In the June newsletter, Steve shares the remarkable story of why he felt compelled to write personally to Pope Benedict XVI after the Holy Father’s warnings about the growing “educational emergency” facing Christian families. Drawing on decades of ministry experience, research on faith transmission, and insights from his books Legacy and Transforming Grace, Steve makes the case that fathers play a uniquely critical role in passing on the Catholic faith to the next generation. He challenges parishes, priests, and parents to renew their focus on equipping fathers for spiritual leadership and explains why strengthening Catholic fatherhood may be one of the most effective responses to today’s crisis of faith among young people.
Why I Wrote Pope Benedict
In June of 2007 and again in January of 2009, Pope Benedict XVI warned of an “educational emergency” in passing on the faith to the coming generation. He emphasized that parents have “primary importance” in the spiritual formation of their children.
These statements prompted me to write to the Holy Father. It’s the only time in my thirty-five years as a Catholic that I felt moved to write to a pope. Here’s the letter I sent (which prompted a kind reply from Pope Benedict XVI):
Dear Most Holy Father:
With heartfelt agreement, I read of your recent pointed remarks concerning the “educational emergency” that exists in passing on the faith and true Christian values to new generations.
I believe that a substantial part of the solution to this crisis is Christian fathers re-discovering their role as family catechists and moral leaders. It is my experience that fathers require an explicit and specific challenge in order to respond to this responsibility. When contemporary men hear it mentioned that catechesis is a “parent’s responsibility,” most men will assume this exhortation is directed to their wives.
For your reflection, on pages 125–132 of the enclosed book, Legacy, I attempt to make the case why fathers are so critical in the cultural situation in which we find ourselves.
Thank you for your gracious consideration and your efforts on behalf of the family and the next generation.
Very respectfully yours,
Stephen Wood
Just how important are fathers to the spiritual development of their children? Here are two paragraphs from my book Legacy: A Father’s Handbook for Raising Godly Children, the book I sent to Pope Benedict:
Research shows that if a father attends church regularly, he conveys a lasting lesson to his children. A Swiss study asked the question, “What causes a person’s faith to carry through from childhood to adult religious belief and practice?”
The study found that the one overwhelming critical factor is the father’s religious practice. Dads determine the church habits of their children, and thus, to a significant degree, their eternal destiny.
Can’t moms also do this? Shockingly, the study reported that “if a father does not go to church, no matter how faithful his wife’s devotions, only one child in fifty will become a regular worshipper.” Yet, “if a father does go regularly, regardless of the practice of the mother, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will become churchgoers (regular and irregular).”
These are rather astonishing statistics that should guide and motivate anyone wishing to see a lasting faith transmitted to the next generation. Focus on fathers.
Fathers and the New Evangelization
The New Evangelization is a desperately needed initiative directed at secularized Catholics distant from the faith. Here again, fathers are of greatest importance in evangelizing families.
Key to the long-term success of any evangelistic effort is targeting specific “people groups” (a term used in missions and evangelistic planning) who can aid in the conversion of others. In other words, instead of trying to evangelize everyone at once, we focus on those who will be instrumental in converting others. The key “people group” for the New Evangelization of families is fathers with children still in the home.
Yes, it’s encouraging that we now have annual Catholic men’s conferences in many places, but too often there’s a significant absence of younger dads. What’s needed is a full-court, yearlong, multifaceted effort to evangelize, catechize, and disciple fathers with children in the home.
The Southern Baptists, who are effective evangelizers, published these remarkable results from research done by their church resource division:
- If a child is the first in the family to become a Christian, there’s a 3.7 percent probability that the rest of the family will become Christians.
- If Mom is the first in the family to become a Christian, there’s a 17 percent probability that the rest of the family will follow.
- If Dad is the first in the family to become a Christian, there’s a 93 percent probability that everyone else in the family will follow his lead.
From these statistics, we can predict that if the New Evangelization focuses on fathers, it is likely to succeed.
The New Evangelization can’t afford to be blind to the crisis of fatherhood in Catholic family and church life. St. John Paul II said that “the future of the world and of the Church passes through the family.” If we want to change the world, we must transform the family. To transform the family, we must focus on fathers. That’s an uncomplicated yet highly effective strategy.
Training Dads
Exhortations to paternal involvement in spiritual formation need to be explicitly directed to fathers. They need instruction and encouragement about their primary and indispensable role for spiritual leadership within their families. They need multiple reinforcements regarding their key role in their children’s spiritual formation.
Fathers also need nontechnical, down-to-earth, to-the-point, practical instruction on how to catechize. Most fathers feel inadequate about catechizing their children and are hesitant to attend a training class. To provide a comfortable learning environment, most men will require classes separate from their wives, at least in the initial stages of instruction. Dollars, staffing, and facilities should be given to prepare and equip Catholic fathers with children still in the home.
Focusing on fathers doesn’t mean that wives are inactive or unnecessary in the spiritual formation of children. Only a person who has lost his marbles would think that. Rather, it simply means that as dads step back into their role, both parents, as a team, shoulder this solemn responsibility.
We need nothing less than an army of faithful fathers in the Church Militant conveying the faith of the ages to their children. Strong, engaged, and Christlike fatherhood works when all else fails. A focus on fathers will reap benefits for generations to come.
Someone may ask, “How can we get young dads to attend such training?” My suggestion is quite simple: have your priest take an active role in teaching some of the classes, and ask your bishop to launch the fatherhood initiative by teaching the first session. Men will come when they see other men (priests and bishops) valuing the training.
A solid, consistent, and primary focus on faithful Catholic fatherhood will result in faith-filled, spiritually transformed families. This is the most essential factor in preserving the faith in an age of not-so-silent apostasy.
Malachi’s Solution
When ancient Israel was about to plunge into total apostasy and divine judgment, God gave the prophet Malachi a solution: turn the hearts of fathers, thereby turning the faith of the children, and transforming the family, the culture, and the country.
And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse. (Malachi 4:6)
The above article is a slightly abbreviated and modified Chapter 7 of: Transforming Grace: How to Rescue Young Catholics Drowning In a Secular Culture.
Forgotten Fatherhood Fact
At the time of our country’s founding, family advice on raising faithful children was written by men to fathers. Why? It was commonly acknowledged that the spiritual development of children fell primarily on a father’s shoulders.
The focus of family responsibilities, especially among segments of Protestantism, shifted significantly during the mid-nineteenth century. Along with the strong emotional focus of revivalism, Christianity in America, particularly regarding a child’s spiritual development, turned increasingly toward women. To this day, it’s no secret that the majority of contemporary Christian parenting books and family advice articles (Protestant and Catholic) are written to mothers.
When writing Transforming Grace, I decided to do something different. I gave parenting advice to both mothers and fathers. This isn’t radical. It’s simply recognizing the fundamental structure of the family. Both husbands and wives are necessary for a firm family foundation. That’s why I wrote Pope Benedict and authored Transforming Grace.
How to Receive Your Free Copy of Transforming Grace
For a limited time, we are offering Transforming Grace free of charge with a donation of $1 or more to Family Life Center. Visit RescuingYoungCatholics.com.
Yours in His Majesty’s Service,
Steve Wood