Whom do you follow?

Like Archbishop Óscar Romero of El Salvador in the 20th century and Thomas à Becket of England in the 12th century, Saint Stanislaus (c. 1030-79), according to tradition, was killed in church, in this case while celebrating Mass. Stanislaus’ murderer was the king of Poland, with whom he had a number of disputes over land and the king’s harsh rule. Throughout history the church has come into conflict with the powers that be. Jesus, of course, was put to death by the religious and political authorities of his time. Dorothy Day, of Catholic Worker fame, wrote in 1966: “Every new development for the last three centuries has brought [human beings] closer to the state of affairs in which absolutely nothing would be recognized in the whole world as possessing a claim to obedience except the authority of the State.” But for Christians, she said, Christ must be our guide. Who’s yours?