Chateau Lloyd

Ash Wednesday holds a peculiar place on the liturgical calendar.  It is not a holy day of obligation, but most Catholics treat it as one.  Indeed, I can think of several holy days of obligation with far less participation.

What is more, Protestants are increasingly embracing it.  In a time of rising Christian persecution (both at home and abroad), it is a bold way to state one's Christian witness, and I'm sure many Protestants want to "reclaim" it rather than let Catholics have all the fun.

What was different this year was how many government officials openly wore ashes.  I don't recall ever seeing this before.  Ash Wednesday was always a local thing, but social media prominently displayed cabinet officials, celebrities, podcasters, etc. wearing their ashes.  It was so blatant that the secularists were quite upset.

The sudden prevalence of ashes is a necessary reminder that human societies are non-linear.  They can peak, fall and then peak again.  Decline is rarely irreversible, and usually leads to a transformation rather than total destruction.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Catholic Church, which survived the fall of multiple empires, plagues, internal dissent, heresy and much, much more.  In the current age, I think a great many people want something old, traditional and proven rather than yet more innovation.  The notion of having ashes placed on you is wonderfully archaic.

This is why I regard the prevalence of "nones" (people with no particular religious preference) as an opportunity rather than a problem.  Many of them likely were raised in the Church, and drifted away due to the scandals and (to be blunt) general cowardice on the part of the bishops.  It is telling that far more hue and cry is being raised about deporting illegal immigrants than lawfully admitted Catholic clergy.  People notice this sort of thing.

Strong, outspoken leadership can easily reverse this, and attract non-Catholics as well.  

As I've written before, "nice" Christianity is a dead end.  People want to be challenged, and they also want a religion that projects confidence in its beliefs, especially the "hard teachings."

Going out into the world carrying an ashen cross is a sign of faith and confidence, and I think both draw otherwise uncommitted people in.