reservations, he committed diocesan resources to the care of families and Union soldiers, even closing St. Joseph's College in 1861 and converting it into a hospital for wounded men. After the Civil War, as Archbishop of Baltimore, Spalding showed equal concern for the devastated South and the former slaves who found themselves with neither home nor work, asking, Can we be held blameless before God if our brethren, whom we are solemnly commanded to love even as ourselves, should perish through our coldness and neglect?

Spalding inspired the Catholics of Baltimore to send thousands of dollars in relief money to the South. He did the same for former slaves, raising funds to feed and clothe those in need, and recruiting missionaries from England to minister to the vastly expanded population of freemen in his archdiocese. As he explained to New York's Archbishop John McCloskey, four million of these unfortunates are thrown on our charity, and they silently but eloquently appeal to us for help.

Shortly after returning from the First Vatican Council in Rome, the 61-year-old archbishop contracted bronchitis. Spalding passed away on February 7, 1872. Bishop Spalding's story shows the challenges of balancing moral conviction and pastoral care. Amid national division, he worked tirelessly to support both the Union and the South's vulnerable populations, embodying love in action.

His commitment to relief, education, and spiritual guidance demonstrates that faith can be a stabilizing force in times of upheaval. Spalding's life teaches that navigating conflict requires discernment, compassion, and courage, emphasizing that the church's role is not merely to judge, but to serve, heal, and protect human dignity. Identify a current conflict in your community or personal life. Take one step this week to offer understanding, aid, or reconciliation.

Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, February 8th, for another story of faith and courage in America.