Afternoon gents, it’s Max from the Young Gentleman’s Guide here! Before we begin, I’d like to address the obvious: this article will most likely come off as extremely biased, because I am a devout Catholic and will be very partial to the words of a bishop. Just know going in that I don’t mean for it to come across that way. I’ve heard Bishop Barron speak quite a few times, whether in person or on video, and I believe he has a lot of great things to say, even things not pertaining to religion. So I’ll try to stay as objective as possible and just share why the auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles and Santa Barbara is a great figure for young men to look up to, even if you’re not religious. So before this article turns into a full-length novel, let’s get started!

1. He is incredibly well-spoken

Any of you reading who have heard Bishop Barron speak probably already know this, but for those of you who haven’t, you should know that this guy is extremely eloquent. He may actually be one of the great orators of our generation. He always knows exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to deliver it. The way he speaks is also very sophisticated. When he starts speaking, he has no flubs; no “ums” or “uhs” or anything. He gets straight to the point and does whatever it takes to stick to that point. It actually reminds me of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, but I’m getting off-topic. The point is, Bishop Barron is incredibly well-spoken, and his eloquence is more than enough for any young man to look up to.

2. He’s smart, but not arrogant

Another thing that’s fairly obvious to those of us who have heard Bishop Barron speak is that he is incredibly smart. He is incredibly well-versed in theology, philosophy, science, and sociology, and he incorporates all of that into his sermons and his teachings. That being said, he is also incredibly humble, which baffles both me and my father, who looks up to Bishop Barron even more than I do. Bishop Barron obviously doesn’t know everything, and he isn’t the arbiter of all things right and wrong, but he never claims to. All he wants to do is offer his point of view and help give people clearer views on the Catholic tradition. Yes, he is inordinately smart and believes what he’s saying is right, but he doesn’t claim to know everything or try to force his beliefs on anybody. He knows that there is a fine line between being confident and being arrogant, and Bishop Barron knows not to cross it at any point.

3. He never backs down from what he believes in

It’s clear that as a bishop, Bishop Barron believes in and defends the teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles, but as I said before, he doesn’t try to force those beliefs down everyone’s throats like how most of the mainstream views most Christians. However, even though he doesn’t do that, he still does not waver from his beliefs in the slightest. He only uses his faith to as a force of good in the world, and even though he might have his fair share of haters or naysayers, he only uses them as motivation to further strengthen his faith and continue to spread friendship, love, and tolerance.

4. Quotations

While this may not be a specific reason as to why Bishop Barron is a great man to look up to, I thought it would be a good idea to list some of the things he’s said in the past to display how smart and eloquent he is. (Here’s a link to show I’m not BS’ing any of this)

“Meek – free from the addiction to ordinary power – you can become a conduit of true divine power to the world.”

“In the Dei Verbum, there is a great statement of Vatican II: The bible is the word of God but in the words of men.”

“The English word sin is derived from the German term Sünde, which carries the connotation of sundering or dividing.”

“If we really want to change the current course of our culture and challenge its guiding ideas, then we need to start with the author of that culture. That means examining man himself.”

“At a certain point in American history, nobody would have imagined the possibility of slavery being overturned. Very smart people, very morally plugged-in people, were defenders of slavery in 1830, 1840, including Christians at a very high level. Politicians at the highest level didn’t think slavery could be overturned in 1820 or 1840, and yet now slavery is unthinkable. It’s the same with civil rights. In the 1930s and ’40s, a lot of very high-placed people, including religious people, wouldn’t have imagined the overturning of Jim Crow, but now it’s a fact.”

“Whatever threatens innocent life takes priority, morally speaking. Yes, I get the fact that people are especially preoccupied with abortion, but [the Church’s position] doesn’t mean we’re shills for the Republican Party. It means we’re trying to bring all of life under the aegis of radical love, but there’s a prioritization.”

So there it is! These are just a few of the ways that Bishop Robert Barron is a wonderful figurehead for young men to look up to, religious or not. With how well-spoken, intelligent, and humble he is, there is certainly a lot to admire about this man of the faith. Even if you’re not Catholic, or even religious, I encourage you to take a look at some if his videos, he has a myriad of wonderful things to say. I’ll link to a selection of some of my favorite videos from him down below. In any case, I hope you enjoyed reading today’s article. Please be sure to share the post, follow the blog, follow The Young Gentleman’s Guide on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and support us on Patreon. And on that note, this is Max from The Young Gentleman’s Guide, and I’ll see you next time!