Globalization as a Challenge for the Catholic Church in the United States of America in the 21st Century

Grzegorz Rozborski

doi:10.18290/rt2024.15

Published : 2024-12-30

Vol. 71 No. 3 (2024)

Globalization as a Challenge for the Catholic Church in the United States of America in the 21st Century

Grzegorz Rozborski

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2201-6164

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rt2024.15

Abstract

The aim of the article is to show how globalization contributes to changes in the culture of the United States, especially to social degradation, economic exclusion, lifestyle and participation in the life of the Catholic Church. The article aims to show the challenges facing the Catholic Church in fulfilling its mission in a society immersed in the processes of globalization. The problem of this study can be summarized in the following questions: What impact does globalization have on the contemporary social, cultural, and religious fabric in the United States, what challenges does it pose to the Catholic Church in the twenty-first century? How is the Church to fulfill its mission in American society? These questions can be answered through a physical examination of the documents of the universal Church, a presentation of the teaching of the Church in the United States, and a review of the publications of American theologians and sociologists. After a brief introduction, the impact of globalization on the culture, social and religious structure of U.S. society will be analyzed. Then, the phenomenon of disintegration and social exclusion related to globalization will be analyzed. At the opposite pole of globalization there is another social phenomenon – consumerism as a lifestyle. Finally, the article examines the proposals for pastoral activity of the Church in the U.S.A. in the face of the challenges posed by globalization.

Keywords:

globalization, Catholic Church, social disintegration, social-economic exclusion, consumerism, poverty

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