tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15414540.post8341226611625406256..comments2023-11-02T05:11:56.833-04:00Comments on Midnight Radio: Bishops, Part TwoFideliohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05153940948852223051noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15414540.post-16595037310774898872011-06-27T19:32:08.062-04:002011-06-27T19:32:08.062-04:00Ah me. I don't know. I guess I flatter mysel...Ah me. I don't know. I guess I flatter myself as something of a front-line Catholic, in the sense that I meet very, very, very "average" Catholics and try to instruct them, making an impact in sometimes as short as 6 months before they ship off to the next spot. I see what they need, I hear what they want...the discussions that happen on your blog, Leila, are real. Those conversations are the ones that actually happen every day. Those conversations are the ones that make a difference in evangelization. We don’t have conversations about why the bishops aren’t excommunicating more. Their picture of the Catholic world outside their parish comes solely from mainstream news outlets. They’ve never heard the names Burke, Chaput, or Gomez. They know either “new sex scandal erupts” or “New York bishops slam gay marriage act.” <br /><br />Really, I'm taking all this personally, i.e. only looking at it from my immediate perspective. I think Catholics should stick together publicly, and support priests and bishops in every possible instance. Someone asks you why Catholic politicians still get to receive communion even when they're pro-choice? I'd say, "Perhaps their bishop has spoken to them privately. Perhaps there's been conversations that we don't know about. We all know Nancy Pelosi went to talk to the Pope, and she came out of that telling everyone what a great theological conversation they had. Who believes that?? So maybe the actions/words of a politician shouldn't give us quite so much of our perspective on how a bishop does or does not defend the Faith."<br /><br />That would be me, and I suppose that Nadal is right, and that someone, somewhere, <i>needs</i> to be taking a hard line with the bishops. We should be writing letters, we should be having priests over to dinner and discussing these kinds of things. What do they think? How do they act? What kind of relationship do our local politicians have with the Church? I have a feeling that your average down-on-the-bishop Catholic doesn’t do a lot of letter writing, just a lot of whining. :P<br /><br />I think that Nadal’s suggestion to impose something akin to the Dallas Charter on bishops who "fail" to enforce excommunication is totally out of line, but he might just be speaking rhetorically. I mean, what would it accomplish to just cut off bishops they second they step out of line? Who will replace them? I imagine that Nadal and others argue that poor discipline of political figures is just as dangerous to the spiritual wellbeing of the faithful as pedophilia is dangerous to the physical wellbeing of the faithful. I wouldn’t know how to answer their argument, either. After all, our goal is to save souls, right? The answer that comes to mind right away is “apparent inaction shouldn’t be construed as guilt any more than alleged wrongdoing.” I mean, that’s what they’re up in arms about with accused priests, that mere allegations get them out on their ear. Isn’t <i>assuming</i> that the bishop is doing nothing a similar offense?<br /><br />Sigh. As you see, I’m not really on sure footing with all this either. I think Dolan, et al, did the right thing this weekend. I applaud them. As for all the rest…dunno. :(Fideliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05153940948852223051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15414540.post-75751195365201737362011-06-27T13:15:45.472-04:002011-06-27T13:15:45.472-04:00Yes, I'm with you.
How's this for more t...Yes, I'm with you. <br /><br />How's this for more to talk about?<br /><br />http://gerardnadal.com/2011/06/27/bishops-dallas-corapi-cuomo-and-the-eucharist-the-ties-that-bind/<br /><br />I think he's on to something.Leila@LittleCatholicBubblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09357573787143230160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15414540.post-4678964138116927832011-06-27T12:05:36.740-04:002011-06-27T12:05:36.740-04:00Well, both of my mom's siblings left the Churc...Well, both of my mom's siblings left the Church because they didn't like being told "no" on divorce and marriage issues. Lots of the people I'm teaching now in RCIA left the Church for similar reasons, and are now coming back.<br /><br />Now that you've said it, though, I agree with what you said, too--lack of solidity is a factor, too. A couple of my students from last year knew what they learned from their moms, they had some basics in the back of their head (Communion is Jesus, and I'm not allowed to get a divorce) but there wasn't much substance beyond that. In short, they weren't taught enough to make it worth staying, I guess.<br /><br />Good points. I'm just sick of the whole thing, altogether, in or out, up or down, left or right. I'm tired of my attempts at education being undermined by [vocal] fringe priests or bishops who do wrong. I'm tired of knowing what the liturgy <i>should</i> look like, and yet never being able to FIND a liturgy that looks that way. And I'm especially tired of people failing to recognize and applaud good when they see it, because they're like me and are tired and jaded and annoyed at the state of the Church. :P<br /><br />So. I'm not exactly a balanced commentator here, by any means. :) It just struck me that it was nice to hear some bishops standing up for something right, and doing it loud enough that it made it into the New York Daily News.Fideliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05153940948852223051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15414540.post-80539920620607849602011-06-27T10:45:06.458-04:002011-06-27T10:45:06.458-04:00I don't disagree with you and you have great p...I don't disagree with you and you have great points! Thank you for diving into this for me.<br /><br />The only thing I am not sure about is this: <i>These people are out of the Church, no longer attending Mass, because they didn’t like the message they were given. They didn’t want to amend or adjust their lifestyle, so they left. If priests and bishops weren’t preaching the Truth, why would they leave? </i><br /><br />I actually left the practice of the Faith because I didn't hear anything solid or consistent. I was a political conservative who couldn't stomach the parish I sometimes went to, because it was so liberal and fluffy. I went to become a "Bible Christian" precisely because they stood up for Christ and the moral law (as they understood it), with fire and courage. I think half of those in that church were young ex-Catholics. But I write about that in my reversion story.<br /><br />Anyway, you've given me much to think about! Thank you!!Leila@LittleCatholicBubblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09357573787143230160noreply@blogger.com