Watching TV last night and listening to Bishop Barron speaking at the USCCB Spring Conference in Baltimore about the challenges the Church faces from the "Nones," (religiously unaffiliated), young people who are deserting the Church in large numbers, you could get a sense of the seriousness of the problem the Church faces now and in the future. Bishop Barron is the right one to lead the evangelization effort to try to show millenials and young people that the Church has something good to offer them but its going to take creativity, energy, common sense approaches and resources to bring that about. And lots of prayer.
There are certainly solutions to combating secularism, individualism and an overall mistrust of institutions among the young, and honestly the sexual abuse crisis has not helped and caused great harm. Also the lack of transparency that continues in the episcopacy is a problem. But none of these problems are unsurpassable. The Holy Spirit combined with efforts geared at showing young people the value and goodness of delving into spirituality, different forms of prayer, Eucharistic Adoration, Mass, social justice activities, Bible study and the Catholic intellectual tradition could bear great "fruit."
There is no time to waste. The problem as Bishop Barron noted is very serious.
The Church needs to invest money, time, resources and experts to try to face this problem and come up with solutions.
NJA
Sobering Statistic:
"For every one person joining the Church today, 6.45 are leaving and most are leaving at young ages, primarily before age 23."
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Friday, June 7, 2019
Bold, Forward Thinking Bishops Needed
According to many Catholic news sources, German Cardinal Kasper, said that "if during an upcoming meeting of bishops on the Amazon region the prelates asked for the ordination of married men, the Pope would grant the request." Though Pope Francis has said he doesn't want to be responsible for offering optional celibacy for Roman Catholic priests, and ending mandatory celibacy, it seems if the bishops tell him how dire the situation is, maybe he will consider it, not only in the Amazon region of the world, but everywhere.
I can't imagine the bishops who have priest shortages to deal with, and some priests responsible for multiple parishes and some diocese's facing large lawsuits from the sexual abuse crisis, won't think about the advantages of optional celibacy for men of exceptional virtue and love for the Church.
I don't understand how the Catholic Church can hold onto a failing policy (it doesn't work for everyone), and man-made law that is so obviously hurting the Church.
I fully understand that for some men, the discipline of mandatory celibacy is a good and holy option, but its not for everyone who wants to serve. Especially in the modern age, it is unrealistic to think that all men can live without the prospect of getting married and having a family.
The Church is going to have a hard time evangelizing in the modern age, if it doesn't look realistically at the problems it faces.
People want kind, compassionate, understanding and holy priests. It doesn't matter if they're married or not. I've met some very holy priests in the Greek Orthodox Church, with wives and children and they're making it work. And so are rabbi's, and Protestant ministers.
Bishops of the world need to be bold and courageous and ask the Pope to allow married priests and optional celibacy, not only in the Amazon but throughout the world.
Evangelical Protestant ministers are making great inroads in Africa and Latin and South America. They bring their wives along and they have a helper and companion to serve the Lord and do God's work.
Isn't the Eucharist and the availability of the Eucharist for all, more important that a man-made law
which narrows the "pool" of available holy men for the priesthood? Common sense must prevail and if prayer is needed to consider changing the law and allowing optional celibacy, then let the prayer begin. But the bishops of the world must help Pope Francis to see what is needed for God's people in the 21st century and how a man-made law can be changed for the good of the Church and its future.
NJA
I can't imagine the bishops who have priest shortages to deal with, and some priests responsible for multiple parishes and some diocese's facing large lawsuits from the sexual abuse crisis, won't think about the advantages of optional celibacy for men of exceptional virtue and love for the Church.
I don't understand how the Catholic Church can hold onto a failing policy (it doesn't work for everyone), and man-made law that is so obviously hurting the Church.
I fully understand that for some men, the discipline of mandatory celibacy is a good and holy option, but its not for everyone who wants to serve. Especially in the modern age, it is unrealistic to think that all men can live without the prospect of getting married and having a family.
The Church is going to have a hard time evangelizing in the modern age, if it doesn't look realistically at the problems it faces.
People want kind, compassionate, understanding and holy priests. It doesn't matter if they're married or not. I've met some very holy priests in the Greek Orthodox Church, with wives and children and they're making it work. And so are rabbi's, and Protestant ministers.
Bishops of the world need to be bold and courageous and ask the Pope to allow married priests and optional celibacy, not only in the Amazon but throughout the world.
Evangelical Protestant ministers are making great inroads in Africa and Latin and South America. They bring their wives along and they have a helper and companion to serve the Lord and do God's work.
Isn't the Eucharist and the availability of the Eucharist for all, more important that a man-made law
which narrows the "pool" of available holy men for the priesthood? Common sense must prevail and if prayer is needed to consider changing the law and allowing optional celibacy, then let the prayer begin. But the bishops of the world must help Pope Francis to see what is needed for God's people in the 21st century and how a man-made law can be changed for the good of the Church and its future.
NJA
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