Pope Calls for Christian Names

I am not a Catholic and so rarely lend an eye to proclamations made by the Pope.  (Although, I really should, especially the words of Pope John Paul, a real hero.)  I did today, however, take notice of a news story about Pope Benedict XVI calling upon parents to stop using non-Christian names and turn to those names that reflect the Faith.  This from The Telegraph: (emphasis added):

Pope Urges Parents to Stop Giving Children Non-Christian Names 

The Pope has warned parents against giving children celebrity-inspired names and urged them to turn to the Bible for inspiration instead.

While names such as Sienna and Scarlett have become fashionable in recent years, Pope Benedict XVI called for a return to tradition.

During Mass at the Sistine Chapel, he said: "Every baptised child acquires the character of the son of God, beginning with their Christian name, an unmistakable sign that the Holy Spirit causes man to be born anew in the womb of the Church." He added that a name was an "indelible seal" that set children off on a lifelong "journey of religious faith".

According to the Office for National Statistics, celebrity names such as Ashton – after the actor Ashton Kutcher – and Lily – after the singer Lily Allen – are among the most popular in England and Wales. The names celebrities give their own children can be even more exotic.

Sir Bob Geldof has daughters named Pixie and Peaches, while Victoria and David Beckham called their first son Brooklyn, after the district of New York. Katie Price, the glamour model, named her daughter Princess Tiaamii.

In Italy, the name of a child has particular significance. Children are often named after saints, who are considered a guiding force in their life.

The tradition, however, is increasingly under threat. Francesco Totti, the footballer, recently decided to call his daughter Chanel, while Flavio Briatore, the Formula One boss, named his newborn son Falso Nathan.

Cristina Odone, a former editor of The Catholic Herald who grew up in Italy, said: "There are so many of the church's traditions which we have come to ignore and which are actually meaningful and have a big spiritual significance. To deprive our children of that sense of having a protecting saint is to rob them of something very significant. Many of today's names are not just un-Christian but they are also crass and consumerist."

According to official statistics, the most popular name for newborns in Britain is Mohammed, after the Islamic prophet. A total of 7,549 newborns were given variations of the name last year. It overtook Jack, which topped the list for 14 years.

Monsignor Andrew Faley, the assistant general secretary to the Catholic Bishops' Conference, said: "The name is not just a label but it moves us into a deeper significance of what it means to be human as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.

"Naming children after perfumes, bicycles and countries is putting a limit on their potential. They are not merchandise or commodities. 

"When I was a parish priest, if I didn't agree with the name I'd suggest they should give the second name of a saint."

In 2008, Italy's highest court banned a couple from naming their son Venerdi – Friday – saying it was "ridiculous" and would expose him to mockery from his classmates.

Judges from the Cassation Court in Rome ordered that the boy instead be christened Gregorio, after the saint's day on which he was born. The parents, from Genoa, had drawn inspiration from Robinson Crusoe's manservant.

Now, that is scary that a court can step in and order parents to name their child how it sees fit. (Luckily, that's in Italy and not here.)  "Venerdi" is unusual, but not as bizarre as others we've heard in the news.

Going Orange: Churches Band Together to Combat "Surrogate Faith"

I came across this article about an interesting movement among some churches working to fight "surrogate faith" with the hopes of preventing youth and young adults from abandoning their faith.  Check this out from Audrey Barrick of The Christian Post (emphasis added):

Thousands Think Orange, Fight 'Surrogate Faith'

Thousands of churches and families are beginning to think orange.

In other words, they're strategically and intentionally combining their efforts and synchronizing their influences to make the most impact on kids and teenagers.

At a time when an estimated two-thirds or more of the younger generation is walking from the Christian faith after high school, churches (yellow for light) and families (red for heart) are realizing the need to become true partners.

Some 4,000 people attended The Orange Conference, April 28-30, in Duluth, Ga., to learn the Orange essentials and be equipped with the tools necessary to better influence the next generation.

Todd Clark, founding pastor of Discovery Church in Simi Valley, Calif., contends the Orange philosophy combats what he calls "surrogate faith."

Just as a surrogate mother carries a child that is not her own but for someone else, there are many Christians who are carrying a faith that is not their own, Clark explained at The Orange Conference on Friday.

"Everything they know about God comes from their favorite author, or their pastor and they never spend any time directly with God so it all comes to them in a surrogate way," he said.

So when such a believer falls, their faith crashes, he noted.


Surrogate faith not only applies to youths but it also applies to parents.

A lot of times, parents want to drop off their kids at church and essentially not participate in their spiritual lives.

"They (parents) want us to do baptism to them (children) and not with them; they want us to basically program out the child's life to where the church is responsible for their faith rather than the parent and that way the parent never has to go to God. They can get everything through their favorite book," Clark lamented.

But in a church that thinks Orange, families are challenged to be more proactive both in their children's lives and in their own faith.

"I think that Orange irritates parents a lot of times," said Clark, "because of the word 'partnership.'"
At Discovery Church, parents are asked to be involved in the faith of their child by growing their own faith. The Simi Valley church equips parents with tools to help lead their kids to know the Lord.

"I love just setting those parents up to be the heroes because the parents are the ones who are going to be there forever," said Clark, who noted that many parents don't feel they have the knowledge or Bible education to lead their children spiritually.

"We're giving them the tools behind the scenes and your daughter [or son] can look at you as a spiritual leader."

"Orange" was introduced by Reggie Joiner, who formerly led the family ministries at North Point Community Church. He argues that when the influences of the church and the home are combined, a greater impact can be made than either of the influence would make individually.

Thinking Orange, however, does not merely mean to work concurrently and effectively in order to accomplish more. Already, churches are full of programs that inspire families and many homes are also serving as positive spiritual environments.

But they have to be in sync, Joiner contends.

"Working on the same thing at the same time is not as effective as working on the same thing at the same time with the same strategy," he says in Think Orange: Imagine the Impact When Church and Family Collide.

"The church and family are at a pivotal time, and there is incredible opportunity for us to redefine how we do ministry," Joiner stresses. "The bottom line is that we as church leaders are called to influence parents to become active partners in the process of their children's spiritual formation. Something needs to shift in our churches so we begin to see what happens in the home is just as important as what happens in the church."

Having been in youth ministry many years, there were times when my fellow youth leaders and I felt like parents sent their kids to camp hoping we could someone give their kids the faith that they themselves lacked.  It seems that, just as with school and sports, parents today believe they can just drop off their kids and let someone else do "the work."  Here, the parents rely on the church to instill faith in their children, overlooking the pivotal role they play in their kids' lives.  Parents cannot expect schools and churches to "fix" their kids.  They need to be the leaders and model what faith is .... maybe growing in faith alongside their children, if need be.