The Patrick Madrid Show "Are We Really That Divided?": The Truth about Church Unity (Special Podcast Highlight)
Patrick shared a quick but oh-so-needed reflection that will resonate deeply. He read a recent interview from Vatican News featuring Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo (from Africa), about that ever-present buzz around division in the Church.
The real story is way deeper than the drama on your social media feed.
Media vs. Reality: Not the Same Thing
Cardinal Ambongo said this:
“The press often claims the Church is divided between conservatives and progressives... These categories do not exist among the Cardinals themselves.”
Whoa. So, while social media might make it seem like the Church is at war with itself (team trad vs. team modern, etc.), the actual Cardinals are not playing that game.
According to the Cardinal, what really happened at the conclave (you know, the one that just gave us Pope Leo XIV) was unity. Not fake, PR-crafted unity, but a shared love for Jesus Christ.
The Church = A Person, Not a Platform
Cardinal Ambongo gets to the heart of it:
“The Church is not an ideology... but rather an attachment to a person, and that person is Jesus Christ.”
Can we get an Amen?
This isn’t about being “Team Benedict” or “Team Francis” or “Team Trad Latin Mass Only.” The real “team” is:
Team Jesus.
At the end of the day, Jesus didn’t ask Peter, “Do you have the right liturgical preference?”
He asked, “Do you love me?”
Patrick’s Take: Strive for Unity, Not Cliques
Patrick ties it back to Scripture: St. Paul calling out early Christians for splitting into camps (remember “I’m with Apollos!” “I’m with Cephas!” etc.).
Paul shut that down hard because it missed the point: It’s all about Christ.
Patrick’s challenge for us?
Even when the online world feels loud, snarky, and divided... especially within Catholic circles, we have to remember our purpose. And live like it. It’s Jesus. Period.
Final Word
If you’ve been feeling a little disheartened by all the Catholic infighting online, let this be your reminder: the Body of Christ is bigger than our factions.
Like Patrick said: this is also an ideal to strive for. Let’s get back to what unites us.
Want more thoughtful commentary like this?
Catch The Patrick Madrid Show live weekdays on the Relevant Radio app, 8–11am CT.
Because in a noisy world, we could all use a little more truth... and a little less X/Twitter.