The Remnant Faithful: A Case Study of Contemporary Apocalyptic Catholicism

Sociology of Religion, Summer, 2001 by Amy Luebbers

Amy Luebbers *

This study examines the worldview of a small group of apocalyptic Catholics. Analysis of believers' testimonies suggests that the End Times is a mystification of cultural fundamentalism in response to the transgression of a "Catholic' worldview. This world view is one in which God is most visible to believers within a traditionally structured society. The End Times reflects believers' fears of increasing political, social, and religious legitimacy of anti-traditionalism, and serves as the means through which the presence of God is to be reestablished in society. This paper outlines the core characteristics of these believers and examines the symbolic nature of God in the construction of their End Times worldview and apocalyptic Catholic identity.

INTRODUCTION

The emergence of millennialism, visionaries, and prophecy often coincides with times of personal, political, or social crisis (see Markle and MacCrea 1994; Strozier 1994; Boyer 1992; Wojcik 1991; Weber 1983; Perry and Echeverria 1988; Barkun 1974). Millennialism is indicative of a desire for social and political reformation, and has come to define any number of groups whose belief systems concern the end of one era and creating a new one, from the Branch Davidians, to Earth First!, to Marxism (Daniels 1999; Robbins and Palmer 1997). [1] Whether religious or secular, a millennial identity cannot be separated from an essentially moral objective and the establishment of a system of power that legitimates it. Daniels (1999:9) states that despite the quantity of analysis on millennialism, few recognize, "that millennialism is inherently political because it arises from the perception of political evil -- the abuse of power -- which it seeks to remedy." Indeed, millennialism is largely a construction of particular perceptions of power and justice; it is a sociomoral scenario in which worldly wrongs will be set right. This is most commonly illustrated among Protestant fundamentalists, who, relying on Biblical authority, maintain that the End is God's corrective wrath upon an evil world.

While Catholic apocalypticism remains a less popularized sphere of millennial studies than Protestant versions, a noted rise of Catholic visionaries in the U.S. has increased scholarly interest. [2] Apocalypticism is one of various conservative responses that have occurred within the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council (Cuneo 1997a, 1997b; Weaver and Appleby 1995; Dinges 1983). Cuneo (1997b) categorizes these reactions as conservatives, separatists, and Marian/apocalypticists. [3] This last group is generally associated with visionaries serving as oracles of divinely sent End Times messages (Cuneo 1997a, 1997b; Zimdars-Swartz 1991; Perry and Echeverria 1988; Carroll 1986).

Though "Catholic fundamentalism" may be an appropriate term for apocalyptic Catholic movements that use "visions, ritual, tradition, or even the papacy as their primary source of ultimate authority" (Cuneo 1997a:182), at its base, it is cultural. In this study of a small group of apocalyptic Catholics, the End Time's objective is best revealed in their adherence to a cultural fundamentalist perspective. Wood and Hughes (1984:89; see also Blanchard 1994) describe cultural fundamentalism as "adherence to traditional norms, respect for family and religious authority, asceticism and control of impulse. Above all, it is an unflinching and thoroughgoing moralistic outlook on the world; moralismf provides a common orientation and common discourse for concerns with the use of alcohol and pornography, the rights of homosexuals, 'pro-family' and decency issues." The relationship between these tenets of cultural fundamentalism and Catholic apocalypticism is supported by these believers' distinctive perception of the rel ationship of God to society that is but expressed in these forms of religious practices and authority. This study illustrates how the conceptualization of God is utilized as a tool for religious problem solving in these scenarios of "abused power."

Drawing from Cuneo's (1997b:178-180) characteristics of the apocalyptic Catholic and Greeley's (1990, 1989) analysis of the symbolic nature of God, I find the "political evil" identified by these believers is the dissolution of a sacred society. These believers' perception of the End Times is a mystification of cultural fundamentalism in response to the transgression of a "Catholic" worldview. The End Times seeks to reestablish the legitimacy of a traditional, or sacred "Catholic" ethos.

METHOD

Among contemporary Catholic visionaries and locutionists of the End Times, I found that few offered prophecies quite as detailed, abundant, or consistent as those of John Leary, a retired chemist, husband and father in his late fifties, from Rochester, New York. [4] Leary was chosen as the prophet of this study for three reasons: his prophecies are apocalyptic in nature, readily available to the public, and his traveling evangelism lent research accessibility to potential apocalyptic believers. Leary served as the link between the participants and myself, while his messages provide a base point in examining the apocalyptic worldviews of his believers.