May 9: Catholicism in America

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader Podcast. Today is May 9th, and our story is Catholicism in America. When the French statesman Alexis de Tocqueville arrived in the United States on May 9, 1831, his mission was to examine the American penitentiary system on behalf of the French government. He did that and more, eventually writing a detailed account of his travels through America and his observations of the fledgling nation.

Published in two volumes, in 1835 and 1840, as Democracy in America, de Tocqueville's account touches on nearly every aspect of early American life, from economics and politics to religion and the slave trade. It also includes the devout Catholic's thoughts on how his church was faring in the United States.

In words that offer insight even today, he wrote, America is the most democratic country in the world, and it is at the same time the country in which the Roman Catholic religion makes most progress. At first sight, this is surprising.

Two things must here be accurately distinguished. Equality makes men want to form their own opinions, but, on the other hand, it imbues them with the taste and the idea of unity, simplicity, and impartiality in the power that governs society. Men living in democratic times are therefore very prone to shake off all religious authority. But, if they consent to subject themselves to any authority of this kind, they choose at least that it should be single and uniform.

At the present time, more than in any preceding age, Roman Catholics are seen to lapse into infidelity, and Protestants to be converted to Roman Catholicism. If you consider Catholicism within its own organization, it seems to be losing. If you consider it from outside, it seems to be gaining. Nor is this difficult to explain. The men of our days are naturally little disposed to believe, but as soon as they have any religion, they immediately find in themselves a latent instinct that urges them unconsciously towards Catholicism.

Many of the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church astonish them, but they feel a secret admiration for its discipline, and its great unity attracts them. de Tocqueville's observations highlight the appeal of faith rooted in consistency, discipline, and depth.

Even amid democratic ideals and personal independence, humans seek spiritual anchors. In modern America, as in the 1830s, how we live our faith and embody its principles can influence society and invite others to explore the beauty and truth of Catholicism.

Identify one way you can make your faith visible this week through words or actions. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader Podcast. Join us tomorrow, May 10th, for another story of faith and courage in America.