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One perspective on history of the marriage crisis
Two centuries ago, British philosopher and statesman Edmund Burke famously warned that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. With science, technology, engineering and mathematics understandably becoming such a prime focus in education, I worry that our society has lost sight of Burke’s admonition. And that’s a dangerous thing. Ever try driving without a rearview mirror? Or navigating busy streets in the midst of a blinding dust storm? I hope not.
To know where you are and understand where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been. You have to know what came before. History: You better believe it matters!
These thoughts flood my mind lately because over the last few months, The Catholic Sun staff has been working diligently on an upcoming special edition that will focus on the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of Phoenix. As part of that effort, I was tasked with writing about family life in the diocese over the last 50 years, a period that encompasses practically my entire life, all of it here in our diocese.
As is sometimes said in journalism, “I was too close to the story” — meaning, when you’re caught up in something, you are sometimes blind to seeing it in context or dispassionately. You have to take a step back and look at things through new eyes.
Much good has been done in the way of catechesis, marriage preparation and enrichment in our diocese over the last 50 years. Our marriage and family support programs are stronger than ever. We have much to be thankful for. And yet, we have to understand the time in which our diocese was born and what the social and cultural atmosphere was in 1969 and how it affected us.
One of the first things I noticed in my investigation was that the Phoenix Diocese was founded just three months after what President Ronald Reagan once described as one of the biggest political mistakes he ever made.
As governor of California in September 1969, with the flourish of a pen, he made no-fault divorce the law of the land in that state.
Read more at Catholic Sun.
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