One of the great problems that confronted the early Church concerned the practice of circumcision. It was a theme St. Paul felt very strongly about. It is I, Paul, who am telling you that if you have yourselves circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. Nowadays, circumcision is not a major issue in the Church. In the middle ages lay investiture was a great problem with kings wanting to name the bishops who served in their kingdom. Today, lay investiture is not a major issue in the Church. During the Reformation indulgences were the cause of great consternation. Nowadays, not so much. If history is a guide, the issues the Church wrestles with today — the Latin Mass, clerical celibacy, women’s ordination — will fade in importance in coming ages. What remains constant is the call to a conversion of heart and the requirement to care for the poor as Jesus reminded the Pharisees.
