Episode 2520: The State of the Modern Church

The State of the Modern Church: A Crisis of Worship and Leadership
Today, we are living in the time of Hezekiah, who was
Hezekiah? He was a king of Judah, mentioned in the Old Testament, known for his faithfulness to God and significant religious reforms. He ruled from around 715 to 686 BC and is considered one of the most righteous kings of Judah.
Here are some key aspects of Hezekiah's reign:
Religious Reforms: Hezekiah is best known for his efforts to restore proper worship of Yahweh. He removed pagan altars, smashed sacred stones, and destroyed the bronze serpent Moses had made because the people had started worshiping it.
Revival of Temple Worship: Hezekiah reopened the Temple in Jerusalem, which his father, King Ahaz, had desecrated. He repaired it, reinstituted the priesthood, and reestablished the celebration of Passover.
Trust in God: Hezekiah is remembered for his deep trust in God during a significant crisis. When the Assyrian king Sennacherib invaded Judah, Hezekiah turned to the prophet Isaiah and prayed for deliverance. According to the Bible, God miraculously saved Jerusalem from the Assyrian army (2 Kings 19:35).
Are we are witnessing a crisis in the Church similar to the time of Hezekiah, Are we idolizing statues, spiritual idolatry, modernism, and the abandonment of the true worship of God.
Many faithful Catholics are increasingly concerned about the direction the Church has taken since the Second Vatican Council, with priests, bishops, and even the pope seeming to favor the spirit of the world over the immutable truths of the Faith.
Priests and Bishops: The Role of Shepherds
Priests and bishops, as shepherds of the faithful, are meant to guide the Church in true worship and adherence to doctrine. However, many modern clergy have abandoned their duty to preach the fullness of the Gospel. In a misguided attempt to appear more inclusive or to align with modern sensibilities, many fail to uphold the hard truths of the Faith truths about sin, repentance, and eternal life. In doing so, they fall into the trap of promoting moral relativism, where objective truth is set aside in favor of personal interpretation or societal trends.

This is comparable to the worship of the Nehushtan. Just as the Israelites turned the bronze serpent into an idol, many modern Catholics, led by lukewarm clergy, have made idols out of ideologies such as social justice divorced from its theological roots, environmentalism taken to the extreme, and an overemphasis on ecumenism without concern for the integrity of the Faith.
The Pope: Leadership and Confusion
The pope, as the Vicar of Christ, holds the highest responsibility to guard the Deposit of Faith. But in recent years, we’ve seen confusion and ambiguity from the highest office in the Church. From unclear statements on moral issues, such as homosexuality, to the apparent promotion of interreligious dialogue that blurs the lines between Catholicism and other religions, there’s been growing concern among faithful Catholics about the direction of the papacy.
In times like these, King Hezekiah’s example is particularly relevant. He saw that even a sacred object like the Nehushtan could become a source of scandal and idolatry. Today, we face a similar situation where certain actions and teachings within the Church, even from its highest offices, have led to confusion and, in some cases, spiritual harm to the faithful.
Parallels to Hezekiah: The Need for Reform
Hezekiah’s destruction of the Nehushtan is a clear parallel to what needs to happen in the modern Church. Just as the bronze serpent, a once sacred object, became a stumbling block for the Israelites, we are seeing how the Church’s once-strong stance on doctrine and truth has been compromised by a desire to conform to the world.
Hezekiah did not shy away from destroying what had once been sacred because it had become a tool for idolatry. Likewise, we must pray for a restoration in the Church that removes the modern idols of relativism, modernism, and false mercy. The Faith needs to return to the clear and unambiguous teachings of Christ as passed down through Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium.
Where Does This Leave Us?
As laity, we are not without responsibility in this crisis. Like the Israelites who followed their leaders into idolatry, many Catholics today follow misguided teachings without seeking the truth. We must be vigilant, always measuring what we hear against the eternal teachings of the Church.
We should look to the saints, Church Fathers, and doctors of the Church like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, who fought heresies and defended the Faith with clarity and conviction. In our personal lives, we need to avoid the temptation of placing anything whether modern ideologies, movements, or even misunderstood devotions above our true and total worship of God.
Conclusion: A Call to Prayer and Action
In conclusion, King Hezekiah’s actions serve as a powerful reminder that even sacred things can become idols when they are misused. The modern Church faces a similar danger, where the true worship of God is being overshadowed by modern ideas, moral relativism, and weak leadership.
We must pray for our priests, bishops, and especially the pope, that they may have the courage to follow Hezekiah’s example and purify the Church of all forms of idolatry, returning her to the true worship of God alone.

Let us also take this time to reflect on our own lives. Are we clinging to modern ideas or practices that lead us away from God? Like Hezekiah, we must have the courage to break away from anything that compromises our faith, even if it seems harmless or even sacred.
Ending Prayer:
Let us close with a prayer for reform in the Church:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
O God, we ask You to purify Your Church, to raise up holy and courageous shepherds who will lead Your people back to the true worship of You. Grant us the grace to avoid all forms of idolatry in our lives and to always seek Your truth above all things. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may the Church be restored to her former glory, for the salvation of souls and the honor of Your Holy Name. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.