A smaller but stronger Catholic Church?

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Recently I heard that Pope Benedict 16th said that the he foresees a smaller Catholic Church but one that will be much stronger. I was told he also said this when he was Cardinal Ratzinger. The questions I have is what does this mean and how will it be done? The possibilities of this are very exciting.

If it is something short term he would like to accomplish would he have something like a Vatican 3? Will this be done through a split through the right wing and the left wing of the Church? Will he make a declaration and clarification of what Catholics believe and invite those who do not to believe this way to leave the Church? Or will the numbers just decline naturally?
 
I think that it will happen on its own (I don’t know if “naturally” is the right term though.). There are millions of people who claim to be Catholic and who do not follow Catholic teachings, nor have any intention of doing so (we all fall… but few of us want to get back up again).

The Church has already made declarations and clarifications aplenty on what Catholics need to believe. Those who believe will last, and those who don’t will fall away.

Personally, I think that it will take a couple generations for the smaller, stronger Church to come about. People are so apathetic and disconnected from reality that they can’t see that there is contradiction between disbelief and belief. They think that Monday to Saturday they can act like pagans, and then for an hour on Sunday morning they can drag themselves into the Church and buy the glories of heaven!

Eventually this apathy will lead the children of these people (or their children) to dispense with the hour on Sunday, and the name “Catholic”, because it is too much trouble to keep up the facade. We already see this happening… how many kids come back to church a week after their Confirmation?.. how many continue for six months or more?

May our new, smaller, stronger Church be an even more complete reflection of the Heavenly Kingdom!

God bless,

Agricola
 
After the Reformation the Counter-Reformation reinvigorated the Church. Christians who didn’t believe Catholic dogma were gone and the Church was stronger. That can happen again. There is a great quote which I cannot find right now, either Ronald Knox or Newman said it. His point is that you cannot kill the Catholic Church. He references the persecutions during Roman times, the Reformation and several other historical eras and arrives at his conclusion: you cannot kill the Catholic Church.
 
It will not be a splitting of right and left wing. God is neither right or left - and neither is the Church.
It will be the orthodox who will make up the stronger smaller Church.
The unorthodox will go.
The Church is naturally conservative, as that is it’s purpose- To conserve the faith.
Already in this country, Australia, and in most western countries school kids leaving Catholic schools are leaving the faith to the tune of 95-98% when they step out into the world.
A sure sign of a smaller Church.
 
Cardinal George of Chicago said something similar earlier this year.
 
I wish to ask a question assuming that a smaller stronger church is desirable which may seem naive. What should evangelization look like in such a setting?

Here are some of my reflections based upon our need for renewal.

A. When first founded seminaries were seen as a renewing force. With all of the scandals that we have seen over the last 30 years seminaries are often the source of great woes for the Church? Will we find other ways to train priests once again as we did before? Will we seriously reform or be able to reform all of the seminaries?

B. Monasticism when founded was a way to extend the sense of holiness that was foster by martyrs. Sadly, monasticism at least in America, has been in serious decline both in numbers and in holiness. Will new monastic movements continue to be formed?

C. Private devotions seem not to be emphasised as much as they once were. Appearences can be deceiving but if the domestic Church is in decline then it is no wonder we have fewer vocations and much smaller families. How might this be enhanced?

D. Liturgy is a mixed bag yet we know that there has been a concerted effort in the last 30-40 years to make our Churches look barren and to dumb down our liturgy. There are movements to the contrary but they seem puny in comparison with the wreckovators efforts. Someone said, I’ve forgotten whom, that the single worst liturgical decision of the last century was to have the priest face away from God. Do you foresee a serious revival of liturgy?

There are many more areas for discussion and each of these may engender numerous threads of their own. But this may get us started.

CDL
 
If our Holy Father and his bishops and priests faithfully and without compromise teach the divine deposit of faith, I expect there will be a large exodus of catholics (in name only) leaving our dioceses for other denominations. Maybe a good housecleaning is what we need to have a considerably smaller and yet purified church filled with believers who fully adhere to the Church’s teachings. “Cafeteria catholics” contribute nothing to the church and are often a source of division and deception. The number of ‘members’ a church has does not signify success. Even Christ said the number of saved will be small. That’s to be expected. It’s better to have a small Church that truly represents the saving faith and its elect. Then humanity will have a clear guide to salvation if they choose to adhere to it. It’s better for the Holy Father to say, “This is our faith. You either obey the teachings of the Church or you’re a heretic.” That would seperate the true believers from those who want to pick and choose what the truth is. In actuality, they represent nothing more then their own ego; fashioning God after their own image instead of seeking the One True God.
 
Mark,

I agree. I’m tired of the compromisers.

Does anyone have any response to my list of questions above? Anyone?

CDL
 
If “cafeteria Catholics” ceased to make themselves known, if they remained in the Church but without revealing their true beliefs – would that be OK?

If it would not be OK, how would you determine who is a “cafe Catholic” if they don’t say anything incriminating?
 
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Ahimsa:
If “cafeteria Catholics” ceased to make themselves known, if they remained in the Church but without revealing their true beliefs – would that be OK?

If it would not be OK, how would you determine who is a “cafe Catholic” if they don’t say anything incriminating?
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Some folks have some church teachings they struggle with …thats not the same as out and out definance…and rejection of those teachings.

As to the second question…

By how they act…
 
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aimee:
Some folks have some church teachings they struggle with …thats not the same as out and out definance…and rejection of those teachings.
Click to expand...
What would count as “out and out defiance/rejection”?
  1. Standing up and yelling in Church? (Probably yes)
  2. Complaining in the comfort of one’s home?
  3. Writing a book in which one outlines one’s doubt of teaching x, y, and z?
  4. Creating a website where you express your doubs and rejections?
 
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Ahimsa:
What would count as “out and out defiance/rejection”?
  1. Standing up and yelling in Church? (Probably yes)
  2. Complaining in the comfort of one’s home?
  3. Writing a book in which one outlines one’s doubt of teaching x, y, and z?
  4. Creating a website where you express your doubs and rejections?
Click to expand...
Yes to all.
all that matters is that they reject doctrine in their hearts.
If they didn’t reject it in their hearts, they wouldn’t make websites or complain in their own homes.
Anyone who disagrees with a church fact is a heretic.
 
If you doubt, go look stuff up. You don’t want to spread your doubts around where other people might pick up on them.
 
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