In the previous article in this series on Pope Francis' encyclical The Light of Faith, I considered the role of mediation in faith. Faith always arises through a mediator - the Church, the wider society, one's family, a loved one. The problem is that when one's chief mediator loses faith or mistreats us, our faith is apt to crumble. In this article, I will look at Pope Francis' reflection on idolatry. Mediation is something outside oneself, but idolatry is a failing on the part of the person who could have faith.

How marvellous it would be if we all could have a vision of Jesus with the same power as that experienced by St. Paul on the road to Damascus. A light from heaven flashed around him and Jesus spoke: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" (Acts 9.5). After that, how could there be any doubt? There would no longer be any need to question whether there is a God, whether Jesus is God become human. It would all have been revealed with greater power than any Hollywood special effects team could muster.

From a Christian perspective, the most striking development of the last 50 years in the Western world is the declining practice of faith. Where, not that long ago, Christian belief was part of the DNA of most Europeans and North Americans, it is now the preserve of a minority. The vast majority of Canadians say they believe in God, but it is hard to discern what that actually means. Is that belief the last tidbit of something inherited from their grandparents, or is it a seed that will grow into something glorious with proper watering? What is faith anyway? Is it a firm adherence to the Church's dogmatic and moral tenets? Is it a general adherence of the heart and mind to a mysterious Supreme Being who transcends the physical?