A sanctuary is a protected place where birds, animals, or people can gather to find refuge and safety from dangerous conditions. It’s original meaning has biblical roots and refers to an enshrined haven or holy place set apart because God’s presence is made manifest there. The portable tent used by Jewish ancestors while wandering in the desert was the prototype, a visible reminder that they walked with the Lord. When settling in the holy city of Jerusalem, the temple became their sanctuary. As Christian descendants, the tabernacle in our churches is considered the center of the sanctuary because we believe it contains the real presence of Jesus and is extended to the entire ecclesial structure, including those who believe.
One of our religious hymns is entitled “Sanctuary.” Its lyrics begin: “Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.” We should not be surprised that many Catholics desire to find sanctuary in their Sunday worship, i.e., they want to be protected in that sacred space from dangerous threats and obstacles to their union with God. Sometimes, and perhaps unfortunately, Catholics who reach out to a “last chance” church like those I serve are seeking protection not only from factions in society that ridicule or seemingly put them or others down but also from factions within the church that judge some people to be inadequate or children of a lesser God. This view might be especially true among young people.
They want church and government leaders to stand in solidarity with those who are marginalized in our society. Psalm 34 proclaims: “The Lord hears the cries of the poor.” They want us all to respond to those cries in meaningful ways. The Catholic Church and others have, no doubt, done many good works to help the poor. In recent decades, after the revelation of notorious sexual scandals and subsequent cover-ups, the church established as a top priority the protection of children and vulnerable others. Some of those others are immigrants, gay or transgendered people, and those treated differently because of their ethnicity or religion.
Those who have power over another carry grave responsibility. It is never acceptable to misuse power to harm others or lead young minds in directions that hate or diminish. The church has had to shamefully admit that, intentionally by some bad actors and unintentionally by other ignorant leaders, we are responsible for dreadful abuses of those that the Psalmist calls “the poor.” The practice among many church leaders is to encourage critical thinking among our members but, rather than desiring to learn from young people they expect people to conclude that the church’s answers are correct (e.g., that those who are gay are intrinsically disordered or those who’re divorced and remarried are excommunicated…). Hierarchical leaders often instruct members to think with the mind of the church; but we ought to encourage people to think with the mind and heart of Christ while also promoting continual conversation and conversion. This occurs not only in church but in other institutes like colleges where many students get pressured to think like their professors to receive a good grade. There are numerous examples from many places where mentors go astray, power gets misused, or young minds get manipulated.
Jesus and religions that honor Him as the second person of the Holy Trinity want to take people to places that help them elevate beyond worldly cares and escape dark or mean spirits. He did this on the mountain of Transfiguration, witnessed by three disciples. They wanted to remain there, but He told them they must come off the mountain to reengage in the world. Yet, through prayer in places of sanctuary they knew, as we do, that we can return on some level to holy heights and to experiences that elevate us from this world to the one that awaits us beyond earthly existence. Though most people in the last century came to church each Sunday primarily to fulfill an obligation, to receive sacraments, or to share in community life, I think many people today come to find sanctuary and to plead with the church to be a sanctuary for the oppressed from dangerous conditions and remind us of the world that awaits.